Hardrock Mining in Montana

Mining Activities
Mining interests have staked more than 10,000 mining claims, covering nearly 245,000 acres of federal public land in Montana.  Seven Montana counties have more than 500 claims, including: Sweet Grass;  Stillwater; Jefferson; Beaverhead; Madison; Lincoln;  and Broadwater Counties.

There are 13 permitted major hardrock mines in Montana.  Five of these mines are currently active--Golden Sunlight, Continental Pit, Stillwater, Montana Tunnels, and East Boulder.  Montana is the only state to produce platinum and palladium.  It also produces gold, silver, copper, and other minerals and metals.

Abandoned Mines and Superfund Sites
Montana has an estimated 6,000 abandoned mine sites, which have polluted more than 2,000 miles of streams and rivers in the state. The counties with the most abandoned mine sites or the most people living near them: Beaverhead, Cascade, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and Madison.  View detailed maps here.

At least seven Montana mines and smelters have been listed as Superfund cleanup sites. Locations include: Anaconda, East Helena, Great Falls, Basin, Neihart, Libby and Milltown.

The abandoned, bankrupt Zortman-Landusky mine complex will drain acid for hundreds of years. Credit: EARTHWORKS/Lighthawk

Community Health and Environmental Impacts

• Nine of the 13 major hardrock mines in Montana, including the Kendall mine and Zortman/Landusky mine, are causing significant water pollution that was not predicted when the mines were permitted.  Five mines have such severe water pollution that perpetual treatment will be required.  Between 1982 and 1998, millions of gallons of cyanide were discharged from Montana gold mines, contaminating soil and water, killing fish, and damaging private property.
• According to the US EPA, mining operations discharged 27 million pounds of toxics into Montana's environment in 2001.
• In Libby, Montana, more than 200 people died from exposure to asbestosfrom the nearby W.R. Grace mine.  Hundreds more have been diagnosed with asbestos-related disease.  Nearly one in five residents have lung abnormalities.  The mine closed in 2001 and the company filed for bankruptcy.
• A lead smelter in East Helena, Montana, owned by ASARCO, Inc., has polluted a 100-square-mile area.  In 2000, the smelter discharged 16,000 pounds of lead into the air.  Nearby homes have lead in their yards at levels that pose serious health risks, especially for children.

Read here about a family of Montana ranchers who became activists to protect their water and their ranch from mining pollution.

Loss of Montana's Public Lands to Mining Interests
Under the antiquated 1872 Mining Law, an estimated 202,000 acres of public land in Montana have been sold to private interests for either $2.50 or $5.00 per acre.

For More Information

* COMMUNITY STORY - Lewiston, Montana: Family Fights Mine to Save Ranch
* MINE CASE STUDY - Zortman-Landusky gold mines, Montana: Cyanide Spills, Contaminated Drinking Water
* Who Owns the West: Mining Claim Ownership in Montana
* Who Own the West: Mining Patent Ownership in Montana
* Map of abandoned mines in Montana

* Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC)