Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years – see page 60.Jan 03, 2011 · Holcim (US) Trident...

Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years – see page 60.

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4 Montana Mining Association — Montana Mining 2011

MONTANA MININGis published byDEL Communications Inc.Suite 300, 6 Roslyn RoadWinnipeg, ManitobaCanada R3L 0G5

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in this issue

index to A D V E R T I S E R S

Cover Photo:PHOTO COURTESY OF

BARRICK GOLDEN SUNLIGHT MINE.

A-Z Industries, Inc. 66AFFCO 33AMEC Geomatrix 13American Mining Insurance Company 31Ash Grove Cement Company 51Becker Wholesale Mine Supply, LLC 13Billings Clinic 22Bison Engineering 36Brenntag Pacific, Inc. 42Browning, Kaleczyc, Berry & Hoven, P.C. 69Buckley Power Co. 29Bucyrus 56Butte War Bonnet Hotel 65CAMP 28Cattron Group 7Champion Charter Sales & Service 21Chemical Montana Company 60Crowley Haughey Hanson 57Cummins Rocky Mountain 16Dick Irvin, Inc. 11Ernest K. Lehmann & Associates 34Ezzie’s Wholesale, Inc. 43F & H Mine Supply, Inc. 48Fairmont Hot Springs Resort 44Fickler Oil Company, Inc. 12

Geometrics Inc. 5Golden Sunlight Mine 9Golder Associates 24Gough, Shanahan, Johnson & Waterman, PLLP 58Graymont Western US Inc. 19GSE Lining Technology, LLC 12H-E Parts Crown 53Hardsteel, Inc. 36Holcim 61Holland & Hart LLP 39Hydrometrics, Inc. 45Industrial Automation Consulting, Inc. 8Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Ltd. 43Intermountain West Energy 25Interstate PowerSystems 23Interstate BearingSystems 49JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc. 30LeTourneau Technologies, Inc. 41MDM Supply 32Metso Minerals Industries, Inc. 3Mi Swaco 54Mines Management, Inc. OBCMining Technologies International Inc. 57Montana Crane Service 67Moore Oil, Inc. 32

Nelson Brothers Mining Services, LLC 18Noble Excavating Inc. 22Northside Welding & Fabrication, Inc. 56Northwest Mine Supply 67Northwest Pipe Company 59Outotec North America 52Pierce Leasing 46Revett Minerals 35Richwood 58Rio Tinto Minerals IBCRuen Drilling Incorporated IFCSmall Mine Development 42Spring Valley Drilling 71Starfield Resources Inc. 11Stillwater Mining Company 47Stone Raven Resources, LLC 23Tetra Tech 30The Whitmore Group 20Thiessen Team USA, Inc. 33Tractor & Equipment Co. 17Westate Machinery Company 37Western States Insurance – Missoula 65Western Wyoming Community College 21WWC Engineering 12

MMA President’s Message – Mike Mullaney 6

MMA Mission Statement 6

MMA Executive Director’s Message – Debbie Shea 8

Introduction to Laura Feist, MMA Director of Member Services 12

Mining and exploration in Montana: 2010 review 14

Montanans’ mode uncovered in Chamber’s poll 20

Report on the 62nd Montana Legislative Session 22

Educating local teachers for more than a decade 26

Mr. Ambassador: profile on Robin McCulloch 28

American Mining Insurance Company: “Insurance from people who know mining” 30

Kendall: past, present and future 32

Taking ownership of safety: Revett Minerals 34

Geology (and mining) rocks! 38

Successful mining starts with successful exploration 42

A trusted authority for both private industry and public agencies 44

Stillwater Mining Company advances growth

and diversification goals for sustainable development 46

Ash Grove Cement’s Montana City Plant anticipates future business 50

H-E Parts Crown: Thriving in Montana, serving mines across the globe 52

The more you dig – It all starts with mining 54

Dedicated maintenance supervisor, John Hinther,

kept industry relationships in good working order 55

MTI invests in hydrogen technology for underground mining equipment 56

Northwest Pipe proud to be serving Montana’s mining industry 58

Holcim (US) Trident Plant celebrates 100 years of production and community building 60

Montana Resources LLP explores for the future while maintaining a focus on safety 62

Talc in Montana: An important industrial mineral for the U.S. – and the world 64

Holcim (US) continues commitment to educating future leaders 66

Geomatics announces release of GPS interface program MagMap2000 V 5.0 68

The history of Apex Abrasives 69

Benefits of membership in the MMA 72

MMA Membership Application 73

Thank you to MMA members 74

MIKE MULLANEYPresident, Montana Mining Association

The Montana Mining Association (MMA) is a Montana

trade association dedicated to helping mining compa-

nies, small miners and allied trade members succeed,

understand, comply and function in a complex busi-

ness and regulatory world. The primary purpose of the

Montana Mining Association is to protect and promote

the mining industry in the state.

The Montana Mining Association monitors issues of

concern and provides representation for its members at

the state legislature and with various state and federal

regulatory agencies. The Montana Mining Association

supports national mining initiatives.

The Montana Mining Association provides informa-

tion and education for its members and distributes

information to the general public about the contribu-

tion of minerals and mining to our economy and well-

being. One of the MMA’s primary functions is to pro-

mote and enhance the image of the mining industry.

The Montana Mining Association works in coopera-

tion with other state and national mining associations,

natural resource trade associations and groups with

similar interests and needs.

The MMA serves the industry on a wide range of sub-

jects through the expertise of its members. Many of the

MMA’s activities are conducted by various committees.

The association has many active associates. Com mit -

tees within the association are health and safety

(including the health and safety of employees within

the association), education, membership and legislative

(including environmental and land use and political

action committee).

I’ve been honored to take on the responsibility of being president

these past four years. It has been a rewarding learning experience,

working with board members and the association staff. We have set

up a team-type association that actively listens to feedback, and

then makes sound decisions on a consensus basis.

Over these past four years, the largest milestone achieved has

been creating active committees within the association.

Commitment to these committees is essential to our success – that

success being a strong safety culture both on and off the job; active

involvement in the legislative process; environmental stewardship

and compliance with reasonable rules and regulations; spreading

our message through increased membership; and educating people

of all ages about the importance of our natural resources. The foun-

dation has been put in place for a bright future for this association.

Safety is a top priority and we need to have the appropriate

behavior instilled in us – on and off the job – to ensure no one is

injured. The safety committee, led by Jerry Laughery, continues to be

very active. Committee members have been meeting monthly and

quarterly at mine sites to share incidents and best practices, and to

discuss on-going MSHA regulatory changes and how to best deal with

them.

The legislative committee, chaired by Bruce Gilbert, is active andstaying on top of issues such as the nutrient criteria standards, thewilderness bill, proposed mining law changes, etc. In addition, anenvironmental committee was started last year, which is being led byTad Dale. Both of these committees worked very hard before andduring the legislative session drafting and editing MMA bills. Therewere long hours and many conference calls put into these bills.Thank you all for your hard work on this important process.

The membership committee was formed last year and is led byMark Redfern. This committee has come up with some great ideasand made them a reality in order to increase both individual andassociate membership. Thanks to the individuals involved in thiscommittee for your contributions.

It is a privilege to be part of this mining industry. We work so hardin our typical day’s work that we take little time to reflect on ouraccomplishments and to tell our stories. By putting out our annualmagazine, we have been telling our stories and communicatingwhat we are doing.

I thank the board for the opportunity to serve as president of theMontana Mining Association. Please continue to give feedback andideas to Debbie, Laura and the board in order to help us continueachieving our objectives. ✦

President’s Message


Montana Mining Association Mission Statement

Executive Director’s Message

DEBBIE SHEAExecutive Director, Montana Mining Association

This has been a year of change and growth for the Montana MiningAssociation. In early fall of 2010, we moved our office back to the

Colonial Inn, which was home to the MMA for many years. We areenjoying our new space on the first floor, Suite 3A. We also recently wel-comed a new staff member, Laura Feist. In addition, our membershiphas grown considerably over the last year, and with that growth hasevolved new energy and new ideas.

As a voice for the mining industry, we promote every part of whatresponsible mining entails, from innovative technology and environ-mental responsibility to community involvement, education and eco-nomic development. A key factor in all of this is the committees thatserve the MMA. I am grateful to the chairs and committee members fortheir valuable time in advancing very ambitious and worthwhile ideas.

Safety and Health Committee: Chaired by Jerry Laughery, the Safetyand Health Committee continues its monthly conference calls (quar-terly on site), where members review MSHA activities and information,share safety alerts and offer monthly training and available resourcesthat can be shared with various mines. Under the committee’s leader-ship, our 2010 and 2011 annual meetings have introduced highly ratedspeakers, who offer expertise in the mining arena to attendees.

Legislative and Environmental committees: These two committees(separate in their makeup, but similar in their direction), chaired byBruce Gilbert/John Beaudry and Tad Dale respectively, have had a verybusy and successful agenda over the last year as they worked togetherto advance some very important legislation (see the Legislative Reportin this issue for further details).

Membership Committee: This important committee is chaired byMark Redfern. The direction of the Membership Committee is to pro-mote membership in the MMA through various forums while definingthe opportunities and advantages of being a member. The committeeis highly engaged in putting together a package of materials that

describe the MMA and the opportunities the association offers to per-spective members.

Education Committee: The Education Committee oversees the GaryLangley, Don Lawson and Mike Ivins memorial scholarships. The goalof this committee is to educate all Montanans where we get our“things”, as well as to inform them of the efforts the mining communi-ty has taken to ensure environmental regulation and adequate bond-ing. It is my personal goal to advance this committee’s agenda anddirection over the next year. Any member wishing to join this effort,please contact me at the MMA office.

Others items of interest to MMA members:RAC: Self-employed exploration geologist and MMA member Ted

Antonioli was appointed to the Western Montana Resource AdvisoryCouncil (RAC) and MMA director Bruce Gilbert, from StillwaterMining, was appointed to the South Central Advisory Council (RAC)for the USFS. The RAC is an official federal advisory committee thatprovides advice and recommendations on all aspects of public landmanagement to the Bureau of Land Management. Congratulationsto both Ted and Bruce; the RAC will be well-served by these out-standing appointments.

MMA Display: After months of research and planning by board mem-bers, and with assistance from the Bureau of Mines and Geology atthe Montana Tech campus, the Montana Mining Associationunveiled its new display at the Northwest Mining Association con-vention in Spokane Washington. Our plans are to reintroduce theMMA in many such forums over the next year, thereby promotingMontana and the Montana Mining Association.

Website: Last but not least, our website has served to promote miningand educate the hundreds of people who visit us online daily.Features include mining facts, community involvement, environ-mental advances and stewardship, scholarships, newsletters and adirectory of our membership that can only be accessed by membersof the association. Within our ‘members’ only’ directory is also asearch feature that enables you to enter a keyword to search ourmembers by name, company, or nature of business. We have alsoadded a ‘preferred member’ list. We believe all of these features areimportant tools in uniting members and promoting business oppor-tunities among them. Finally, I would like to offer a special thank you to Mike Mullaney for

his leadership as president of the MMA over the last four years. Mike’svision for the MMA has been inspirational to all who worked with him.

Tap ‘er light!Debbie Shea ✦


Responsible Mining in Montana The employees of Barrick’s Golden Sunlight Mine are proud to resume gold production in Jefferson County. We thank all of our neighbors and partners for their support and confidence as we safely bring new prosperity to the Great State of Montana.

Reclaimed waste rock facility, Golden Sunlight Mine, July 2010

Gold pour, Golden Sunlight Mine, March 2011

Mike Mullaney, President ................................O (406) 285-4970Holcim (US) Inc.4070 Trident Road, Three Forks, MT 59752Email: [email protected]

Doug Miller, Vice President.....................O (406) 295-5882 x 222Troy Mine – Revett GenesisPO Box 1660, Troy, MT 59935Email: [email protected]

Mark Redfern, 1st Vice President .......................C (406) 671-4105Brenntag Pacific123 West Boulevard, Lewistown, MT 59457Email: [email protected]

John Junnila, 2nd Vice President........................O (406) 373-6010Westate Machinery CompanyP.O. Box 50370, Billings, MT 59105Email: [email protected]

Tim Smith, Past President................................O (406) 495-2803Montana Tunnels Mining Inc.PO. Box 176, Jefferson City, MT 59638Email: [email protected]

Matt Wolfe, Secretary / Treasurer .....................O (406) 932-8259Stillwater Mining Company536 East Pike Avenue, P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019Email: [email protected]

Mark Cole, Director .........................................O (406) 434-5583Dick Irvin Inc.P.O. Box 950, Shelby, MT 59474Email: [email protected]

Tad Dale, Director ...........................................O (406) 496-3200Montana Resources600 Shields Ave, Butte, MT 59701Email: [email protected]

Tim Dimock, Director ......................................O (406) 287-2046Barrick - Golden Sunlight Mine453 MT Hwy 2 East, Whitehall, MT 59759Email: [email protected]

Jason Ellis, Director .........................................O (406) 266-5221Graymont Western U.S. Inc.P.O. Box 550, 450 Indian Creek Road, Townsend, MT 59644Email: [email protected]

John Fitzpatrick, Director.................................O (406) 442-5032

Fess Foster, Director ........................................O (406) 287-3261Geological & Environmental Consultant21 Paul Gulch Road, Whitehall, MT 59759Email: [email protected]

Bruce Gilbert, Director.....................................O (406) 322-8700Stillwater Mining Company536 East Pike Avenue, P.O. Box 1330, Columbus, MT 59019Email: [email protected]

Dick Johnson, Director.....................................O (406) 442-8855Ashgrove Cement100 MT Hwy 518, Clancy, MT 59634Email: [email protected]

Jim Liebetrau, Director.............................O (406) 563-8494 x 11AFFCO..............................................................C (425) 210-36531015 East Sixth Street, Anaconda, MT 59711Email: [email protected]

Robin McCulloch, Director ...............................O (406) 496-4171Montana TechW. 1300 Park Street, Butte, MT 59701Email: [email protected]

Gene Nelson, Director......................................O (406) 549-8856Yellow Band Gold Inc.3926 Bellecrest Dr., Missoula, MT 59801Email: [email protected]

Fred Panion, Director ......................................O (406) 285 5303 Rio Tinto Minerals767 Old Yellowstone Trail, Three Forks, MT 59752 Email: [email protected]

John Parks, Director ........................................O (406) 683-3324Barretts Minerals8625 Hwy 91 South, Dillon, MT 59725Email: [email protected]

Roger W. Rohr, Director ...................................C (406) 698-1563Tractor and Equipment Co.Major Accounts ManagerEmail: [email protected]

Jim Volberding, Director ..................................O (406) 538-2501ATNA Resources, LTD.P.O. Box 799, Hilger, MT 59451Email: [email protected]

Debbie Shea, Executive Director.......................O (406) 495-1444Montana Mining AssociationP.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT 59604Email: [email protected]

Laura Feist, Director of Member Services..........O (406) 495-1444Montana Mining AssociationP.O. Box 5567, Helena, MT [email protected]

www.montanamining.org

2011 Montana Mining Association Board of Directors


The Montana Mining Association recognizes the following committee members:

Alan HolubecAllan Kirk

Bruce GilbertBrian Schrage

David Mott

Debbie SheaDick JohnsonDoug ParkerFess Foster

Fred Panion

Greg GannonHal Robbins

Jason JuntunenJeff Briggs

Jeff Chaffee

John ParksLaura Skaer

Mark ThompsonMatt Wolfe

Mike MullaneyPaul KukayTad Dale

Terry Grotbo

Environmental Committee

Brett Clute

Dave Corner

Debbie Shea

Dirk Nelson

Jason Ellis

Jason Franke

Jeff Briggs

Jeff Franke

Jerry Laughery

Jim Waldbillig

John Hinther

John Parks

Kelly Stolp

Larry Goroski

Larry Hoffman

Matt Wolfe

Mark Cole

Mark Thompson

Mike McGivernMike MullaneyPete SteilmanRandy WaitsRon Hyatte

Ronald DorvallShane Hanninen

Safety and Health Committee

Bill MackCarole Armstrong

Debbie Shea

Jason NelonJohn HintherMark Redfern

Mike MullaneyRoger RohrTerry Larson

Membership Committee

Alan JocelynAllan Holubec

Allan KirkBruce GilbertDavid Mott

Debbie SheaDick JohnsonDoug MillerDoug ParkerFess Foster

Fred PanionGene Nelson

Greg Gannon

Hal Robbins

Jackie Clark

Jason Ellis

Jeff Briggs

Jeff Chaffee

Jim Daley

Jim Liebetrau

Jim Volberding

John Beaudry

John Fitzpatrick

John Hinther

John Junnila

John Parks

K.D. Feeback

Laura Skaer

Leo Berry

Mark Cole

Mark Compton

Mark Redfern

Mark Thompson

Matt Wolfe

Mike Mullaney

Paul Kukay

Roger Rohr

Shirley Hartley

Sonya Rosenthal

Tad Dale

Tammy Johnson

Ted Antoniolli

Terry Grotbo

Tim Dimock

Tony Panchyshyn

Legislative Committee

P.O. Box 950 Phone: (406) 434-5583575 Wilson Avenue Fax: (406) 434-5505Shelby, MT 59474 Cell: (406) 450-1127

U.S./Can. 800-332-5131

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Ray IrwinVice President Explorations

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Tel: 505.266.6340Cell: 505.217.5877

Digital copy available online at www.montanamining.org 11

Laura Feist came to the MMA by way of the Western Environmental

Trade Association. Born and raised in Great Falls, Montana, Laura

and her husband Steven moved to Helena with their two children

Morgan and Joe in the spring of 2010. Her outstanding office skills and

welcoming personality secured for her a part-time position with WETA

and an opportunity to work for the MMA, as well; good fortune for

both associations.

