BUTTE — A recent study that’s very cozy with the mining industry unsurprisingly showed the huge economic benefit hard-rock mining has had on the state and in Butte. However, it says nothing about the historically negative impact it’s had on Montana’s environment.
“Mining punches way above its weight, we pay some of the highest wages and we contribute a lot of revenues to state and local tax coffers,” said Montana Mining Association Executive Director Matt Vincent.
The Economic Contribution of Montana’s Hard Rock Mining Industry report shows the industry employs more than 18,000 people and contributes $7.3 billion in revenue to the state. The study, which was funded by the Montana Mining Association, was conducted by the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
Butte-Silver Bow has benefited from Montana resources which expects another 30 years of mining.
“Depending on where the price of copper and molybdenum are, the tax revenues to Silver Bow County make anywhere from between 15 to 25 percent of the annual local government’s budget, I mean, that’s huge,” said Vincent.
The report doesn’t delve into the environmental impact of hard-rock mining. Butte is in the middle of a major superfund cleanup after more than a century’s worth of mining contamination.
“The reality of life in a mine is that a mine closes. Just like our mine here in Butte, it’s going to close at some point in time and when it closes there’s some serious environmental impact, there’s serious economic impact and we need to make sure that we have plans in place to deal with that,” said Fritz Daily, a Butte resident and former state legislator.
Supporters of mining say it is a highly regulated industry and it should be allowed to expand in the state.
“If we get additional mines permitted and into operation like the Black Butte mine, you’re going to see that number increase by hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Vincent.
Daily added, “ Would we ever want to damage the Smith River? No, you would never want to do that, ever. Is there a potential for that to happen? Sure there is.”
There are less than 10 active hard-rock mining operations currently in Montana with the biggest producers in Stillwater, Sweet Grass, and Silver Bow counties.
