Mining company seeks okay for baseline studies on Red Lady

HCCA waiting to comment

Thompson Creek Metals Company filed an application at the end of January with the United State Forest Service to conduct some tests in preparation for mining molybdenum from Mount Emmons. The Forest Service has 30 days to make a decision on the application.

 
“We submitted the application to do some minimal ground disturbance to conduct baseline studies at the site,” explained Mount Emmons director of community relations Perry Anderson. “We are waiting to hear from them. We did some similar studies last year but those were tests that didn’t disturb the ground.”
Anderson said there are a number of things the company wants to do with the tests. “We’ll drill some bore holes that will help us determine water quality. We’ll do some tests to determine earth movement. Make some test pits to look at the surface strata beneath the ground,” he explained. “We won’t be doing anything that I would consider to be a major disturbance but there will be some disturbance.”
High Country Citizens’ Alliance Public Lands Director Dan Morse said HCCA has asked to see the application. He anticipates the environmental organization to comment on the application after they have reviewed the document but says he expects the mining company to be allowed to conduct baseline studies.
“The Forest Service hasn’t yet gotten back to us on the application,” he said. “The mining company last year applied for a similar permit and the Forest Service granted them permission to conduct tests that didn’t disturb the ground. Anything more than that, and the company would have had to go through an environmental assessment. We assume the same thing will happen this time but we are in a wait-and-see mode.”
Anderson said if the approval is obtained from the Forest Surface, the company would like to start testing this summer.