A letter to Bullock and DEQ from Montana representatives

April 5, 2018

Governor Steve Bullock Director MT DEQ Tom Livers

Governor and Director, The decision by Montana Department of Environmental Quality to classify Mr. Baker of Hecla Mining Company as a “bad actor” is out of step with the intentions of the law. Mr. Baker was not a decision maker at the previous company when concerns surfaced. The company he now heads, Hecla Mining, is one of the “Best Actors” in the industry and is an award winning environmental steward. The concern is that your administration is parroting out-of-state environmental group’s misleading narrative and not fully weighing the concerns of hardworking Montanans. Montana needs to ensure a healthy economy and a healthy environment for Montana residents. We can have both. The action taken against Mr. Baker and Hecla Mining appears to be another thinly veiled ploy of obstructionist groups that desire nothing more than to kill Montana’s economy and thwart responsible mineral extraction. The cycles of litigation against these mines has almost run out and it is obvious this is a last-ditch attempt to misuse our own well intended environmental laws to stop prudent and responsible mining in our state.
We support the sound environmental protections and the great jobs Hecla Mining will bring to this impoverished region of Montana. The people of Montana need to know that their governor will too. In November, the 65th Legislature was called back to Helena for a special session to address revenue shortfalls from personal/business income tax returns and natural resource extraction revenues. If people are out of work, there will be a drop in personal income taxes and business income taxes. If natural resource extraction continues to be sidelined by hostile actions such as this, Montanans will suffer. Montana’s economy has deteriorated at the hands of the radical environmentalists for far too long. The citizens of Montana live in the Treasure State. The current administration has allowed outside special interest groups to lock those treasures away and the citizens of Montana are the ones hurting.
Governor Bullock, we ask you to consider the e negative impact on Montanans this decision will have and reconsider the DEQ’s actions. Montana is blessed with an abundance of minerals that CAN be responsibly used to employ many and create revenue for the State for generations.

Representative Steve Gunderson , Montana House District 1 . The letter was also signed by more than 50 others including Representative Mike Cuffe, HD 2, and Senator Chas Vincent, SD 1.