It was baptism by fire, as Laura’s employment almost immediately

threw her into the 62nd annual Montana legislative scene. Her enthu-

siasm for natural resource legislation and her curiosity regarding the

legislative process renewed, in “old guards” like me, an appreciation

of a citizen’s legislature and the contributions we all can make to it.

Along with Chairman Redfern and the membership committee,

Laura has taken on the job of advancing membership within the asso-

ciation. Their work together has advanced membership and offered

additional benefits to members.

Laura’s contribution to MMA office management has been signifi-

cant, and her enthusiasm for her work with the association, in pro-

motion of the mining industry, has made her a welcomed addition to

the MMA family. ✦

The MMA introduces Laura Feist By Debbie Shea

Fickler Oil Company, Inc.Dave CeriseLubricants Sales Manager 1480 Continental Dr.

Butte, MT 59701Phone: (406) 782 0616

Fax: (406) 782 0260Cell: (406) 490 3891

[email protected]

Introduction to


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This past year saw many extremes in theminerals industry. In spite of high com-

modity prices, there was a continuing scarci-ty of venture capital and exploration compa-nies. For the most part, industrial mineralcompanies experienced steady growth, andeven hired a few employees to replace thoselost during the business decline of 2008-2009. However, the crash of the housingmarket had severe implications for thePortland cement industry; capital invest-ments in infrastructure were delayed orreduced. Although the industrial use ofcement has recovered steadily, the housingindustry is not expected to show any signifi-cant change until 2013 or later. This hasresulted in an oversupply, and has causedtemporary closures at local plants.

The metals portion of the mining industryhas enjoyed high demand and spectacularprices. However, as costs have risen steadilyfor energy, steel and equipment, companyprofits have not been as high as one wouldhave expected.

MinesTroy (Cu, Ag) - Genesis, Inc., a subsidiary of

Revett Silver, Inc., maintained steady produc-tion at its Troy mine (Lincoln County). Laborhas been steady and mine ore grade andcommodity prices have increased. The com-pany has continued to expand the reservebase, with discoveries in underlying quartzitebeds. A 3,000-foot decline has been complet-ed to the “C” bed, where substantial reserveshave been delineated.

The company has reduced productioncosts and will continue to expand its reservebase as they wait for the permitting of theRock Creek mine to be completed.

Rock Creek (Cu, Ag) - The development ofthe Rock Creek mine (Revett Resources, Inc.)(Sanders County) was delayed yet again asU.S. District Judge Donald Malloy retractedearlier permits based on discrepancies inprior records of decision. However, earlier

critical analysis was deemed adequate. The

issues to be corrected are minor and will be

resolved with a Supplementary EIS, expected

to be completed in the current year (2011). A

final determination for production is likely to

occur in the near future.

Montanore (Cu, Ag) - Mines Management,

Inc. has continued to work through the re-

permitting of the Montanore mine (Lincoln

County). A grizzly bear study has shown that

the ecosystem around the mine site con-

tains more bears than originally thought,

and that they may be at or near the limits of

the system. The permitting agencies have

also chosen a preferred alternative for the

power corridor.

Although the Montana Department of

Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S.

Forest Service appear to be working together

through this process in a relatively efficient

manner, the speed of completion has been

slowed by the Corps of Engineers and the

Environmental Protection Agency.

Lyons Gulch Placer (Au) - Near Trout Creek,

on the Vermillion River, John Cochran and

Jim Williams mined placers near the mouth

of Lyons Gulch (Sanders County). Cochran’s

deposit was nearly depleted at the end of the

summer. The pay gravel consisted of a rela-

tively tabular zone, four- to five-feet thick,

lying above barren gravels and overlain by

one to two feet of silty sand and organic silt.

Numerous two- to four-foot diameter boul-

ders of the Pritchard Formation were found

within the pay gravels. The pay zone has dis-

tinct limits, and appears to be nearly

exhausted. Limited potential exists on the

south side of the river and the next bench

downstream below the falls.

Existing workings indicate the pay zone

has its origins in the Lyons Gulch drainage.

An adit located on the Vermillion River road

contains a gold-bearing quartz vein approxi-

mately 20 inches wide at the portal and

pinching to less than six inches at the face.

There is limited alteration of the wall rock,

and the vein appears to be formed along a

bedding placer within the Pritchard shale.

This lode property is not likely the source of

the placer deposit.

Jim Williams has mined for a number of

decades on the Vermillion River placer.

During the past year, he identified limonitic

gravels in the Glacial Lake Missoula remnant

fill of the drainage. Gold values appear to be

quite promising, and further exploration is

planned for the coming year.

Bearmouth Placer (Au) - Near Drummond,

Les Towner completed testing of the placer

deposit in Bear Gulch and began mining.

Excavation started immediately upstream

from the end of the bucket-line dredge piles.

Initial work outlined six feet of pay gravel

covered by eight feet of overburden that

was, in turn, covered by 35 to 40 feet of top-

soil. The gold was bright, flat and disc-like in

a debris-flow deposit. Mining has exposed

numerous mined-out stopes where gravel

was mined and hoisted to the surface for

processing. Mining is scheduled to continue

in the spring.

Deep Creek Placer (Au) - Closer to the

Garnet ghost town (Granite County),

Randy Rice and Ralph Smith continued min-

ing the upper Deep Creek gold placer. The

majority of the existing alluvial

placer between the Forest Service roads

has been exhausted. Operations were

focused on mining the remaining alluvial

values, as well as a residual gold deposit

in the hydrothermally altered Jefferson

Formation. Much of the alteration has

reduced the limestone/dolomite to calcare-

ous sand with remnant bedding features.

Limonite pods and zones are likely the

source of the gold.

Pioneer Placer (Au) - The Golden Rule

Mining Company mined placer remnants at

Pioneer in the Gold Creek drainage near

Garrison (Powell County). Utilizing two trom-

Mining and exploration in Montana:2010 reviewBy Robin McCulloch, Mining Engineer - Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology


mels, the company processed the remainingresources under dragline spoil piles. In addi-tion to gold, the company produced animpressive number of stulls from earlierdrift mining. As they rapidly expanded totheir five-acre limit, the company hasapplied for an operating permit. It wasrumored that they were operating throughthe subzero weather of the winter of 2010-2011.

Continental Pit (Cu, Mo, Ag) - In Butte(Silver Bow County), Montana Resourcesmaintained steady production while enjoy-ing elevated copper and silver prices.Molybdenum prices fluctuated but were stillvery good. The company did not make anymajor purchases of production equipment,but continued with their three-year programof upgrading the control system within themill.

They initiated a reserve expansion drillingprogram on the pit limits that is expected tocontinue over the next three years. Initialresults have been promising. Operations aresteady, with low employment turnover.

Madison Project (Cu, Au) - West of SilverStar (Madison County), Coronado Resourcesmaintained production for many months ofhigh-grade copper ore and gold ore thatcould be direct-shipped to a smelter. Thecopper grade declined in the fall, and oper-ations closed until milling problems withpyrite suppression could be worked out.

Glen Mill (water-jet cutting media, scheel-ite) - South of Melrose (Beaverhead County),Apex Abrasives completed the productioncircuit of their mill and started bagging andshipping water-jet cutting media. ApexAbrasives fine-tuned its scheelite-recoverycircuit, as well as the drying circuit. The mar-ket softened early in the year, when suspen-sion of deep-water drilling in the Gulf ofMexico, as a reaction to British Petroleum’sblowout, caused garnet supplies to beshipped inland rather than be used in Gulfoperations.

Red Wash Quarry (Garnet Products) - NearAlder (Madison County), Ruby Valley Garnet,LLC exhausted its available reserves of plac-er garnet in their Red Wash alluvial deposit.They closed at mid-year to convert to miningtheir lode garnet deposit. The mill will beredesigned with a crushing and grinding cir-

cuit, along with modifications to improve

recovery and efficiency. Production is

expected to resume early in 2011.

Trident Quarry (Portland cement) -

Trident Holcim Inc. (Gallatin County) contin-

ued with planned improvements at the

plant. The clinker cooler and crushing-

screen circuits were modified to decrease

energy consumption. Transportation costs

were steady. Industrial consumption

increased slightly, but the domestic building

industry is slow to dead, and is expected to

remain so until after 2013.

Regal (Talc) - East of Dillon (Madison

County), Barretts Minerals completed a new

shop and facilities at its Regal mine. They

have continued to upgrade the main plant,

and have purchased some support equip-

ment. Exploration to expand the reserves has

continued with success.

In general, both demand and the work-

force have increased, but not to levels prior


to 2008-2009. By doing more with fewer

employees, Barretts has broken a number of

production records.

Yellowstone (Talc) - South of Ennis

(Madison County), Rio Tinto Minerals contin-

ued production at the Yellowstone mine.

Capital improvements included completion

of energy-efficiency upgrades in one process-

ing circuit. Demand increased modestly,

somewhat in line with overall industry recov-

ery, and the company hired a few staff in

response. Prices have been steady.

Rio Tinto continues to explore the divest-

ment of its talc business. The Behre Dolbear

Group, Inc., mentioned a possible purchase

by Imerys in their newsletter a couple of

times, but since the price changed between

articles, it appears they are in negotiations.

Rio Tinto Minerals has made no announce-

ments.

Drumlummon (Au, Ag) - North of Helena

(Lewis and Clark County), RX Exploration ini-

tiated limited production from the

Drumlummon mine in the form of a metal-

lurgical bulk test. Initial mill recoveries were92 percent for gold and 87 percent for silver.Production from the test was 2,584 ounces ofgold and 54,698 ounces of silver over twomonths.

An internal decline was driven on theCharley vein from the main haulage on the400 level to the 500 level. The companyresumed development of the externaldecline, and plans to connect the twodeclines at the 600 level providing an alter-native escape route. Exploration is continuingon the many epithermal veins within theproperty. Selected drill intercepts on the D-block ranged from eight to 22 feet and gradesranged from 0.28 to 0.84 opt Au. Silver valuesranged from 1.69 to 7.31 opt Ag. Interceptson the Charley vein ranged from two to 14feet, with grades of 0.22 to 2.23 opt Au. Silvervalues ranged from 6.30 to 90.7 opt Ag.

Although there were spectacular inter-cepts, most reported holes appeared tohave a 0.1 to 0.5 opt Au flavor on interceptsover two to five feet in width.

Pumping of the workings was delayedbriefly, as the chemistry of the water hadchanged with pumping and modificationsto the water treatment plant were neces-sary.

Montana Tunnels (Pb, Zn, Au, Ag) - NearBoulder ( Jefferson County), ElkhornGoldfields has continued to search for fund-ing for their Montana Tunnels mine andGolden Dream project near Elkhorn.Permits are in hand but venture capital hasbeen limited.

Indian Creek (Burnt Lime) - NearTownsend (Broadwater County), GraymontWestern U.S.A. continued burnt lime pro-duction in a slowly improving market. Thecompany reported fierce market conditionsand intense competition. Prices have beenstable, and the company has hired a fewnew employees.

Graymont has initiated some develop-ment on its southern claims, and reports ahigh-quality deposit that has been exposed.

Golden Sunlight (Au, Ag) - Near Whitehall(Jefferson County), Barrick Gold’s GoldenSunlight mine received a permit to mine anore body adjacent to the crushing circuit atthe mill. This will allow the mill to openeight months earlier than projected. The

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development for the Stage 5B optimized pitis on schedule and possibly a little ahead ofschedule.

The company has aggressively exploredthe mine area in search of satellite ore bod-ies, and has identified three potentialzones. One is very promising and fundinghas been secured for the coming year.Production will resume early in 2011.

Stillwater Mining Company (Pd, Pt, Ni,Cu, Rh, Au, Co) - Near Columbus, StillwaterMining Company has had a banner year,announcing a $50-million profit for 2010.Stillwater initiated its “Blitz” project at theStillwater mine (Stillwater County) toexpand their reserve base. They will extendthe 5,000 and 5,600 levels east 13,500 feet,in search of higher grades and production.The company expects to develop 9.5 mil-lion tons of resources grading 0.71 opt PGMgroup metals. The project is expected tocost $60 million. The company is activelyhiring miners, as well as strengthening itsminer-training program. Stillwater hasexperienced a five- to six-percent employeeattrition rate due to retirements and thoseleaving for other opportunities.

The company has also been developingthe mine for a Kiruna electric-truck system.These 35-ton trucks will operate on a main-line trolley system with a diesel-electricauxiliary for dumping. The haulage levelswill be paved to sustain production at opti-mum speed.

Many levels have been rehabilitated toresume production. Costs are up slightly,but commodity prices are up more. Tooperate effectively with MSHA safety rules,the company assigned haulage and infra-structure levels to managers and miners forsafety compliance. It appears the strategy isworking.

At Columbus (Stillwater County), thecompany completed the second furnace atthe smelter. Stillwater has also completeda new Catalytic Converter Recycling andSample Plant, which contains an automat-ed X-ray system for assay of catalyst mate-rial.

South of Big Timber, the company con-tinued production at its East Boulder mine(Sweetgrass County). They initiated theGraham Creek project, which will advance

the mine 7,900 feet to the west, where they

will develop an additional ventilation raise.

Stillwater anticipates finding increased val-

ues and ore-zone thickness. They expect to

develop six million tons of ore grading 0.41

opt PGM metals over the next five years.

The project is expected to cost $8 million.

