Great News for White Sulphur Springs and Montana

I'm just glad it's an election year. Why does it seem like we finally get some common sense decisions out of the Montana Supreme Court when it comes time for Supreme Court elections?

Either way, it was certainly great news for our friends in White Sulphur Springs and for the people of Montana when the court ruled on behalf of the Black Butte Copper Mine and the State of Montana. In case you missed it, the Montana Supreme Court has now ruled that the proposed copper mine in White Sulphur Springs can now move forward.

It was great to catch up with Nancy Schlepp from Sandfire Resources Tuesday morning on our statewide radio show- Montana Talks with Aaron Flint. Schlepp is a former Meagher County Commissioner who grew up on the family ranch in Ringling. She understands the importance of the mine for the area economy and for local families who want opportunities for their kids and grandkids.

Nancy Schlepp: We are so thrilled with this decision. The fact that Black Butte Copper was able to prove that you CAN have economic development while protecting the environment- and you do it with science. We are just over the moon happy that the Montana Supreme Court decided in our favor 5-2.

Schlepp told us that this was the last major hurdle for the mine to clear and that construction of the mine can now proceed, although the process will still take some time.

Lincoln Greenidge, the CEO of Sandfire America also celebrated the victory with this statement.

Greenidge: Today’s victory in the Montana Supreme Court is a validation of the thoughtful and deliberate efforts of the Sandfire America team to design a world-class, environmentally safe mining project from the beginning. The fact is, ours is the most reviewed and examined proposed project in the history of Montana mining. The Court record stands at over 90,000 pages of testimony, information, and analysis. We thank the justices for their ruling, and their ability to recognize the amount of effort and extensive work that has gone into this project. Now, we look forward to progressing the project  in a safe, responsible, and sustainable manner.

Here's the full audio of our chat with Nancy Schlepp: