Montanore Project (DOE/EIS-0393)

Lincoln County, Montana

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Montanore Project is a proposed copper and silver underground mine and transmission line located about 18 miles south of Libby near the Cabinet Mountains of northwestern Montana Montanore Minerals Corp. (MMC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Mines Management, Inc. (MMI) would be the project operator.

The Kootenai National Forest (KNF) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) are the lead agencies for the environmental impact statement being prepared for the project. BPA is a cooperating agency on the project because, if a decision is made to build the project, BPA would build a substation and tap line. BPA's involvement is limited to the impacts of the proposed tap line and substation that would serve the mine facility.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Lincoln County, Montana are also cooperating agencies.

CURRENT STATUS

The KNF and DEQ issued a Joint Final EIS for the Montanore Project on December 18, 2015. These agencies have identified Mine Alternative 3 and Transmission Line Alternative D-R as the preferred alternatives in the Joint Final EIS. The KNF and DEQ will likely issue Record of Decisions in 2016.

CONTACT

For project information, contact:
Lynn Hagarty Direct line: 406-293-6211
Kootenai National Forest
31374 U.S. 2 West
Libby, MT 59923-3022
406-293-6211

Craig Jones Direct line: 406-444-0514
Montana DEQ
1520 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT 59620-0901
406-444-0514

For environmental information, contact:
Carol Leiter Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist Direct line: 360-418-8608
Bonneville Power Administration - KEC-4  Email: cpleiter@bpa.gov 
P.O. Box 3621 
Portland, OR 97208-3621

DOCUMENTS

Notice of Intent (12/18/2015)

FEIS (December 2015)
FEIS Vol 1 
FEIS Vol 2
FEIS Vol 3
FEIS Vol 5