The company has increased the labor force

by 15 employees and has completed both

of their life-of-mine ore passes. Production

at the mine has been sustained with ramp-

and-fill and sublevel mining methods.

Exploration

Lower Meadow Creek Placer (Au) - Near

Superior (Mineral County), Ken Miller finally

received permission to explore the placer

gold deposit in Lower Meadow creek. He first

constructed a new stream channel to divert

floodwaters from the process site. After com-

pleting his pond area and process site, he

then excavated a small area near the old drift

mine from the 1930s. Some values have been

identified on the north side, but the south

side of the drainage is yet to be explored.

Further work near the old drift mine is planned in the coming year.

Calumet Placer (Au) - In Quartz Creek (Mineral County), Shannon

Anderson continued to define the pay zone on the Calumet claim,

which is in drainage adjacent to that of the Lower Meadow Creek

Placer. The zone appears to have been buried by material flowing

out of drainage on the north side. Gold values are typically 25- to

28-feet deep on the claim. Under the alluvial fan, values may be in

excess of 40- to 45-feet deep.

Garnet (Au, Ag, Cu) - Along the crest of the range near Garnet

(Granite and Missoula Counties), Grant Hartford Corp. continued

defining its deposits by drilling with 67 reverse circulation holes

(34,848 feet) and four NC core holes (1,699 feet). The drilling pro-

gram identified 940,298 tons grading 0.222 opt Au or 208,753

ounces of gold. They are preparing to submit an operating plan to

the Montana DEQ. Preliminary estimates and mine development

and production costs for a 250- to 300 tpd mill have been com-

pleted. They appear to have gathered enough data to reliably pre-

dict the locations of the ore zones. The company appears to be

approaching the development stage of its program.

Reynolds City Placer (Au) - Near Garnet, at the head of Elk creek

(Powell County), Richard Komberec tested gravels from 1800’s

workings. The 10-foot-thick gravel contained a few cobbles but not

many boulders, and the majority of the recovered gold was coarse

and flaky. Substantial values were found in both the virgin ground

and the old tailings. Komberec will complete defining the pay zone

limits in the coming year and prepare for mining.Highland (Au, Ag) - In the Highland Mountains south of Butte

(Silver Bow County), Timberline Resources and Small MinesDevelopment continued work on their Highland joint venture. Theydrove the decline 1,700 feet and developed another 800 feet ofworkings for diamond drill stations. These were developed in boththe hanging wall and the footwall. They have applied for an operat-ing permit.

They developed a dewatering well that will be tested in early2011. A bulk test is also anticipated early in 2011. Drill results areanticipated shortly into 2011.

Grant (Au) - Near Virginia City, Madison Mining Company contin-ued work in the Grant mine (Madison County) on an intermittentbasis.

Bald Butte (Au) - Near Marysville (Lewis and Clark County), RXExploration drilled seven holes on narrow gold structures at the oldBald Butte mine. Results were not as good as they had hoped, butthen again they did not complete their planned program. They weresnowed out but plan to continue drilling in the spring.

Sheep Creek (Cu, Co) - North of White Sulphur Springs (MeagherCounty), Tintina Gold Resources, Inc. continued re-drilling holes onthe former Cominco American Sheep Creek property. The propertycontains sediment-hosted zones of massive sulfide mineralization(copper-cobalt) in the lower part of the Precambrian BeltSupergroup.

The land package currently held comprises 5,775 acres. The com-pany will continue to verify the presence of high-grade copper-cobalt deposits to become 43-101 compliant. After that is accom-plished, drilling will continue to expand available resources andexplore for additional deposits.

Upper zone intercepts ranged from 22- to 34-feet in thickness,containing 3.0 to 3.4 percent copper and 0.15 to 0.36 percent cobalt.The lower zone appears to range from 5.6- to 20.8-feet-thick, withcopper at 3.24 to 10.84 percent and cobalt at 0.03 to 0.11 percent.

Stillwater Complex (Cr, Cu, Ni, PGM) - Starfield Resources has asubstantial land package in the Stillwater Complex near Nye(Stillwater County). They did not initiate exploration after buying outNevoro, but anticipate further exploration in 2011.

CoalCoal mines in the Powder River Basin again dominated Montana’s

coal production, which increased 12.8 percent to 44,711,771 tons.The most significant changes were at the West Decker and SignalPeak Energy mines.

Decker - Decker Coal company reduced production at the EastDecker mine by 5.8 percent to 2,699,951 tons. Production at the WestDecker mine was reduced by 86.8 percent to 228,006 tons. This is thesecond year of massive reduction from a production level of 6.4 mil-lion tons in 2008.

Spring Creek - Near Decker, Cloud Peak Energy, Inc. increased pro-duction at its Spring Creek mine by 9.86 percent to 19,345,61 tons.


Savage - Westmoreland Savage Corporation increased production

by 4.28 percent at its lignite mine near Sidney. Production of 351,502

tons was well within their normal fluctuation levels of production.

Coalstrip - At Colstrip, Western Energy Company increased pro-

duction by 18.3 percent to 11,957,340 tons. The waste coal plant

production was up by 20.5 percent to 273,006 tons.

Absaloka - Near Hardin, Westmoreland Resources, Inc. decreased

production at its Absaloka mine by 7.5 percent to 5,467,954 tons.

Signal Peak - Near Roundup (Musselshell County), Signal Peak

Energy increased production from its underground coal mine by

406.3 percent to 4,388,851 tons. This change has come with the first

full year of production with the new longwall in place.

Coal Exploration

Coal exploration is slowly grinding through the permitting phase

of operations.

Otter Creek - After purchasing the Otter Creek (Powder River

Basin) coal leases on 572 million tons, Arch Coal, Inc. is permitting

44 confirmation drill holes. The company is anticipating a full min-

ing permit within a year, and an operating mine within the decade.

Carpenter Creek - Near Melstone (Musselshell County), Maple

Carpenter Creek, a subsidiary of Maple Energy, has a permit appli-

cation for a 300,000-ton test pit pending before state regulators.

The company is anticipating a producing underground mine by

2013. They are also considering a second underground mine,

known as Snider Ranch, by 2014.

Bridger - Management Energy, Inc. is working on the Bridger-

Fromberg-Bear Mountain project near Bridger (Carbon County).

This project could encompass more than 56,000 acres of coal-bear-

ing land. In September, the company merged with Maple Carpenter

Creek Holdings, Inc. and then changed its name to MMEX Mining

Corporation. No additional fieldwork has been detected. ✦

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The results of the 2010 MontanaChamber’s annual poll of Montana vot-

ers are in, and they reveal some interestingnew political and economic trends.

The Power Base (P-base) is an annual sci-entific of 600 Montana-likely voters on a vari-ety of business and political issues, with amargin of error of 4.1 percent. The poll isdone to find out what regular Montanansthink about important economic issues fac-ing our state. Here are some of the results.

Economic Development

As you would imagine, the unemployment

levels are a top concern for Montanans.

48 percent listed it as the top problem facing

our state, and the next highest problem,

taxes, was a distant 11 percent. Montanans

want to get back to work, and they are look-

ing for businesses to provide the jobs. For

their top pocketbook concern, healthcare

costs continue to dominate with a plurality of

30 percent.

As in prior Montana Chamber surveys,

the P-base shows Montanans want to see

more business growth, especially in high-

wage businesses like the natural resource

industries. For example, 83 percent of

Montana voters want the state to encour-

age more timber; 79 percent want more oil

and gas development; 73 percent want

more coal development; and 73 percent

want more mining. In fact, the support

comes from majorities of Republicans,

Democrats and Independents polled on

every industry category.

Montanans are still pessimistic about

the national economy. Sixty-one percent of

voters believe the U.S.’s economy is on the

wrong track, as opposed to 23 percent who

think we are on the right track. Voters

believe the state’s economy is better off,

with 42 percent saying we’re on the right


Montanans’ mode uncovered in Chamber’s poll By Jon Bennion

track versus 31 percent saying wrong

track.

Strong majorities of voters believe

businesses can be trusted to make

important decisions in treating workers

fairly when it comes to benefits, hiring

and firing employees, and protecting

the environment. Only 17 percent of

Montana voters support raising taxes on

business, compared with 62 percent

who want to see taxes decrease or stay

the same.

State Issues

Respondents in the poll expressed

strong dissatisfaction with Montana’s

medical marijuana laws, with two-

thirds saying the laws have gone too far.

A majority of voter would require the

Legislature to consider the impacts to

small businesses before new laws or

rules are passed. And a plurality of

Montanans (47 percent) believe school

funding levels are currently adequate,

while 38 percent would like increases.

Federal Issues

If the presidential election were held

today, 63 percent of Montanans would

prefer someone new over President

Barrack Obama. Around 60 percent of

respondents disapprove of the federal

healthcare reform bill, with 44 percent

of those folks “strongly” disapproving of

the bill. In addition, a majority of voters

would like Congress to reign in or stop

the EPA from implementing new regula-

tions that affect timber, mining, agricul-

ture and energy industries in Montana.

Conclusions

The message from the survey is clear:

Montanans want to see the state move

toward long-term, sustainable growth

by increasing natural resource develop-

ment, improving our business climate,

and creating more good-paying jobs.

Encourage lawmakers during the next

legislative session to pursue common

sense, pro-growth policies that will put

Montanans back to work. ✦

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The 62nd Montana Legislature assembled January 3, 2011 with

52 new members, just a little over one-third of the legislative

body new to the process. Since statehood, the Montana legislature

has been consistently split along party lines; this session found the

Republican Party in control of both houses, with Governor Brian

Schweitzer, a Democrat, at the helm in the executive office.

As the last days closed in, state budget, medical marijuana, school

budget and eminent domain proved to be a major standoff between

the legislature and the executive office. Key pieces of mining legisla-

tion had great legislative support, as pro-mining activists channeled

these pro-job/pro-mining bills from introduction to the governor’s

desk.

The main message restated as each mining bill was introduced

came from a poll conducted by the Montana Chamber of Commerce.

The poll confirmed Montanans agree that properly regulated natu-

ral resource development can go hand-in-hand with strong environ-

mental protection. When asked, “Do you think state and federal gov-

ernment should encourage and promote these industries because of

the jobs and economic benefits provided, or restrict and discourage

these industries because of potential environmental impact?”, 73

percent of Montanans answered that they wanted to promote min-

ing, and only 17 percent said they wanted to restrict or discourage

mining.

Legislation sponsored or supported by the MMA included: • HB 422 (Rep. Hale) allowing for third-party contractors to directly

bill mining companies. It was signed into law by GovernorSchweitzer.

• SB 312 (Sen. Vincent) revises the permitting process in Montana’sMetal Mine Reclamation Act to provide some predictability and cer-tainty for applicants. SB 312 requires that the applicant and theDEQ conduct considerable upfront work during the application sub-mittal and review process, before committing to a lengthy and cost-ly MEPA review. The applicant will be required to invest additionaltime and money to prepare a detailed application with completetechnical data and analyses. The DEQ will be required to conduct astringent review of the application and make a determinationwhether the project will indeed comply with all substantive lawsand rules that govern mining. After a determination of complete-ness and compliance, a draft permit will be issued and will serve asthe basis for MEPA review.The DEQ cannot attach stipulations or make modifications, during

or after the MEPA review, without approval of the applicant, except inthe case where a stipulation is required to ensure compliance with asubstantive law. This legislation will also reduce the burden on DEQ toproduce redundant and unnecessary MEPA documents for insignifi-cant modifications to existing operating permits. SB 312 returnsadministration of MEPA to its role as a procedural law with emphasis

Report on the 62nd

Montana Legislative SessionBy Debbie Shea

Supporting The Mining Industry Since 1993

Phone (406) 293-8824Phone (406) 293-8824

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on public disclosure of what the DEQ considered when making a deci-

sion on a particular project.

There are also safeguards built into the bill for the unforeseen pos-

sibility that the MEPA process reveals a deficiency in the draft permit

that does not comply with the laws and rules as set forth. However, SB

312 clarifies that the application belongs to the proponent. As such,

should a provision of the application not meet with the laws or rules,

the applicant has the option to revise its application to ensure that the

proposal is brought into compliance. Alternatively, the applicant can

agree to a specific mitigation or stipulation that will bring the propos-

al into compliance with the law.

As has always been the case, a final permit may not be issued if the

permit is not in full compliance with all substantive laws (and rules) of

the state of Montana. SB 312 revises the permitting process in

Montana’s Metal Mine Reclamation Act to provide some predictability

and certainty for applicants. The bill was approved by the Senate and

the House and was signed by Governor Schweitzer.

• SB 367 (Sen. Vincent) allows the Department of Environmental

Quality to grant individual, general and alternative variances from

numeric nutrient standards upon adoption of those standards in

rule. This legislation was the product of a year's work on the part of

DEQ, industry, municipalities and the environmental community.

SB 367 passed out of the House and Senate with bi-partisan sup-

port, and Governor Schweitzer signed this legislation into law.

• SB 306 (Sen. Murphy) served to clarify mining laws regarding

cyanide heap and vat leaching of open-pit ores. SB 306 would have

allowed ore to be shipped to facilities that past initiatives have law-

fully permitted to use cyanide. After meeting with the DEQ and

addressing, through amendments, their concerns, and with no

opposition in the last hours from the DEQ, the legislation passed

through the Senate and the House; but sadly, the bill was vetoed by

Governor Schweitzer.

• SB 233 (Keane) and SB317 (Vincent) were the two major MEPA revi-

sion bills introduced in the session. SB 233 served to clarify the pur-

pose of the Montana Environmental Policy Act, inform the public,

administration and legislature of potential impacts of a project,

clarify alternatives on impact analysis and narrow the focus to

Montana borders (with minor exceptions). SB 233 became the vehi-

cle for MEPA reform. It was amended to include, from Senator

Vincent’s MEPA bill (SB317), the provision that if the court finds the

remedy in SB 233 invalid, the remedy from SB 317 goes into effect.

The remedy in SB 233 only allows the court to remand an inade-

quate EIS back to the agency to be fixed, and prohibits the court

from invalidating the permits. The SB 317 remedy allows the court

to suspend or invalidate the permits, but makes it more difficult

than current law to do so. The environmental groups, in their con-

tinued stand to oppose any changes to MEPA, said that the bill takes

away the ability to have public input and private property rights.

DEQ director Richard Opper weighed in, offering informational tes-

timony and informing the House FRET Committee that neither alle-

gation by the environmental group was true. SB 233 passed hand-

edly out of the Senate and House and was sent to the governor. It

became law without the governor's signature.

The MMA legislative team included: Tammy Johnson, Doug Parker,

Mark Thompson, Tim Dimock, Terry Grotbo, Fess Foster, John Schaffer,

Tad Dale, Ted Antonioli, Don Serba, John Beaudry, Leo Berry, Debbie

Shea, and Don Allen from the Western Environmental Trade

Association. Their efforts included meetings with DEQ director Richard

Opper and staff, chief business development officer Evan Barrett and

Governor Brian Schweitzer. The objective was to work in partnership

with all entities to ensure positive and progressive legislation for the

industry, as well as the state of Montana. Many of our team members

were seasoned in the legislative arena, while others were new to the

process.

GARDAR G. DAHL JR.1595 Riverbend Road

Superior, MT 59872

Tel: 406.822.0027

Fax: 406-822-0027

Email: [email protected]


The following comments come from varied per-

spectives.

The legislative process is neither swift nor certain, but the Montana

Mining Association has every reason to be very pleased with what has

been accomplished thus far. The Montana mining community vigorous-

ly supported a package of legislation that was designed to improve the

permitting process; limit opportunities for litigation and project injunc-

tions; improve the accounting functions for those who perform necessary

environmental analysis for a project and the regulatory agencies;

address nutrient water standards; and hopefully encourage others in the

mining sector to consider Montana as worthy of investment.

As the 62nd legislative session winds to a close, we will have achieved

some very positive victories. The association members should be proud

of the work they have accomplished. A huge ‘Thank You’ is due to the

many who did their part to shepherd the process along. Some served by

offering the genesis of ideas for legislation, while others worked tireless-

ly crafting and reviewing language; some assisted with laying an impor-

tant foundation at the Jobs Listening Session, while others were always

willing to show up in Helena to offer important testimony or to visit with

the administration and communicate with legislators. Many mine

employees and supporters faithfully sent messages of support and

offered the legislators much-appreciated thank-you notes. I would like to

tip my hat to all who contributed. Without you, there would be no leg-

islation, no success, and no forward progress. A sincere and hearty

‘thank you’ also goes out all the legislators who took the time to under-

stand our concerns, issues and proposed solutions, and especially to

those who pushed “the green light” for responsible reforms and clarifi-

cations.

Additionally, special appreciation is due to those who carried key leg-

islation in the Senate and the House and without whom, no idea takes

flight or finds the necessary champions to achieve success in the legisla-

tive process. Primary sponsors included Senator Terry Murphy (Cardwell)

– SB 306; Senator Chas Vincent (Libby) – SB 312, SB 317, SB 367;

Representative Alan Hale (Basin) – HB 422; and Senator Jim Keane

(Butte) – SB 233. Those who carried legislation after transmittal to the

other side of the body are Representative Jerry Bennett (Libby) – SB 312,

SB 367; Representative Duane Ankney (Colstrip) – SB 306; Representative

Harry Klock – SB 233; and Senator Chas Vincent – HB 422.

Please take time to celebrate these victories. Begin the process anew

with faith and hope that responsible and necessary reforms are possi-

ble with time and energy. I am convinced the best people I know are

those who come from our rural, resource-providing communities. It has

been my distinct pleasure to have worked with you all. Illegitimi non

carborundum!

~Tammy Johnson – Environomics, Inc.

The 2011 legislative session was my first involvement in governmen-

tal affairs. Fortunately, I had the privilege to work with some excellent

people and it became a tremendous learning experience for me. The

greatest lesson I learned was how organized, well funded and deep-

Shown in the Montana House of Representatives gallery (left to right):Mark Thompson, Don Allen, Fess Foster, Tammy Johnson and TerryGrotbo.

Posing before House Natural Resource Committee meeting are (left toright): Mark Thompson, Rep Alan Hale, John Schaffer, Fess Foster andTammy Johnson.


rooted in the legislature our opposition is. Without the Montana Mining

Association and active participation by its membership, the future for

mining opportunities in Montana would be very different than it is

now. I thank everybody that worked so hard and can share in the vic-

tories as well as the disappointments.

~Mark Thompson – Environmental Superintendent, Barrick

Golden Sunlight Mine.

This was my first involvement with actually participating in the

modification of existing laws. It was quite the process, and not for the

faint-of-heart. The perspective provided by various people on word

changes and tweaking to ensure that the revision to the law (in this case

the MMRA) met the general intent of modification was invaluable.

Thanks to all who participated in this effort.

~Terry Grotbo – Consultant, AMEC.

I’ve worked on the nutrient legislation and provided some support to

Debbie, Tammy and the others working on the other bills. It’s amazing

the amount of effort it takes to get a few lines of legislation pulled

together, and how many late-night emails it takes to get everyone to

agree to the wording.

~Doug Parker – Consultant, Hydrometrics.

This was a very active legislative session for the MMA. We decided late

last fall to mount a strong effort due to the pro-industry makeup of the

legislature. A number of individuals and companies rose to the task,

working for free or working on days off. I would like to thank Golden

Sunlight, in particular, for all of their efforts; we would have been far

less successful without them. I think this session shows what we can

accomplish if we start working on legislation early, and all work togeth-

er. I hope that in the future, more individuals and companies will

become involved in these efforts.

~Fess Foster – Independent Consultant.

I have been impressed with the level of commitment and effort that

is required to make our system work – not only on the part of the leg-

islators, but also on the part of the associations, the lobbyists and Joe

Public. I have also learned that there is no such thing as a “simple

change”, especially when your adversaries are so good at fear-monger-

ing and putting out half-truths. Finally, I have learned that I never

want to go into politics.

~Tim Dimock – General Manager, Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine.

It was great to see the Montana Mining Association go on the offen-

sive in seeking some important changes in the 2011 Legislative Session.

Much of the success of WETA as an umbrella organization is due both

to our members’ efforts on behalf of their own industries, and also that

everyone then joins together on issues of common interest. The MMA’s

active involvement is valuable, not only to their members, but also to

other natural resource industries as well.

~Don Allen – Executive Director, WETA.

Like most prospectors and miners, I, too, am an optimist. The discoveryof the huge Revett-hosted copper-silver deposits of Montana at Troy, RockCreek and Montanore by geologists – and loggers – is exactly in the tradi-tion of the pioneering prospectors of Montana. But all the effort, expense,ingenuity, and insight of discovering minerals is wasted if these discover-ies are not [actually] mined. Take careful note of the word “waste”. Placingour mineral resources beyond reach is not conservation, but rather waste;just as much of a waste as leaving forests to burn or become food for pine-bark beetles. Teddy Roosevelt said it best this way: "Conservation meansdevelopment as much as it does protection." In Roosevelt's mind, the cen-ter principle of conservation is that we avoid waste.

~Ted Antonioli’s remarks to the mining rally in Libby, Montana. ✦


A day at the Capitol pictures (left to right): Senator Terry Murphy, BruceVincent, Senator Chas Vincent, John Shanihan, Tammy Johnson, JohnBeaudry, Senator Jim Keane, Tim Dimock and Tad Dale.

Intermountain West Energy150 Sheep Camp Road

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Chris HyleTechnical / Sales Representative

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Every year in July, 90 miles from

Yellowstone National Park, the annual

Teachers’ Minerals Education Workshop

takes place. This three-day event, hosted by

Rio Tinto Minerals and led by Dave and

Doug Scott of DST Associates, educates up to

40 local teachers about minerals and min-

ing.

The idea for the workshops began in

1996, when the U.S. Bureau of Mines was

closed and Dave and Doug decided to con-

tinue educating teachers in Colorado,

Washington and Montana. The exclusive

partnership with Rio Tinto Minerals in

Montana was formed in 1998, and has

become so popular that, today, 50 percent

of attendance is by word-of-mouth. While

most of the teachers are from southwest

Montana, there have been some from as far

away as southern Idaho and California.

Twin brothers Dave and Doug Scott, geol-

ogists by profession, work for the federal

government. From a very young age, they

had a fascination with rocks (being fourth-

generation miners and rock-shop owners,

this runs in their family). This passion has

been carried through to the workshops they

organize.

Teachers who attend the workshop gain

continuing education credits each summer

when they participate; then they teach chil-

dren between kindergarten and Grade 12

what they learned in the workshops. Several

teachers from the region now include field

trips to the mine or milling operations as

part of their rocks and minerals modules.

Linda Perlinski and Patty Bartholomew,

third-grade teachers in Bozeman, have

been bringing their students for tours for

several years running.

The workshop begins in the classroom,

with two days of instruction covering identi-

fication of minerals; geology; various min-

ing methods; reclamation; reasons why we

need to mine commodities; and hands-on

activities that encourage learning at all lev-

els.

Day three consists of a tour of Yellow -

Educating local teachers for more than a decade

Minerals EducationWorkshop going strongin Montana Operations


Photos courtesy of Luzenac America, a division of Rio Tinto Minerals.

stone mine, the largest talc mine in

North America. The day begins with a

comprehensive safety briefing held by

the mine team, and teachers are fully

outfitted with safety equipment. A few

are selected to initiate a blast in the

mine or ride in a haul truck – exciting

activities that teachers later share with

their students. They have a barbeque

lunch with the mine crew, followed by

“Talc 101”, an introduction to talc and

its many applications in paper, paints,

rubber, plastics, ceramics and agricul-

ture. After a visit to the lab, they attend

a debriefing session to share lessons

learned, followed by one final stop to

pick talc and crystal specimens to take

back to the classroom.

Belgrade teacher Joe Rossman has

attended seven workshops and learns

something new each visit. “Getting to

know tools and techniques to help edu-

cate the children is the best part of the

workshop,” Rossman states. Rossman

also helps teach one of the modules in

the two-day classroom section of the

event.

Dan Northway and Marsha Mellon,

long-time employees at Yellowstone

Mine, have been part of the workshops

since their inception and both look for-

ward to the event every year.

“I love to showcase the mine and

what we do here. It’s always great to see

the surprise on teachers’ faces when we

explain how much the world relies on

talc,” Northway remarks.

“I get a great sense of achievement

from introducing non-technical people

to mining, and proving there are great

roles for women in the mining industry,”

Mellon states.

For more information about Montana

Operations’ Minerals Education

Program, please contact Pat Downey at

[email protected], or Dave Scott

at [email protected]. ✦


Robin McCulloch describes his typical

workday as “herding cats.”

As a research mining engineer and staff

field agent for the Montana Bureau of

Mines and Geology, McCulloch visits mining

and exploration operations across Montana,

helps small mines get started, coordinates

information for large mines, and serves as

an informal ambassador for the mining

industry.

He calls the position – which he has held

for the past 23 years at Montana Tech in

Butte – a good match for his personality.

“I work with people all the way from edu-

cation to reality,” he explains. “I help with

feasibility and where the costs should come

in, try to educate them on the most environ-

mentally sound techniques, assist them

through permitting… Basically, I do a little

bit of everything you can possibly imagine –

20 or 30 things at a time.”

He deadpans that the pace means he

sometimes can’t wait for five o’clock to arrive

– but only because it will mean the first

bathroom break of the day.

McCulloch’s hard work, deep knowledge

and vast experience with the mining indus-

try were just part of what led the Montana

Mining Association last year to present

McCulloch with the Montana Mining

Association's2010 Award of Excellence.

“He is such an advocate for mining andsuch a knowledgeable guy,” enthusesDebbie Shea, executive director of theMontana Mining Association. “He really hashis hand in things, and has a sense of whereit all fits together.”

Shea adds that the award signifies anexceptional level of contribution to themining industry in Montana.

“We don’t give out awards all the time,”she says. “It really is only for people whohave given a lot of time and really advancedthe industry.”

Mr. AmbassadorThrough dedication, proven knowledge, and the occasional

wisecrack, Robin McCulloch of the Montana Bureau of Mines has earned the respect and trust of the industry.

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For his part, McCulloch says that the

award left him “absolutely speechless” –

joking that the award might have come

sooner if the association “had only realized

something like that would shut me up.”

He then turns serious, adding that the

award was a complete surprise.

“I definitely didn’t expect it, and I am

really appreciative,” he says.

McCulloch’s roots in the industry – and

Montana – run deep. He grew up in north-

western Montana and turned toward min-

ing after a degree in fisheries management

from North Dakota State University didn’t

lead to a job in that field. He worked with

the U.S. Bureau of Mines, then went back to

school, ending up at the University of

Idaho for another undergraduate degree,

this one in mining engineering. Ultimately,

he would earn a graduate degree from

Montana Tech in the same subject.

Before returning to Montana in 1988, he

worked for 12 years in Spokane as a mining

engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, a

position that took him into projects in pro-

posed wilderness areas in six western statesand gave him a broad base of knowledgefor his work in the mining industry, notonly in Montana but throughout the north-west.

He says that the work he does at theMontana Bureau of Mines is similar to whathe was doing in Spokane – but with one

important distinction: “I have this horrible

disease, you see,” he says with mock solem-

nity. “I love hunting elk, and I need to have

time off in the fall to do that.”

Of course, McCulloch’s vision for

Montana – and especially rural Montana,

where he makes his home – is far more

than herds of elk. Living about 1,000 feet

on a ridge above Butte, where he and his

wife raise a few head of cattle, McCulloch

says that he cherishes his “rural existence”

but states that he wants more prospects for

others there.

“I’d like to see opportunities developed

to bring more business into the rural parts

of Montana,” he explains. “I would love to

see two to three new major mines show up,

and I think that there is a real vacuum in

medium-sized, underground operations. I

think we could bring on 20 to 40 mines in

the 500- to 1,000-ton per day range, for

example. Those are the big opportunities

I’d like to see developed here.” ✦


Some insurance companies claim to have

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We know what it is like to have your feet hun-

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you every step of the way, whether you are

deep in an underground mine, working in an

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the many mining support roles we insure.

We’ve been writing insurance in Montana

for over two years now, but we’ve specialized

in providing insurance protection to the min-

ing industry since 1989. As American Mining

has grown and expanded geographically, it

has become the preferred provider of insur-

ance to many within the mining and aggre-

gates industries. Offering primarily workers’

compensation, American Mining also pro-

vides general liability, commercial automo-bile and umbrella coverage.

In 2007, American Mining became a partof the W. R. Berkley Corporation (NYSE: WRB).

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ability to grow and expand into additionalstates. That expansion includes significantgrowth in the Western United States, includ-ing Montana. We’ve recently opened a claimsoffice in Nevada, and continue to work toprovide excellent support throughout theU.S.

American Mining’s leadership has a long-term commitment to the company and tothe mining industry. Chandler F. Cox, Jr.,American Mining's president and chiefexecutive officer, and Dominick Giovannelli,its executive vice president, each have near-ly 30 years of experience in the insuranceindustry and co-founded American Miningin 1989.

American Mining has added substantiallyto our senior management since becomingpart of the W. R. Berkley Corporation, signif-icantly increasing our already extensiveexperience in both the insurance and min-ing industries.

This expertise continues to extendthroughout the company. Many employeeshave been with American Mining since1989, while others have been in the insur-

ance industry for decades. Still others haveexperience with both mining and insur-ance, having worked in the mining industrybefore joining American Mining. As well,many employees have taken mine tours tobetter understand the complex world ofboth surface and underground mining.

American Mining Insurance Company dis-tributes insurance products through a net-

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Over 100 years ago, gold mining began in the mineral-rich hills

outside Lewistown, Montana, in an area known as the Kendall

Mining District. For more than 40 years, mining activity flourished in

this district with a fervor similar to many of the Old West’s mining

camps. The Kendall District, located in the North Moccasin

Mountains, produced 450,000 ounces of gold between 1900 through

1942 from ores averaging 0.20 ounces of gold per ton.

Named after Harry T. Kendall, a prospector and mining innovator,

the district was the site of furious activity at the end of the 19th cen-

tury. The town of Kendall, first formed in 1900, quickly grew into a

booming mining camp with a population of 1,400 by 1910. Nestled

in a sloping valley between two mountain ridges leading up to the

mining district, Kendall boasted a 23-bedroom hotel, two churches,

a blacksmith’s shop, Jones’ Opera House, general and drug stores,

cafes, and of course, several saloons and the occasional “sporting

house”. The miners participated in “double jack” drilling contests,

and on weekends, members of the Knights of Pythias Band sere-

naded the community from a bandstand that still remains.

By 1912, miners began to encounter ores that were increasingly

difficult from which to extract gold, and as a consequence, mining

activity began to fade. By the early 1920s, the once prosperous com-munity had dwindled to just a few inhabitants. Devastating firesswept through the now largely abandoned town, reducing most ofthe wooden structures to ashes and leaving only stone foundationsin their wake. Today, these foundations, the old bandstand, and thegraves of miners and their families are the only remains of the oncepicturesque and thriving community.

