Pending Sheep Creek Mine disaster

by Bill Salterberg, Stevensville

Like many Bitterroot residents, the pending legislation to push through a “rare minerals mine” adjacent to the headwaters of the Bitterroot River is no less than alarming. It seems imminent that the creation of such a mine would cause destruction to local wildlife habitat, agriculture, recreational opportunities, and cause unwarranted grief to local residents. In addition, of course, is the almost certain contamination of our prized resource, the Bitterroot River and all of the rivers downstream as it winds toward the Columbia and ultimately, the Pacific Ocean. 

According to Michael Howell’s feature article in the last Star, a timeline will be made public by December 2. We can hope that this timeline will detail intended goals of such a project, and the steps that this Utah based company will take to assure a safe, environmentally clean project… GOOD LUCK with that flimsy hope.

Thanks to Michael’s reporting, we have details of Obama’s signing of the FAST-41 in 2015. He also noted that under the Biden administration, the first mine was placed on this fast track in 2023, a full three years after mines were legislatively approved to be fast tracked in December 2020. The article also notes perhaps the most critical legislation, the initiation of the Transparency List in April 2025. 

The word transparent, that sounds like a good thing. We here in the Bitterroot are all in on transparency with this project. Unfortunately, this Transparency List appears to be more of a sham than anything else. Per Michael’s reporting, an earlier project placed on the Transparency List, the McDermott Project, on Paiute land in NW Nevada, allowed only five days for public review prior to initiating the project. The Paiutes’ quick response helped to extend that time frame. That project is currently designated as “in progress.”

I will note that Michael’s article failed to mention that it was in the closing days of the first Trump administration that mines were approved to be fast tracked. I will also note that it was just four months into Trump’s second term that this “Transparency List” was enacted, and that since that time, a full 37 mine proposals, including the Sheep Creek project, have been placed on that list. This letter is in no way meant to be partisan, but I did find it interesting that two very crucial aspects of the Sheep Creek Project, the inclusion of mines to be fast tracked, and the origination and subsequent saturation of the “Transparency List,” both occurred without mention of their administrative origin in Michael’s article. Both can be attributed to the Trump administration. It doesn’t appear as if any of these projects have been cancelled. Rather, they are designated as completed or in progress, with three of the 37 projects, including the Sheep Creek Project, in the planning stage. 

Politics aside, we can bet that our current Executive Branch and perhaps any future administration would support the development of Sheep Creek. That being said, I am thankful for the local organizations that have opposed this mine development, including those mentioned in Michael’s article, the Bitterroot Clean Water Alliance, the Bitterroot River Protection Association, the Bitterroot Water Partnership, Friends of the Bitterroot, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association, and Bitterroot Trout Unlimited, and any other groups I may have overlooked. Of special concern are the responses from our elected officials in D.C. Senators Daines and Sheehy say they are “listening,” while Representative Zinke has not responded. Maybe the House is still on vacation. 

To those organizations with a vested interest in this outcome, thank you so much. Please keep the Bitterroot Valley and western Montana residents posted on what we might be able to do to stop this mine project.