A potential mine on the Bitterroot River could mean contamination to Idaho’s waterways
Learn more at Friends of the Bitterroot about the proposed Sheep Creek Mine.
U.S. Critical Materials and U.S. Critical Metals are proposing an exploration project located in the Sheep Creek, Johnson Creek, and West Fork Bitterroot drainages, located in western Montana near the border of Idaho. A Notice of Intent was received by the Forest Service West Fork Ranger District in April of 2023 to notify the Forest Service that another mining company is seeking approval to explore mineral deposits with hopes to mine rare earth elements (REEs) in a cherished natural area.
The REEs these companies are looking to extract are neodymium and presidium for magnets in electric vehicles. The mining process for REEs uses significantly more water than other kinds of hard rock mining, and the Bitterroot is already over-allocated. REE mining is an invasive process that requires an immense amount of resources. The Friends of the Bitterroot explains the process as follows:
“REE’s ores are generally mined by excavating open pits and then leaching the ore in adjacent heaps or vats. Sometimes they are mined using in-situ leaching by injecting leaching agents into drill holes bored into the ore. The resulting chemical soup containing REEs is then captured for further processing. Leaching agents used to saturate the mined ore commonly include ammonium sulfate and ammonium chloride, both highly soluble in water and sometimes used as fertilizers. Materials used to refine and separate REEs from resulting concentrates include a witch’s brew of toxic chemicals.
Mining REE deposits requires blasting bedrock into rubble which makes removal possible and exponentially increases the surface area of rock, aiding chemical leaching. Unfortunately, it also exposes the increased rock surface area to groundwater and air, leading to mobilization as dust or water drainage of metals and other constituents of the rock, like sulfides, asbestos, or radioactivity.”
The location of this potential project poses a threat to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife designated critical habitat for bull trout. Any pollution to this watershed would harm the threatened bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Being positioned at the headwaters of the Bitterroot River, groundwater could be impacted and pollutants could easily contaminate all the way to the Clark Fork River, affecting Idaho’s waterways.
Locals are also fearful of what the mine could do to the economy. The Bitterroot River is a premier fishing spot for a variety of trout species. The river supports the sustainable fishing industry that is run by local businesses.
IRU believes in protecting these critical watersheds and the communities that rely on them. The Plan of Operations is expected to come out in October 2023.
In the meantime, you can take action by sending your concerns to Daniel Pliley (daniel.pliley@usda.gov) at the West Fork Ranger District.