With rising gold prices and the advent of modern mining andmineral processing techniques, mining the Kendall District revivedin the early 1980s and continued until near-surface ores were

Kendall: past, presentand future

Kendall today: the original bandstand visible in the distance.

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exhausted in 1995. During this time, the Kendall Mine, operated by

CR Kendall Corporation, produced 50,000 to 55,000 ounces of gold

per year, for a total production of approximately 330,000 ounces.

Reclamation of the site, including clean up of historic mine tailings,

has proceeded since that time.

In November of 2010, CR Kendall Corporation, now a subsidiary

of Atna Resources, Ltd., completed the transfer of approximately 58

acres of land containing a large portion of the old Kendall town site

to the Montana Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Montana

Council owns the adjacent property on which it operates the K-M

Scout Ranch.

Of the transfer, Jim Volberding, manager of Montana Operations

for Atna Resources, said, “This donation stems from CR Kendall’s

desire that the Boy Scouts have this property for use with their

camp, and his desire to preserve this historically significant site for

future generations of Montanans.”

“The Montana Council now owns this entire historic site, and will

preserve and protect it while allowing public access for future gen-

erations to study and enjoy,” stated Ray Wahlert, president of the

Montana Council, while accepting the property.

With the transfer, the K-M Scout Ranch became the only Boy

Scout Camp in the nation to own a ghost town. Through the years,

a campout has been conducted at the old town site. Those Scouts

who stay the entire night unscathed earn the honor of wearing the

“Ghost Badge”. ✦

Town of Kendall, circa 1910.

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Jim Volberding (right) presents a photo of Kendall during its heyday to RayWahlert, Montana Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

For the workers at Revett Mineral’s Troy mine, safety is a passion.

The vast majority of workers at Troy moved into the world of

mining when their northwest Montana timber jobs were lost.

Training in the art and science of safe mineral production is a huge

part of each miner’s introduction to the world of mining under-

ground.

In “the good old days”, mining’s reputation as a dangerous occu-

pation was rightfully earned. One hundred years ago, over 2,500 min-

ers being killed per year was considered “normal". After December

1907 – the deadliest month in American mining history, with over

700 fatalities across the nation – the culture of mining and the issue

of mine safety became the subject of a national debate. Starting with

the 1910 formation of the federal Bureau of Mines, the role of safety

in the miner’s workplace began to evolve. The 1952 Coal Mine Safety

Act and 1969’s Coal Mine Health and Safety Act were precursors to the

all-encompassing Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.

Modern miners – both coal and hard rock – are served well by the

lessons learned over the last century. While the occupation can still

be regarded as dangerous, the goal to have each and every miner

return home safely, each and every day, moves ever closer to a reali-

ty. 2009 was the safest year on record for mining, with 16 fatalities in

metal and non-metal mines and 18 in coal mines. In 2010, the latest

year of records, mining fatalities nationwide increased to 23 in metal

and non-metal mines and 48 in coal mines. Clearly, there is more

work that can, and should, be done concerning mining safety.

Recognition of the need to improve should not, however, diminishthe decades of incredible work that has been accomplished in minesafety.

Today, most Americans would be surprised to learn that decades ofdiligent focus on safety has produced a coal, metal and non-metalmining industry that is not even in the top ten “most dangerous” occu-pations. In fact, fisherman, loggers, airline pilots, farmers and ranch-ers, roofers, ironworkers, sanitation workers, industrial machinists,truckers and drivers/sales workers and construction workers are con-sistently more dangerous occupations than mining.

Safety is paramount at Revett’s Troy Mine, and individual responsi-bility is coupled with teamwork to assure that safety makes it out ofthe training room and into decision making on the job. Revett’s man-agement assisted in the formation of a worker-elected safety commit-tee in 2007.

“We wanted to ensure that the worker’s voice in safety had a clearand open pathway throughout our corporate structure,” says DougMiller, general manager at Troy.

Six workers and three alternates are elected to be members of “TheSafety Committee” to represent each of the mine areas, including themine, the mill and equipment maintenance.

“The committee is responsible for ongoing communicationbetween the workforce, the safety team of the mine and the mine’smanagement,” says Kevin Goe, a committee member, adding that“Anonymous reporting of safety questions and concerns are handledthrough the committee.”

Committeeman Chris Johnson says, “Our committee works with thesafety managers to ensure that day-to-day issues are dealt with andthat worker needs concerning training and equipment are met. Wealso participate in safety audits, and work with management in resolv-ing MSHA citations.”

The workforce knows that they are supported in their efforts by thecompany at all levels. In fact, Revett Minerals’ president and CEO, JohnShanahan, has given his phone number to each and every worker atthe mine.

“All of us have John’s number with the understanding that if a work-er wants to discuss a safety issue or any other matter, they know theycan phone John,” explains Mike Roby, a safety committee member.

In early 2009, during the darkest days of collapsing copper pricesand rocky economic times for the mine, a worker in Troy called hisCEO in the middle of the night with a concern.

Taking ownership of safety

Ernest K. Lehmann & Associatesof Montana, Inc.Mineral explorationDeposit development

Consulting to the mineral industry

Contact Ernest Lehmann at:


Mining in Sanders County, Montana, circa 1908Photo: Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture

Montana has made a lot of progress over the last 100 years. Mining has progressed, too.

In the old days, miners focused solely on recovering valuable ore and metals. In fact, the state motto is “Gold and Silver” and Montana is known as “The Treasure State.” But this historical single-minded approach is no longer acceptable to society or modern mining companies.

Today, the old ways are gone, replaced by modern technology, science, and environmental protection.

Modern mining projects are closely monitored by regulators and comply with thousands of pages of federal, state, and local regulations to ensure that the environment is protected. In addition, mining geologists and engineers utilize advances in science and technology that were unknown in the old days.

Key among those improvements is our ability to protect water quality.

Today’s mining projects are designed with multiple layers of environmental protections that must be approved before a single spade of dirt is turned.

Times have changed. So has mining.For example, all of the water at The Rock Creek Project – whether natural ground water, processing water, or rainwater that has fallen on the tailing facility collected through an under drain system – will go through a dual water treatment process to ensure that it exceeds drinking water standards.

In addition, we will protect water quality by ensuringthat the tailing created by processing the quartzite ore – actually just beach sand – remains within the designated storage area to be covered and landscaped to mirror the surrounding habitat both concurrently and at the conclusion of the Rock Creek Project.

To guarantee that this protection extends long after projects are completed, modern mines fund multimillion dollar bonds set by Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Forest Service.

A lot has changed over the years, but one thing hasn’t changed: mining provides good paying jobs.

For example, The Rock Creek Project will provide 300 jobs paying $50,000 a year, and over its life, Rock Creek will contribute $400 million in salaries, $50 million in tax revenue, and $200 million in revenue for local businesses.

For more information, call 866-921-2294

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“After the mine was shut down for four

long days, the concern was answered as a

result of a thorough review, and education of

the miner, and thankfully it was not a real

safety issue,” Roby states. “We acquired proof

that management’s dedication to safety is as

deep as our own,” he adds.

To broaden the base of safety resources

and response potential, Troy’s managers

long ago forged civic and industry partner-

ships. For instance, Revett’s mine rescue

team is a member of Central Mine Rescue, an

organization through which inland north-

west mines share rescue training exercises

and expertise. Revett has also ongoing rela-

tionships with local volunteer ambulance

and search and rescue services, as well as

local hospital and emergency services.

Revett workers have also found that

their voice is important in the national dis-

cussion of mine safety. When California’s


Representative George Miller used an aging

MSHA report to denigrate the safety of the

Revett operation in Troy, the workers took

the slight personally. In the summer of

2010 Rep. Miller, then-Chairman of the

powerful House Subcommittee on

Education and Labor, proposed legislation

that seemed to do little to assist in preven-

tative actions on the job, and the miners

took offense. In response, the Revett

Worker Safety Committee initiated com-

munication with Representative Miller.

“We thanked him for his concern about

miners’ safety, and invited him to discuss

safety with those of us most impacted by

the discussion and his proposed legislation

– the miners,” recalls committee member

Don Wallace. “We also asked that the repre-

sentative assist us in building a healthy rela-

tionship with the MSHA, so that we could

work as a team with a common goal of safe-

ty, rather than forge antagonistic postures

that do nothing for worker safety,” explains

Robert Garcia, another committee member.

The committee and worker voices from

Troy were shared with Governor Schweitzer,

senators Baucus and Tester, Representative

Rehberg and President Obama. The work-

er’s voice had a significant impact. Rep.

Rehberg met with the safety committee and

hand-delivered workforce letters to Miller.

Prior to offering his bill in the House,

Representative Miller stripped hard-rock

mining issues from the legislation and the

safety committee wrote the chairman and

thanked him for his consideration. When a

similar bill was introduced in the Senate,

the safety committee met with Senator

Tester and received praise for their efforts,

along with a promise from the Senator to

relay their voices in the discussion of the

(ultimately stalled) senate bill.

Revett’s Troy workforce and their elected

safety committee members are proud of

what they have accomplished. They are also

aware that a commitment to safety means

there can never be an end to “doing more

and doing better.” A fatality suffered several

years ago still serves as a reminder of the

need for this ongoing commitment. “We

know that success depends upon individual

dedication to being a safe worker, and being

a safe partner for fellow workers,” Goe

states. “We pride ourselves in working on

safety like we own it,” he explains.

Tim Lindsey, Chairman of Revett Minerals,

Inc. sums up the issue succinctly. Lindsey was

raised in the Troy area, and loves both the

environment and the culture of northwest

Montana. When discussing Revett Minerals

and the Troy Mine with Lindsey, it is clear he

understands the value of the ore body in

Troy and the need to care for the environ-

ment while accessing that ore body.

Lindsey flatly states that, “We must make a

profit to operate – but the most important

resource in and on the mountains we love

are the people who go to work every day

with us and who comprise the family we call

Revett.”

“Our most important goal is to ensure

that each member of our work family is

delivered safely to their family at the end of

every shift,” Lindsey states. ✦

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What is the MBMG?The first time you hear about the Montana

Bureau of Mines and Geology ("the Bureau",

or the MBMG), it might sound like just anoth-

er government agency, working away on

obscure projects.

False! The work of MBMG scientists and

staff directly affects you: your everyday life,

your safety – and particularly, your industry.

The information and support we provide

have assisted thousands of miners and min-

ing, construction and energy companies to

find and extract Montana's resources, safely

and effectively. When you add the informa-

tion delivered to private citizens and various

agencies, it’s a monumental pile of data.

When the MBMG was established by the

Legislature in 1919, as a public service and

research agency, we were given a mission: to

conduct and publish investigations of

Montana geology, including mineral and fuel

resources, geologic mapping, and groundwa-

ter quality and quantity. We don't have any

regulatory power – we simply provide unbi-

ased scientific information and support. Over

the years, our programs have expanded as

groundwater and resource issues have

become critical in many areas of Montana.

We currently have approximately 60 full-time

staff at our offices in Butte and Billings.

But What Do You Do?Lots – our scientists travel all over

Montana performing investigations on

groundwater, geology, energy, and mineral

resources. Our network of 38 seismic stations

provides information on earthquakes in

Montana and neighboring states – and is the

only source of seismic information in

Montana!

We cover natural resources pretty well, but

the programs below probably affect the min-

ing industry the most.

Geology and Mapping - Geology is in our

name, and it's fundamental to what we do.

Since the 1980s, we have mapped 77 percent

of Montana at the 1:100,000 scale, and all of

these maps are available digitally to the pub-

lic at no cost. More detailed maps are avail-

able for selected areas. We also publicly

release geologic maps produced in Montana

by university students.

But what are all those maps used for? The

first uses that generally come to mind are in

locating mineral deposits and finding

reserves of coal and other fossil fuels. But

geologic maps serve as the “road map” for

any geological investigation, from evaluating

the potential for geologic hazards such as

earthquakes, unstable slopes, or materials

prone to shrinking and swelling that result in

foundation damage; engineering applica-

tions, such as location and platting of roads

Geology (and mining) rocks!The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology

By Susan Barth, Editor, MBMG


and waste-disposal and power facilities; or

groundwater investigations, which may

range from locating an individual well to

evaluating an aquifer for water resources or

pollution. Residual soils are directly derived

from the underlying rocks, so the implica-

tions of geologic maps to agriculture are

immense. Scientists in non-geological fields

commonly find that geologic maps have

answers to questions on topics from varia-

tions in forest vegetation to fish habitats; and

the list goes on.

Mining Assistance Program - The MBMG

program that is most visible and has the

most direct impact to the mining industry is

the Mining Assistance program, adminis-

tered by our mining engineer, Robin

McCulloch – you probably know about that

one already! Through this program, we:

• assist companies and individuals in find-

ing information on properties, contacts,

exploration targets, consultants, and occa-

sionally employees;

• aid all of the players in permitting, from

the agencies to individual miners;

• help in designing exploration, mining,and reclamation plans for smaller proj-ects;

• provide archival data on mines and explo-ration from our dynamic collection;

• gather mineral statistics and answersquestions for industry, individuals, andstate and federal agencies;

• gather field data on various propertiesand deposits while we assist with projectson-site; and

• perform basic metallurgical research onfree-milling metallic deposits.Our data are shared through publications,

numerous talks, and personal field visits. In2010, Robin was recognized for his contribu-

Robin McCulloch speaking to agroup at Indian Creek.


401 North 31st Street, Suite 1500, Billings, MT 59101 (406) 252-2166

www.hollandhart.com

Acquisition, disposition, and financing of mineral projects worldwide

Financial and regulatory due diligence Development of mining infrastructure State and federal legislation for mining Mineral patenting and permits Title opinions, quiet title actions, and

title curative work

Access, surface/mineral owner, and royalty dispute resolution

Environmental, public lands, and NEPA issues

Litigation and arbitration Corporate compliance Governmental investigations Indian law

Larry W. Petersen [email protected]

William W. Mercer [email protected]

Charles W. Hingle [email protected]

Holland & Hart has provided comprehensive representation for the mining industry for more than 60 years.

Geologists working in the field.

tions to the mining industry with the Award of Excellence from theMontana Mining Association.

Energy Resources - MBMG staff deal with many types of energyresource issues, including oil and gas, coal, coalbed methane, andgeothermal energy. We are currently working on:• mapping deep coal (underground coal gasification) – at least 60

percent of Montana’s vast coal resources lie more than 500 feetbelow the surface;

• identifying geologic sites that might provide permanent storageand use of CO2 to reduce greenhouse gases;

• providing geologic data, maps, and other information to industry,legislators, and the public for oil, gas, and coalbed-methane stud-ies;

• monitoring springs and wells within and near areas of coalbed-methane development, to evaluate impacts on Montana’s water;and

• working with the U.S. Department of Energy in a national effort tocompile Montana’s geothermal data and use oil-well logs to mapsubsurface temperatures in eastern Montana.Groundwater Issues - The MBMG has two major programs that

deal with groundwater issues across Montana: the Ground WaterAssessment Program (GWAP) and the Ground Water InvestigationProgram (GWIP). The GWAP is designated as a regional assessment ofMontana’s major aquifers, including a statewide monitoring net-work, whereas the GWIP focuses on more limited areas where spe-cific groundwater issues, usually contentious, have been identified.GWIP work is particularly relevant to the mining industry, as it inves-tigates issues that affect water rights and availability.

