As wildfire mitigation and prescribed burns are delayed amid the government shutdown, the U.S. Forest Service gave final approval to Hecla Mining Company for the Libby Exploration Project. The approval enables Hecla to begin surveys for silver and copper ore in an old mine shaft 20 miles south of Libby, Montana.
The proposed mining operation has been in development for decades, and faces opposition from environmental groups who worry about the impacts of water pollution, mining activity, and human disturbances to wildlife. The project received an expedited review after the Trump administration added it to the “FAST-41” infrastructure permitting dashboard.
“This is not an ‘exploration project,’” said Ben Catton of the Montana Environmental Information Center. “Hecla has been pursuing this ore body for years. They know what’s there, but they also know what’s at stake given that the mine is adjacent to one of our first wilderness areas and a critical stronghold for threatened grizzlies, wolverines, and bull trout. Hecla is trying to get an inch so they can take a mile.”