Published Wednesday, September 22, 2004 I-147: Enough is enough
In 1998, the voters of Montana went to the polls and approved a ballot measure that banned new and expanded open-pit cyanide -leach mining in Montana. This year, Montanans are again being asked to vote on cyanide -leach mining. Initiative 147 would re-establish the technique in Montana, with a variety of environmental safeguards spelled out explicitly. Proponents of I-147 are selling the initiative as a jobs measure, claiming that high-paying mining jobs are important to Montana's economy. But Montanans already made a decision in 1998 that jobs are less important than a clean environment. If we are going to have the benefits of these jobs, they must come about as a result of industries that are respectful of the natural resources of our state, and not just exploitive of them. This view grows out of the state's long tradition of being taken advantage of by out-of-state corporations that have made millions of dollars by extracting mineral wealth from the state and leaving behind environmental catastrophes. In 1998, Montanans said "enough is enough." After all, mining is not new in Montana, and the state has plenty of evidence of the damage that can be done. In fact, cleanup work at the former Kendall Mine, the Zortman-Landusky Mine and the Beal Mountain Mine, all of which used the cyanide -leach technology, could cost the taxpayers as much as $40 million. Everyone wants to see good jobs for hard-working Montanans, but we also need to look out for the existing taxpayers of Montana, and make sure they are not paying for the mistakes of out-of-state corporations. Colorado's Canyon Resources, which operated the Kendall Mine, now wants to develop an open-pit cyanide -leach mine along the Upper Blackfoot River. Reportedly, this pit is a mile wide and 1,200 feet deep, similar in size to the Berkley Pit in Butte. It's a big deal, and Canyon Resources has a lot invested in it. That's why the company has spent $1.3 million so far on the campaign to pass I-147, and why this initiative looks more like an attempt to buy legislation than an honest effort to improve state policy. After all, that's a lot of money — more than either gubernatorial candidate has even raised yet. By contrast the two main opposition groups have raised about $160,000, with major donations coming from Montana Trout Unlimited and the Clark Fork Coalition. Talk about David and Goliath! Montana voters ought to stick by their guns (or slingshots, as the case may be). It wasn't the Legislature that passed the ban on cyanide -leach mining, it was the citizens of Montana. Nothing much has changed in mining technology in the past six years, and there are no guarantees that there would be no contamination from cyanide mining. In addition, the proposed safeguards in I-147 were already being required back in 1998 as part of the mining permit process. Therefore the voters have no reason to change their mind. Vote no on I-147. |