Mineral ResourcesWhen mineral resources are mentioned, usually metallic deposits

come to mind. In spite of the current slowdown in the housing mar-ket, recently the demand for sand and gravel has grown. Conflictsbetween gravel companies and residents have increased, becauseboth usually reside in the same area of the valley. HB 486, passed bythe 61st Montana Legislature, amended MCA 6-1-601 to include “sand

and gravel resources” in growth policies that will be written and estab-

lished by individual counties in Montana. SB 297 established a sand

and gravel mapping program in the MBMG, and directs us to evaluate

and report on sand and gravel resources in Montana. The new pro-

gram is intended to provide a greatly needed uniform set of informa-

tion for state agencies, individual counties, and sand and gravel oper-

ators. Permitting, planning, and resource evaluations should be great-

ly enhanced by this effort. (Note: no funding was attached to the bill

for actually doing the work, so this is moving slowly.)

The MBMG also has a continuing program of research into mineral

commodities that are being mined or have the potential to be mined

in Montana. In recent years, the results of investigations on barite,

talc, chlorite, vermiculite, and zeolites have been released. Research is

also focused on metallic districts and gold placers.

Curiously, Montana has been the leading producer of sapphires for

many years in the U.S. – known deposits have produced more than 50

tons of sapphires. Yet except for the famous Yogo deposit, little was

known of the origin of these deposits. Dick Berg’s research has

revealed that these sapphires probably were transported to the sur-

face in volcanic rocks before being concentrated in gravel deposits.

So How Do I Get Hold of All This research?The MBMG distributes most of our data through our website,

http://www.mbmg.mtech.edu/. Much of it is downloadable for free, or

available at a minimal cost. In the past year, alone, we sold over 1,000

different reports, more than 5,500 copies, through our website and

sales office. In that same time frame, nearly 127,000 reports or maps

were downloaded.

You can stop in and visit us at our new home, the Natural

Resources Building on the west side of Montana Tech’s campus,

or at our Billings office, located on the MSU-Billings campus at

1300 N. 27th Street. We are always happy to assist with questions or

information. Or please feel free to call at 406-496-4180, or email us at

[email protected]. ✦


Golden Sunlight’s exploration program is simple: deliver

resources and reserves in a safe and environmentally responsi-

ble manner. With over a century of mining in the district, there is still

a golden opportunity for exploration and discovery at the mine site.

Although Golden Sunlight’s mill has been shut down for 18 months

while overburden was removed from above the Mineral Hill ore,

gold production has recently resumed with ore from the small satel-

lite pit called the East Area Pit. GSM’s current exploration program

aims at bringing more of these satellite resources into reserve and

production before the current Mineral Hill reserve is exhausted.

Although the window for exploration, feasibility analysis, and per-

mitting is short, Golden Sunlight believes that with careful planning

it will be successful at extending its mine life and maintaining safe

responsible employment for more than 250 employees and contrac-

tors beyond its current 2015 mine life.

Safety is ‘Job One’At the core of Golden Sunlight’s exploration program is safety. The

mine considers that “No job should be done if it isn’t safe – None”.

Starting with Barrick leadership right through the Golden Sunlight’s

site leadership, employees, and contractors, safety is the responsibil-

ity of each and every employee and contractor at the site.

Environmental CommitmentGolden Sunlight’s commitment to managing its impact on the

environment and community begins with its exploration program.

Every drill site is evaluated for potential environmental impacts from

the drilling process and steps are taken to mitigate those impacts,

whether it is providing water to eliminate dust or establishing sumps

and erosion control to mitigate the impacts of drilling fluids.

Golden Sunlight is also aware that its $3-million dollar exploration

program has significant potential to help ensure that the benefits of

our activities at GSM are realized in the local communities.

Consequently, a concerted effort is made to obtain local contractors

and supplies.

Successful mining starts with successful exploration

Building & OperatingAmerica’s

Underground Mines

For more informationvisit our website at

www.undergroundmining.comor call

775-635-2095

Brenntag Pacifi c, Inc.7535 Mossmain Lane, Billings, MT 59106

J. Mark RedfernTelephone: (406) 628-3640 | Fax: (406) 628-2072

Cell Phone: (406) 671-4105 | Email: [email protected]

“Chemicals for the Mining Industry”


Geologic and Mining PictureGolden Sunlight (named after the Golden and Sunlight mines) has

seen operations since 1890. Through the 20th century, early high-grade miners tapped into gold ores throughout the district. In the1940s, a large deposit of low-grade ore (called breccia) was recognized.In the 1980s, the modern Golden Sunlight mine started productionand has been operating continuously ever since, providing employ-ment opportunities and revenue for the local community for 30 years.

However, mining of the main ore body is currently scheduled toend in the fourth quarter of 2012, with ore being provided from stock-piles until 2015. To extend the mine life beyond 2015, an aggressiveexploration program is in progress. This year, $3 million will be usedto explore nearby "satellite" deposits. These satellite pitsare plannedon the south edge and just northeast of the main Mineral Hill pit. Theobjective is to develop and permit these areas for mining by 2013. Ifthese deposits can be mined successfully, GSM will also gain the timeit needs to explore for larger targets that could further extend themine life. In addition to these surface mining areas, GSM is investigat-ing a third phase of underground mining of the remaining MineralHill resource.

Additionally, Golden Sunlight has actively pursued purchasing ofoutside ores from nearby underground mining and tailings reclaimprojects in order to help sustain its milling operations; GSM is currentlycontracted to purchase ores from a number of local sources. Thisprocess not only helps to extend the profitable mill life of GSM, butalso helps to stimulate entrepreneurial development and reclamationof resources and abandoned mine tails that would otherwise lie dor-mant underground or remain in uncontained facilities on the surface.

We Could Use Some Help!Given the large amount of permitting that will be required over a

short period, in order for GSM to successfully extend its profitable

mine life, it has been working hard with both the Montana Mining

Association and Western Environmental Trade Association to establish

some new laws that may help to streamline both its ability to permit

projects in a timely manner and to purchase and process ores from

outside sources.

The Golden Sunlight has been in operation for some 30 years, strug-

gling through a decade of low gold prices and a challenging regulato-

ry climate. However, the employees of GSM have a high degree of

ownership in their mine and they are survivors. They have been work-

ing diligently to take advantage of the current positive markets to con-

tinue the safe, profitable, and socially responsible operation of GSM

into the future. Golden Sunlight believes that successful exploration

will pave the way for new gold discoveries and continued mine oper-

ations. Golden Sunlight hopes to make a “golden” future for genera-

tions to come. ✦

Ezzie’s Wholesale, Inc.Lawrence R. “Lary” Poulton

Bus. Ph. (406) 654-2331Cell Ph. (406) 390-8056

• Diesel Fuels • Propane• Motor Oils • Gasoline

• Bulk Oil

WATS 800-892-6874, FAX 406-654-2887Box 1770, Malta, MT 59538


It would be hard to find a mining opera-

tion in Montana that hasn’t tapped the

expertise of Hydrometrics Inc. Whether it’s

in the early stages of permitting for a start-

up or the monitoring of a long-retired facil-

ity, the consultants at Hydrometrics have

been moving Montana mining forward for

the past three decades.

Hydrometrics is headquartered in

Helena, and serves the region with offices in

Billings, Missoula, Kalispell, Whitefish,

Colstrip and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

While the company’s name might alludeto a focus on water, the 40 employees atHydrometrics are a mix of environmentalscientists and engineers. With a strongemphasis on teamwork, company expertiseincludes civil, environmental and geotech-nical engineering, hydrology and hydroge-ology, chemistry, biology, data manage-ment and computer science.

The company’s mission is to providecost-effective and practical scientific andengineering services to clients. “Our role is asupporting role,” says company vice presi-dent Doug Parker. “We provide services thata company might not have the expertise orresources to provide itself.”

With an interest in mining and degrees ingeology and environmental sciences,Parker’s work centers on soil science andhydrology. Parker, who was among thefounding partners of Hydrometrics, hashelped research numerous proposals andhas assisted dozens of clients in the permit-ting process.

On water issues, Parker has become atrusted authority for both private industryand public agencies, says Don Allen, execu-tive director of the Western EnvironmentalTrade Association.

“His vast knowledge of water issues, atboth the state and federal levels, enableshim to provide valuable responses to pro-

By Laura Tode

A trustedauthority forboth privateindustry andpublic agencies

(Left to right) Terry Grotbo, Bruce Gilbert and Doug Parker swap miningstories at the Montana Mining Association’s 2010 Annual Meeting atFairmont Hot Springs.

Doug Parker helps research proposals and has assisted dozens of clients in the permitting process

Banquet, Meeting and Convention Facilities*Meeting Space for up to 400 *153 Guest Rooms and Suites*Group and Corporate Rates*Four Hot Springs Pools*Five Story Enclosed Waterslide*18-hole Golf Course*Miniature Golf*Massage and Spa*Casual and Fine Dining

Visit us at www.fairmontmontana.com or call 1.800.332.3272 * I-90 Exit 211, 15 miles west of Butte, Montana

For Great Meetings “Just Add Water”

.fairmisit us at wwwV1,* I-90 Exit 21

montmontana.com or call 1. 15 miles west of Butte, Mo

.800.332.3272ontana


Founded in 1979, Hydrometrics provides anexpansive range of science and engineering services.We have serviced many projects, large and small, forthe mining and smelting industries, ranging from theArctic Circle to South America.

Mine PermittingReclamation PlansBaseline InvestigationsOperating PlansAcid Drainage ControlStormwater and SedimentControlAbandoned MineReclamationWater SupplyDevelopmentWastewater Treatmentand DisposalProperty AuditsWetland Delineation

For more information, contact:

Billings, MT - Al Hilty, P.G.(406) 656-1172 [email protected]

Helena, MT - Mike Wignot, P.E.(406) 443-4150 [email protected]

Missoula, MT - Doug Parker, P.G.(406) 721-8243 [email protected]

Hydrometrics, Inc.Consulting Scientists and Engineers

Wilderness dam reconstruction with mules and muscle power.

Stream flow monitoring by a mountain stream.

Stream flow measurement.

posed rules and legislation,” Allen added.

This past year, Parker helped to coordi-

nate Montana mining’s interest in a pro-

posed state law that establishes numeric

water quality standards for nutrients such

as nitrogen and phosphorus. Senate Bill

367 easily passed through the 2011 State

Legislature and the proposed standards

are expected to be adopted by the

Montana Environmental Protection

Agency. The regulation includes a variance

process for water discharge permits with

regard to nutrients, Parker explains.

Variances will be available for mining

operations and other industry players for

20 years, which will give present water

treatment technology the chance to catch

up with the new standards.

Dave Galt, executive director of the

Montana Petroleum Association, sat on the

legislative work group with Parker and

states, “He’s the guy you want in your

camp when you’re working on this stuff.

He’s extremely capable on the technical

side, and he recognizes the political side as

well.”

In addition to his public service work,

Parker and Hydrometrics assisted with sev-

eral projects across the state.

In 2010, Hydrometrics continued to

offer its water quality monitoring expertise

to operators in Montana, including the

Montana Tunnels Mine, Troy Mine,

Barrett’s Minerals and Stillwater Mining

Company. Work also included consulting

for remediation at the East Helena smelter

site, Mike Horse Mine site and several

abandoned coal mines east of Great Falls.

Additionally, Hydrometrics helped with

permitting for the Revett Rock Creek prop-

erty and began closure work for the

Kendall mine property north of

Lewistown. ✦

While the company’s name

might allude to a focus on

water, the 40 employees at

Hydrometrics are a mix of

environmental scientists

and engineers.



Stillwater Mining Company has plans to

proceed with two mine resource delin-

eation and development projects along the

Stillwater Complex: the Graham Creek

Project, immediately to the west of the

company's East Boulder Mine, and the

Blitz Project, immediately to the east of

the company's Stillwater Mine.

Both projects lie within the boundaries

of existing mining permits, and each

would initially be serviced from existing

mine infrastructure. Based on indications

from historical surface delineation drilling

in these areas, both proposed projects are

viewed by the Stillwater as having a high

probability of ultimately adding signifi-

cantly to the company's probable PGM

reserves.

Over the next several years, the Graham

Creek project aims to extend development

of the East Boulder Mine ore resource

about 7,900 feet further to the west. East

Boulder Mine's tunnel boring machine

(TBM), which was used about a decade ago

to develop initial access to the JM Reef and

then the west footwall lateral access paral-

leling the mineralized JM reef, has recently

been recommissioned for this new project.

Initial work will assess the continuity and

structural controls related to the JM Reef in

this area on the far western end of the

Stillwater Complex.

Based upon historical surface drilling

and production experience to date at East

Boulder, the project potentially could

develop over time up to six million addi-

tional tons of ore grading on the order of

0.41 in-situ ounces per ton. Once the initial

development is completed, any future

mining in this area would require adding

ventilation raises and additional infra-

structure prior to beginning ore produc-

tion. Costs to complete the TBM develop-

ment drive and assess the PGM resource

for the Graham Creek area are projected at

Stillwater Mining Companyadvances growth and diversification goals for sustainable development


about $8 million over the next five years.

The project is expected to yield informa-

tion on the Graham Creek resource as dia-

mond drilling work is completed behind

the TBM drive.

The Blitz project at the Stillwater Mine is

designed to explore and define the PGM

resource along the far eastern extent of the

JM Reef. It will extend some 13,500 feet to

the east of the existing Stillwater Mine, via

two conventionally driven footwall laterals

from the 5,000 and 5,600 levels. Diamond

drilling and geologic evaluation will be

concurrent with footwall lateral advance

on both levels.

Once the Blitz assessment project is com-

pleted, additional development will require

excavating new ventilation raises to support

bulk sampling, final pre-production devel-

opment and eventual ore production.

Based upon production experience to date

and historical surface drilling, Stillwater

believes the project has the potential over

time to define up to 9.5 million additional

tons of resource grading on the order of

0.71 ounces per ton. The project will begin

to yield resource results within its first cou-

ple of years. Initial development and

resource evaluation costs for the Blitz area

are expected to total about $60 million, to

be spent over the next five or six years.

These two projects, coupled with the

recent acquisition of the Marathon

PGM/Copper project in Canada and the new

recycling facilities commissioned in 2010,

provide a robust growth profile for

Stillwater over the next few years. The delin-

eation and development projects in

Montana fit well with the company's acqui-

1321 Discovery DriveBillings, MT 59102

406.373.8700 Tel. | 406.373.8701 Fax www.stillwatermining.com

only united states producer

sition of the Marathon PGM/Copper proj-

ect, located near the town of Marathon,

Ontario, Canada, at the north end of Lake

Superior.

Completion of planned permitting and

development efforts at Marathon is

expected to take about three years. The

Marathon project not only brings

Stillwater a financially attractive growth

opportunity, but it also advances the

company’s diversification efforts on sev-

eral fronts. With most of the world's PGM

production coming from Russia and

South Africa, Stillwater views the acquisi-

tion of a Canadian PGM property as offer-

ing the company operating and geo-

graphic diversity within another very sta-

ble political environment. While the

Marathon project certainly falls within


Stillwater’s core focus of palladium andplatinum, it also offers involvement in thecopper market, which has strong funda-mentals of its own at this time and is anarea where Stillwater’s management grouphas substantial experience. The PGM coststructure of the Marathon project, with thepotential for copper credits, at recentmetal prices would reduce Stillwater’saverage corporate PGM cash cost perounce.

The Marathon project is expected toincrease Stillwater's annual platinum andpalladium production by approximately 40percent within three years. Based on PGMand copper prices as of September 3, 2010,the transaction was immediately accretiveon a net asset value per share and reserveper share basis, and is expected to be high-ly accretive to Stillwater's cash flow oncethe Marathon PGM/Copper Project beginsproduction, which as noted is planned tooccur within three years. Stillwater intendsto fund the development of the MarathonPGM/Copper Project with current cash bal-ances and future free cash flow, but mayseek long-term financing if conditions andopportunities so warrant. The MarathonPGM/Copper Project reserves are situatedon one of Canada's largest PGM-Curesources, which Stillwater believes holdsignificant potential for further growth inreserves and future production.

