stockwatch andfire's Black Butte construction allowed with permit
2022-07-05 17:26 ET - News Release
Mr. Jerry Zieg reports
SANDFIRE RESOURCES AMERICA ANNOUNCES LEGAL PROCEEDINGS UPDATE FOR THE BLACK BUTTE COPPER PROJECT
The District Court has issued an order on remedies that will allow phase 1 construction of Sandfire Resources America Inc.'s Black Butte copper project to be completed under the existing permit.
Jerry Zieg, senior vice-president, stated: "Although we continue to strongly disagree with the court's initial April 8 order, we are pleased with Judge Bidegaray's decision today to allow us to continue with its development of the Black Butte copper project. Sandfire America maintains that our Black Butte copper project is the best and most environmentally sound mining project ever proposed in Montana and that DEQ properly permitted all phases of the project."
The order on remedies is in regard to the April 8, 2022, ruling in a lawsuit against the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and Tintina Montana Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the company, filed by mining adversaries on June 4, 2020, challenging the Black Butte copper project. The ruling found that the Montana DEQ had violated aspects of the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and the Montana Metal Mine Reclamation Act (MMRA) in its grant of a mine operating permit for the Black Butte copper project. On July 1, 2022, plaintiffs and defendants filed a joint motion recommending a stipulated order for remedies.
By granting the stipulated motion, the judge's order will allow Tintina Montana to complete phase 1 construction under the existing permit while it pursues an appeal of the April 8 order.
The company is also concurrently working on strategies to complete additional testwork, analysis and reporting for additional authorizations from Montana DEQ with the objective of moving the project past phase 1 of the permit.