Hecla committed to continued reclamation and green energy yet unmined…
TheTailings Storage Facility (TSF) at the Troy Mine in 2016 when Hecla Montana assumed ownership and vested strongly in continued restoration.
Right: The TSF property today. In just five years time, the landscapes are reflecting what responsible mining and concurrent reclamation can and should look like.
Photos courtesy of Hecla Montana Mining
Continued from Page 1
Surface water monitoring of sites both upgradient and downgradient from the Troy Mine started in 1973 using established monitoring sites that increased in number throughout the life of the mine. All surface water samples from Lake Creek during the reclamation period are below state and federal aquatic and human health criteria.
Groundwater monitoring began in the early 1980s with the installation of wells which continually operated while the mine was in operation. Additionally, two domestic wells located within on-half mile downgradient of the TSF continue to be sampled several times a year. Results of samples from those two wells have shown consistent low concentration of all parameters over time (copper, lead, zinc, nitrate+nitrite, hardness, Total Dissolved Solids – TSD), thus indicating no measurable influence or impact on groundwater from TSF.
In 1986, macroinvertebrate monitoring started with samples collected at five sites on Lake Creek and Fairway-Stanley Creek. These streams have key species known to be sensitive to metal pollution, such as mayflies and stoneflies. Results from monitoring over the past 15 years have shown only one significant trend: an increasing abundance of mayflies between the upgradient and downgradient sites on Lake Creek.
Since Hecla Montana acquired the Troy Mine just five years ago, 372 acres of land have been restored. 200,000 seedlings raised from native species gathered by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes have been replanted across the landscape. Wildlife has not only returned to its habitat, but new species such as the Western Toad now live and thrive there, as well. Over $8 million dollars has been spent in demonstrating its commitment to thorough and complete
reclamation once a project is complete.
“The progress we have made since the first Earth Day is especially important in 2021,” shared Bruce Vincent of Environmics in Libby.
“As our nation moves toward a de-carbonized
energy future, the materials required to transform our energy systems will need to come from the earth. Our global need for green metals like silver and copper are predicted to grow substantially. An electric car uses 4 to 5 times more copper than those with internal combustion engines. A single windmill can use up to 5 tons of copper. Silver is a primary ingredient in solar panels.”
“The question in front of the American people is not ‘will we need these minerals’ but rather ‘who will provide them and from where?’
Should we get these minerals from domestic sources with progressive environmental requirements such as Hecla’s proposed Rock Creek and Montanore mining projects or from developing nations still using methods we abandoned decades ago?”
National Day of Prayer
”LORD pour out Your LOVE, LIFE, LIBERTY”
Event scheduled at Lee Ghering Field in Libby
The National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation.
This years’ theme for the 2021 National Day of Prayer is “LORD pour out Your LOVE, LIFE, and LIBERTY”.
The theme comes for the Apostle Paul’s declaration in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that Freedom comes from the Lord. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Scripture tells us again and again that our fervent prayer is effective. At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray.
This year’s National Day of Prayer Observance in Libby is Thursday, May 6th beginning at 6:00pm at Lee Gehring Legion Baseball Field which is located on West 2nd St.
This hour long event sponsored by LEAP (Libby Evangelical Association of Pastors) will include speakers, music and prayer. For more information call Pastor Rich Cloyed at 406-293-6916.