Along with the Marathon project, thecompany also acquired from MarathonPGM Corporation the Geordie Lake proper-ty, a promising, partially explored PGMprospect about eight kilometers to thewest of Marathon, along with an interest inan exploration property in Manitobaknown as Bird River. Following the com-pletion of the Marathon transaction,Stillwater also acquired other explorationproperties between Marathon and GeordieLake from Benton Resources Corp. To facil-itate exploration of all these properties,Stillwater recently organized a dedicatedexploration team comprised of geologistsfrom the company’s own operations andfrom Marathon. Stillwater expects to spendbetween $4 and $5 million in 2011 onexploring these Canadian properties andconceivably others.

Stillwater Mining Company is the only U.S.producer of palladium and platinum, andis the largest primary producer of plat-inum group metals outside of South Africaand the Russian Federation. Stillwater's

shares are traded on the New York Stock

Exchange under the symbol SWC.

Information on Stillwater Mining can be

found by visiting the website: www.stillwa-

termining.com. ✦


Ash Grove Cement’s Montana City Plantand quarries are located in and around

the Montana City area in Northern JeffersonCounty, a few miles South of Helena MT. Thefacility quarries limestone, shale, and silicaon-site, and combines them with an ironsource to manufacture Portland cement.

The plant, built in 1963 by the KaiserCement Corporation, was constructed tosupply cement for the Yellowtail and HungryHorse Dam project, as well as to meet theexpanding need for concrete in Montanaand the Northwest. In 1987, the facility wasbought by Ash Grove Cement, a family-owned business out of Overland Park,Kansas, during the company’s expansioninto the western United States. Ash Grovecurrently manufactures cement at nine loca-tions in the West and Midwest and is thelargest U.S.-owned cement manufacturer.

Limestone is the major ingredient in theprocess with silica a distant second. Theprocess takes the calcium from the lime-stone reacting it with the silica to form calci-um silicates, the major constituents ofcement. The formation of this reaction iscontrolled by the ratio of calcium to silica;the shale also provides silica, but containsthe aluminum that forms the other basicingredient of cement calcium aluminate.The iron provides flux for the process, as wellas a control for the calcium aluminate reac-tion, and gives cement and concrete its greycolor.

The process at Montana City begins withthe drilling and blasting of the limestone.The limestone rock is hauled to a primarycrusher and crushed to a two-inch minusrock; it is then passed through a secondary

crusher, in an effort to achieve at least a ¾-inch (minus material), which is then storedin a silo to be fed to a grinding mill. AshGrove occasionally drills the silica, but moreoften than not, the silica and clay areripped, hauled and passed through thesame crushing process. The iron is passedthrough the secondary crusher only. Themineral makeup of all four constituents isquite stable; however, the ability to controlthe quantity of each element into the nextgrinding step is critical.

The next step is to grind a precise miner-al composition of the rock into water-basedslurry of around 70 percent solids (byweight). The slurry needs a fineness ofaround 65 percent, passing 200 mesh tofacilitate proper processing; this is done in aball mill. The slurry is then pumped intolarge storage tanks with agitators, to keepthe rock from separating from the water,and to uniformly mix the “mud” beforeintroducing it into the kiln, where the reac-tion of the original minerals to the propersilicates will take place.

The kiln is a long (450-foot) rotating steelcylinder, internally lined with refractory, andfired counter current to the introduction ofthe slurry. The kiln has a slight slope, so as itrotates, the slurry slowly moves from thefeed end to the end being fired. First thewater is evaporated; then the limestone iscalcined. As the temperatures increase, thebalance of reactions begins to take place,with the quantity of each reaction productbeing determined by the original mineralcomposition. The final reaction is to a min-eral called tri-calcium silicate, the majorconstituent of most cements; the reaction is

actually exothermic, allowing for significantenergy recovery. This exothermic reaction,along with the fuel, creates a “burning zone”in the kiln that can typically exceed 2,500degrees Fahrenheit. The new minerals arenow in a molten state, and form balls called“clinker” before being discharged from thekiln into a cooler. The cooler is a refractory-lined piece of equipment that forces largeamounts of air through steel grates and hotclinker, thereby cooling the hot material as itis transported. Typical temperature reduc-tions in a clinker cooler are from around2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degreesFahrenheit. The cooler is a major source ofheat recovery, as it supplies the pre-heatedcombustion air for the kiln.

The clinker is mixed with gypsum, andthen ground to a very fine powder (cement)in a ball mill. A large portion of the cementparticles are smaller than 45 microns.Mineral constituencies and fineness deter-mine the type of cement made, as differentcement types can have different applica-tions. The milling circuit has an adjustableseparator for precise control of the productfineness. The cement is then pneumaticallypumped into storage silos for gravity loadinginto trucks and rail cars.

The main use of cement is in the makingof concrete. Concrete is a mixture of proper-ly sized sand and gravel mixed with cementand water. A typical “mix design” for con-crete is around 12 percent cement, eightpercent water, 30 percent sand, and 50 per-cent gravel. The water causes the cementminerals to hydrate bonding to the sandand gravel, and over time, the concretebecomes stronger. The addition of gypsum

Ash Grove Cement’s MontanaCity Plant anticipates businessfor many years to come

Ash Grove’s Montana City quarry.


to the ground cement actually slows the reaction down, which

enables the concrete to be transported, placed and finished in many

different environments, shapes and sizes. Tests have shown that con-

crete in the proper environment can continue to gain strength for

many years.

Cement is also used in securing pipe in many oil-well applications.

Additionally, cement can be mixed with soil and fill material to make

a strong and stable base called cement-treated base (“CTB”) for many

construction applications. Cement can be mixed with mining waste

and pumped back into underground mines to fill and stabilize the

shafts, thus enabling mining to take place near the previously mined

area. Cement has been used in leach pads for stabilization, and to

help keep a good porosity in the pad. Finally, cement is used in many

masonry applications, from the stucco that sides houses to the bond-

ing agent for tile, rock, and brick.

Over the years, the cement from Ash Grove’s Montana City Plant

has been used in all of these applications, and many more. New and

unique applications for this versatile material are constantly being

developed and presented to potential markets. With these new mar-

kets and all the successes of the current applications, Ash Grove hopes

to be in business for many years to come. ✦

Kiln feed slurry.Montana City kiln.

Strong Foundations.Strong Future.

www.ASHGROVE.com

For nearly 130 years, Ash Grove Cement Company has manufactured high-quality products that build America’s highways, homes and high-rises. From a dedicated technical services laboratory, to ISO 14001-certified environmental control technology, Ash Grove has the tools and talent to reliably deliver high-quality, consistent, American-made materials that meet customer deadlines and project owner specifications. Contact Mike Wood, 208.376.0650, for more information.

SERVING: ALASKA • ARKANSAS • COLORADO • IDAHO • IOWA • KANSAS • LOUISIANA • MISSISSIPPI • MISSOURI • MONTANA • NEBRASKA NEVADA • NEW MEXICO • OKLAHOMA • OREGON • SOUTH DAKOTA • TENNESSEE • TEXAS • UTAH • WASHINGTON • WYOMING

STRONG AMERICAN FOUNDATION


The prospect of Eastern Montana becoming the “next energy cap-ital of the world,” which boded well for the Montana mining

industry, lured Paul Hatzell to uproot his family from California inthe early 1970s to Billings, with the intention to start Crown Parts &Machine Inc. (www.crownparts.us), a manufacturer of aftermarketparts for heavy haul trucks, shovels and specialty equipment for themining industry.

In 1975, however, the Montana legislature passed the Coal TaxTrust Fund Act, enacting the highest severance tax in the nation.“Unfortunately, many mining companies moved across the border toWyoming because of the severance tax,” Hatzell laments.

Despite the tax law, Hatzell stayed the course and launched thecompany in Billings in 1976. An avid hunter, Hatzell fell in love withMontana, and he and his wife thought it would be a great place toraise their family. “We never regretted the decision,” he says.

And with good reason. Crown has flourished in Montana, havinggrown to become the largest global manufacturer and re-manufac-turer of aftermarket components for heavy equipment for the min-

ing industry. Today, the company employs 130 people worldwide,with warehouse operations in Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona, WestVirginia and global facilities in Mexico, Chile, Peru, Venezuela,Zambia, Brazil, China and India.

OEM-Spec Parts, Sold Direct to MinesA primary driver for this growth, according to Hatzell, is Crown’s

unique direct sales model that eliminates the middleman, offeringmining companies a lower cost alternative to original equipmentmanufacturers (OEMs), including Caterpillar, Komatsu, P&H and oth-ers that sell replacement parts through dealers.

“When you deal with Crown, you’re dealing direct with the manu-facturer. There’s no middleman mark-up,” says Hatzell. “Crown con-trols the entire manufacturing process, from engineering and mate-rial purchasing to final quality control, ensuring that the aftermarketparts mining companies receive are built to OEM specifications, thehighest standards of quality, at the lowest cost possible for cus-tomers.”

H-E Parts Crown: Thriving in Montana, serving mines across the globe


New Name, Expanded Product Line,More Options for Mines

It was Crown’s direct sales model, product line and reputation

for quality that caught the eye of H-E Parts International

(www.h-epartsinternational.com), an Atlanta-based independent

supplier of parts, remanufactured components and equipment to

the global mining, quarry and heavy construction industries. In

December 2008, H-E Parts acquired Crown Parts and Machine, and

18 months later renamed the company H-E Parts Crown.

“We were looking to broaden our product offerings and improve the

value we provide our customers, and we saw a perfect fit with Crown’s

products and potential synergies with our other companies,” says

Michael Coffey, chief operating officer Americas, H-E Parts

International. “Now, Crown has the ability to bring global resources

and technology to customers while still leveraging Montana labor and

expertise.”

Hatzell, executive vice president of H-E Parts Crown, agrees. “By

joining the people and resources of Crown and H-E Parts, we’re able

to give our customers even more options. Our companies share simi-

lar convictions and passions in caring for our mining customers, which

makes our combined growth aspirations all the more obtainable.”

The H-E Parts family of companies, including Crown, Birrana

(www.birrana.com.au), Dom-Ex (www.dom-ex.com), Crushing &

Mining Equipment (www.crushingandmining.com.au) and H-E Parts

Distribution (www.h-eparts.com), has over 200 years of combined his-

tory in the mining and construction industries. Together, these com-

panies offer solutions in support of surface mining equipment fleets,

crushing and materials processing and mobile construction equip-

ment fleets.

What does this mean for Montana mining companies? A wider

range of OEM-spec parts from which to choose. For example, as a divi-

sion of H-E Parts International, Crown is an exclusive distributor of

Birrana’s line of aftermarket wheel groups for Komatsu and Caterpillar

equipment, giving mines a quality alternative to OEM final drives at a

considerably lower operating cost.

Thriving in MontanaDespite no shipping ports in Billings, a challenge traditionally

viewed as a barrier to growth for most global manufacturers, H-E Parts

Crown is thriving in Montana because of the caliber of employees

they’ve been able to find in the state.

“We’re proud to call Montana home,” says Coffey. “As a state, we

may be short on population, but we’re long on talented and com-

mitted people. They possess that rare ‘whatever-it-takes’ attitude,

which is a perfect fit with our culture at H-E Parts Crown. The values

of hard work, exceptional service to customers, and the pursuit of

achieving the highest standards of quality are precisely what we look

for in employees to give us a competitive edge in the global market-

place – and that’s the caliber of people we’re able to find here in

Montana.” ✦

H-E Parts Crown 1733 Highway 87 East, Billings, MT 59101

Bringing Innovative Technology to Montana

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Over the past year, the Northwest Mining

Association (NWMA) has been develop-

ing a comprehensive pro-mining public rela-

tions campaign targeted to college students

and young congressional staffers (18 to 30

years old). The More You Dig – It All Starts

with Mining is a website-based, grassroots

campaign that relates mining to lifestyle and

standards of living using the communication

platforms and tools of the 21st century, such

as an interactive website, Facebook,

YouTube, Twitter and college campus out-

reach events and contests with our miner

mascot, Digger. At its core, the campaign

starts the conversation with young adults

about the importance of mining and the con-

nection of mining to their daily lives.

Thanks to the hard work of NWMA trustee

Leslie Olmstead, the NWMA became a client

of the Reynolds School of Journalism at the

University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) to help us

develop the campaign. The student profes-

sionals at UNR spent several months survey-

ing some of our members, trustees and col-

lege students; performing in-depth research;

studying demographics and consumer and

voter behavior; and focus-group and field-

testing their ideas.

Our student team did an outstanding job!

They presented the plan to several NWMA

trustees and Public Outreach Committee

members in May 2010, all of whom enthusi-

astically supported the campaign concepts. At

their summer meeting, the Board of Trustees

authorized the Public Outreach Committee

and staff to move forward with plan imple-

mentation. To assist with implementation,

the NWMA retained recent UNR graduate and

freelance writer Isabelle LaBranch (Izzy) to

work with our Public Outreach Committee.

The More You Dig – It All Starts withMining officially launched at NWMA's 116th Annual Meeting in Spokane inDecember 2010. The interactive website(www.themoreyoudig.com) is up and run-ning with an informative blog, mineralsspotlights, videos, contests and more.Monetary prizes will be awarded to photoand video contest winners.

The campaign’s mascot, Digger, recentlyhosted two successful campus events at UNRand the University of Arizona. Prizes wereoffered to students who answered triviaquestions about mining and could nameminerals in items around campus. The MoreYou Dig earned more than 250 newFacebook fans through these campus events,and passed out information about mining tostudents. As of this writing, another campusevent is planned at the Colorado School ofMines, and several more will take place dur-ing the fall semester. (If you are interested inpartnering with us to have Digger come to acampus near you, please contact Izzy [email protected].)

Izzy attended SME’s Annual Meeting andpresented the public awareness campaign to300 students at the Student Forum. She net-worked with several students who pledged tohelp throw events on their campus to teachtheir peers about the importance of mining,truly making this a grassroots movement inaction.

The Mineral & Metallurgy Society ofAmerica (MMSA) awarded a $25,000 grant tothe NWMA at their annual dinner inFebruary to help us implement the The MoreYou Dig campaign on college campuses in2011. We want to thank the MMSA for theirgenerous support.

Join the conversation! Please visit the web-site and comment through the blog. Becomea "friend" of Digger on Facebook! Help witha campus event. Your active participationwill help educate young adults, accentuatethe many positive aspects of the miningindustry, promote careers in mining, andhelp renew mining’s social license with theAmerican public. ✦

The more you dig – It all starts with mining

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The vendor list was a mile long when

John Hinther began working as main-

tenance supervisor at the Graymont

Western U.S. Inc. Indian Creek lime plant in

Townsend, Montana. Hired in 1990 to over-

see the maintenance schedule and budget

for the mine’s equipment, Hinther quickly

learned that his real task was far more

involved. While upholding a safety-first

ethic, he needed to increase efficiency

across the board.

Of course, maintenance directly affects

efficient operation. But, Hinther discov-

ered that a greater key to productivity was

found in honing the human element.

It began with that vendor list. Hinther

was spending a lot of time tracking down

equipment orders and parts. So, priority

one was to cultivate a core group of sup-

pliers he knew he could depend upon.

“You place an order, and you don’t have to

worry about it,” says Hinther of his best

vendor relationships. “That opened up a

lot of time to spend with the crew out in

the field.”

Hinther began to focus on his interac-

tions with plant workers, “getting to know

them… and what they need to do their job

efficiently.” He made sure workers had

needed supplies and also felt valued by

their company. Elton Chorney, who was

plant manager at Indian Creek at that

time, was constantly impressed with

Hinther’s trouble-shooting innovation.

When a major customer decided to set

up its own lime plant in 1999, Hinther

stepped up to the plate. “John worked with

both production and maintenance to keepthe company going,” explains Chorney.

Likewise, Hinther says he’s grateful tohave worked for a company that was opento his ideas. “We’ve always been allowed towork outside the box,” he states. Heremembers collaborating with Chorney tocreate and implement a proposal to blendsolely Montana coke and coal in the pre-heater kilns, in lieu of shipping coal fromUtah. Hinther also brainstormed withselect vendors to develop new projectswith cost-saving strategies. Over and abovetheir job descriptions, Chorney andHinther took leadership in communityinvolvement – whether providing rip rapfor river stabilization, donating powercredits to an energy assistance program, orrallying support for a community memberwith a medical crisis.

In 2002, Hinther and other industrymembers led efforts to clean up CrowCreek Falls. The reclamation projectinvolved building a safe road (including astretch along a shale-strewn slope with a35-percent grade), removing old equip-ment from an abandoned gold-miningoperation, restoring the site, and reclaim-ing the roadbed on the way out. The groupearned a Wildlife Conservation Award forits efforts.

Such good deeds are rewards in them-selves. “You build trust and respect, and itmakes your job so much easier; you wakeup wanting to go to work,” says Hinther.

Jason Ellis, current plant manager atIndian Creek, admires Hinther’s approachto keeping relational gears turning

smoothly, both internally and with the

community. “Obviously, we leave a major

footprint... We focus on reclamation,” Ellis

explains. “If the community is not an ally

with us, they can really impact our ability

to do business.”

Ultimately, all Hinther’s efforts had a

definite impact on the plant’s bottom line.

“You get paid back ten times whatever you

give,” Hinther says.

Chorney affirms this. “We went from

being the highest-cost (industrial lime)

producer in the U.S., to the lowest-cost

producer,” he states, regarding Hinther’s

involvement in the plant’s evolution from

the 1990s to the early 2000s. When pro-

ducing a freight-sensitive product far from

major freight corridors, the only way to

stay in business is to keep in-cost down.

That’s been Hinther’s focus from day one.

Hinther has also acted as treasurer for

the MMA and frequently chaired its suppli-

ers’ group. For years, he’s hosted weekly

after-hours “sales meetings” for industry

members. Now semi-retired, Hinther says

he honestly misses his job.

Ellis appreciates that Hinther keeps in

touch. “He took me under his wing… so I

understood the importance of mainte-

nance and how it related to the viability of

the facility,” Ellis says. “We still draw on

him as a resource, for his knowledge about

the plant.”

Glad to help, Hinther stops in from time

to time. It’s no trouble, he says and laughs.

“It makes you feel you’ve still got some

value there.” ✦

Industry profile: John HintherDedicated maintenance supervisorkept equipment – and industry relationships – in good working order

By Anika Hanisch


Blutip Power Technologies (blutip Power), a division of Hy-Drive

Technologies, has announced that its mining partner, Mining

Technologies International (MTI), has agreed to purchase an exclu-

sive manufacturing and marketing rights agreement for the compa-

ny’s patented Hydrogen Generating System (HGS). The agreement

will see MTI pay $2 million to blutip Power in quarterly instalments

in exchange for the exclusive manufacturing and global distribution

licensing rights for Hy-Drive’s Hydrogen Enhanced Diesel

Combustion technology, for use with direct-driven rolling equipment

applications in the surface mining, underground mining, tunnelling,

construction mining and off-highway market sectors.

As a result of this agreement, MTI will be licensed to manufacture

and supply the current Hy-Drive HGS, and all of its associated sub-

assemblies, to the worldwide off-road heavy equipment market, as

defined above.

“In December, we announced our plan to reorganise our channels

of distribution to better meet customer needs, as we intended to

aggressively expand our product offering. This agreement is another

important step of our realignment,” states Robert Bucher, president

and CEO of Hy-Drive Technologies. “For many years, MTI has been

very supportive of Hy-Drive and its H2 technology. This commitment

is yet another indication of MTI’s willingness to work alongside us;

MTI invests in hydrogen technology forunderground mining equipment

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providing us the necessary capital to advance our technology withthem and expand into new, exciting markets,” he continues.

MTI will have the “first right-of-refusal” on all potential heavy-equipment customer inquiries as defined within the agreement. Inthe event MTI is not interested in pursuing the opportunity, blutipPower will have the ability to execute through its other channels ofdistribution.

“As I have been on a personal crusade to find innovative ways toreduce emissions for our miners in the underground mining envi-ronment, I have been a big supporter of Hy-Drive and its hydrogentechnology,” says Robert Lipic, president and CEO of MTI. “Thisagreement makes a lot of sense. It enables each of us to do what wedo best to meet the needs of the heavy equipment market; MTIknows how to manufacture, leaving blutip to focus on delivering thenext break-through in emissions-reduction solutions.”

Not included in the license is blutip Power’s proprietary controllersoftware, which will be supplied directly to MTI by blutip Power foreach application of the HGS product. Blutip Power retains all rightsand ownership over all of its intellectual property, manufacturingschematics and product specifications of the Hy-Drive HGS in itsentirety. Under a separate agreement, MTI will also act as a distrib-utor for the blutip Power3 Savings Share Program, on a non-exclu-sive basis, for the diesel power generation market. All future devel-opment work between the two companies will be performed on anindividual basis with separate terms and conditions. ✦

SERVING THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY SINCE THE DISCOVERY OF ELK BASIN

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ATTORNEYS

LOCATIONS

Adam Olschlager Brian R. Bjella Chris Mangen, JR Christopher D. Friez Colby L. Branch Craig B. BurnsCraig C. Smith Denise D. Linford Fred C. RathertGarth Sjue Gary G. Broeder Jennifer M. Nasner John R. Lee John W. Morrison Jon T. DyreJoshua B. Cook Ken Hedge Kristin L. Omvig Kristin Sjue Molly A. Litzen Shane A. Hanson Steven Ruffatto Trent J. Oram Wade C. Mann

BILLINGS BISMARCK490 North 31st Street, Suite 500 400 East Broadway, Suite 600Billings, MT 59101 Bismarck, ND 58502Phone: (406) 252-3441 Phone: (701) 223-6585

BOZEMAN WILLISTON45 Discovery Drive 111 East BroadwayBozeman, MT 59718 Williston, ND 58801Phone: (406) 556-1430 Phone: (701) 572-2200


Northwest Pipe Fittings, Inc., whichwas founded in 1957, distributes a

full line of commercial and residentialplumbing and heating products, under-ground water and sewer products, indus-trial and domestic water pumps, andindustrial pipe, valves and fittings.

Located at 33 South Eighth Street West inBillings, Montana, we also have branchoperations at 404 17th Avenue Northeastin Great Falls, Montana, 1901 Meadowlarkin Butte, Montana, 1780 HWY 35 inKalispell, Montana and 360 Floss FlatsRoad in Belgrade, Montana.

Our staff of 135 employees conducts busi-ness from our facilities in Billings, Great Falls,Butte, Kalispell and Belgrade, Montana. Wehave in excess of $11 million dollars ininventory at our five respective locations.

Our company has enjoyed a history of suc-cess, and has grown to be the largest whole-sale distributor of our kind in the marketregion. We have a fleet of trucks deliveringmaterial between our branches and on a reg-ular, weekly basis to our customers through-out the whole state of Montana andNorthern Wyoming. Our aggressive manage-ment team is devoted to maintaining ourproductive staff, service, and inventory.

Northwest Pipe Fittings Inc. IndustrialSales has an excellent team of sales profes-sionals with nearly one hundred years ofcombined experience. Our team consists ofsome of the most knowledgeable individualsin the piping, valve, pump and processequipment markets in the industry today. Weare ready, willing, and able to review yourmost difficult problem applications and rec-ommend the best solutions to meet yourneeds.

Northwest Pipe Fittings, Inc.proud to be servingMontana’s mining industry

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33 S.Last Chance GulchP.O. Box 1715Helena, Montana 59624-1715Tel. 406 442-8560Fax 406 442-8783email: [email protected]: www.gsjw.com

Serving Montana’s Natural Resource IndustriesSince 1879

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Montana: Under our big blue sky

thrives dreamers and achievers –

men and women who know how to get

things done. This land beckoned the strong,

from the indigenous tribes that first relied

on the bounteous provisions here, to the

cowboy with his massive herds of cattle

brought such far distances to form our great

Montana ranches. Homesteaders came;

they built up the hills and prairies, farmed

them into sustaining crops. But it was

Montana’s mining industry that bore com-

munities. Towns were founded when treas-

ures were uncovered. Montana’s mass of

land stretching from rugged horizon to

rugged horizon was transformed from

sparse settlements into the mountains of

society when the earth bore resources to

our miners.

From copper to coal, and gold to talc,

Montana is abundant with raw material.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey,

Mineral Industry Surveys (2004), Montana

produced nearly $2.3 billion in output rev-

enue from the direct and indirect mining

industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics

reported that approximately 5,500 people

were directly employed by a mine in

Montana with another 11,000 men and

women employed indirectly by the Montana

mining industry [2004, statistics]. There

might just be more cows than people in

Montana, but those people might just be fed

by the mining industry, because in Montana,

it is mining that founded many strong com-

munities. One example that embodies this

concept perfectly is the Holcim (US) Inc.

Trident Plant.

In 1805, Meriwether Lewis observed thequality of limestone in the area. But it wasn’tuntil 1908, tucked close to the birthplace ofthe great Missouri River, that constructionbegan on the Three Forks Portland CementCompany. Construction of the plant wascomplete in 1910. In 2010, the plant cele-brated its centennial anniversary with abouttwo hundred people; local and state repre-sentatives, customers, vendors, and employ-ees and retirees and their families under thename of Holcim (US) Inc. Trident Plant.

Of course, Trident was more than just acement plant – Trident was a communitythat was founded by the cement company.Although the village died out by the 1970s,when workers were more inclined to com-mute than rent in the company town, it wasan affordable place to live for many years.The community was originally namedCementville. A worker could rent an apart-ment for $12 a month, or a family could renta four- or five-bedroom home for only $15 to$17.50 a month. That offer remained fixeduntil the community finally dwindled sever-al decades after its founding.

The plant has changed owners a fewtimes. Its moniker changed from the ThreeForks Portland Cement Company to the IdealCement Company in 1924; renamedHolnam, short for Holderbank NorthAmerica, in 1990; to its current name,Holcim (US) Trident Plant, in 2002.

Holcim (US) Trident Plant: 100 years of production and community buildingBy Kreta Zackus L’Heureux

Proudly serving the mining industry with a full line ofchemical reagents, water treatment, refinery andspeciality chemicals. Make us your one stop shop for allyour chemical needs. Total inventory management andtechnical services available. One drum or one truckloadgive us a call we are ready to serve you.

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This plant has helped transform the lime-stone found in the earth into monumentaldams like Holter Dam, Morony Dam, FortPeck Dam, Grand Coulee Dam, and PolsonDam. Although the Holcim (US) TridentPlant has known its share of changes andchallenges, it embodies the Montana spirit.The plant is strong and it holds to its com-munity.

Trident plant manager Eric Ervin com-ments, “We are proud of our long-standingparticipation in this community.”

And Holcim (US) president and CEOBernard Terver says, “The cement industryhas seen many changes over the past 100years, but one thing remains consistent,and that is the dedication of our employ-ees.”

Through all the turmoil the Trident Planthas faced in the past century, fromAmerican economic uncertainties to region-al natural hazards like floods and fires, theplant still produces approximately 350,000tons of cement a year. Thus, it is accurate tosay that the Holcim Trident Plant is still,quite literally, building communities in andaround Montana. ✦


Exploration

The Continental Pit at Montana Resources was first mined by the

Anaconda Minerals Company (ACM) in 1980. In 1986, when

Montana Resources took over operations in Butte, the Continental

Pit mine plan and reserves were based primarily on TAC (The

Anaconda Company) exploration drilling conducted in the mid-

1960s. Throughout the years, there has been intermittent explo-

ration and development drilling to replace tons and predict ore

zones; however, in 2010, Montana Resources began a comprehen-

sive development and exploration drilling program that will con-

tinue through 2012. The current plan is to define depth and quan-

tity of ore zones in the Continental Pit.

Montana Resources LLPExploring for the future whilemaintaining a focus on safety

By Mike McGivern and Tad Dale


Two types of drilling are being conducted in the exploration pro-

gram: reverse circulation and core drilling. O’Keefe Drilling from

Butte has two reverse circulation drills operating, and is drilling at

depths of 800 to 1,000 feet. AK Drilling from Butte, along with

Boart Longyear, has been core drilling at depths of 1,000 to 1,200

feet. In 2010, 72 drill holes were completed for a total of 68,000

feet of drilling. The drilling for 2011 is forecasted to be 61,000 feet.

While results are preliminary, 180 million tons of ore reserves

have been added to proven and probable reserves; this equates to

approximately ten additional years of mine life being added to the

current reserves. The current results of Montana Resources’ drilling

program, while only partially completed and yet to be completely

analyzed, show positive results for continued mining in Butte for

years to come.

Safety Now and Into the FutureAs we explore for the future, Montana Resources continues to

work toward ensuring each person goes home safe and healthy

every day. In the mining industry, safety is the primary focus 24

hours a day. It has to be! Be it underground or surface mining, the

work is hard, the equipment can be large, and rock is being broken

and handled at a high rate of productivity. At Montana Resources,

we focus on values, attitudes, behaviors, and leadership to drive

our safety culture. We believe if we are aligned in our values and

demonstrate safe behaviors, that it is possible to achieve our vision

of having zero incidents.

On March 7, 2011 MR achieved an internal record of 607 days

without a lost-time incident, beating the previous record of 606 days

set in 1996. This equates to 1.3 million person- hours worked with-

out a lost-time incident. While we are proud of this accomplishment,

we are not satisfied. Safety is not a job that is ever completed. Like

the other mines in Montana, we continue to strive to eliminate

injuries by identifying the hazards and controlling the risks.

Safety at Montana Resources has come a long way since days

gone by, and like all industries, can continue to improve because

even one incident is too many. While the mining industry has a his-

tory of tragic disasters, it is often this history that paints the per-

ception of the industry today. When there is a disaster in the min-

ing industry, it is front-page news. That is why, when polled, most

non-mining people believe mining is one of the top unsafe indus-

tries in our country; while in fact, mining is actually one of the

safest. The most common measurement to compare the respective

safeness of industries is to compare incidence rates; a measure of

the number of reportable accidents divided by the total hours

worked in the industry. The Bureau of Labor tracks each major

industry and in 2009, the mining industry had a 3.1 incident rate.

To compare this to other industry codes: farming has an incident

rate of 4.7, a rate 52 percent higher than the mining industry’s; in

fact, 50 people were killed in farm silos, alone, during 2010.

Nursing homes have an incident rate of 8.0, or 2.5 times greater

chance of being injured while being employed in a nursing home

verse the mining industry.

Some comparable industries with similar incident rates to min-

ing are real estate agents and gas station workers, at rates of 3.0

and 3.3, respectively. The Bureau of Labor breaks down industries

into about 100 different categories. The mining industry is not in

the top-40 highest-incident rates.

What all this means is that the mining industry has greatly

improved its safety culture and the lower incident rates prove it.

Putting safety first is how you ensure that every person goes home

safe and healthy each and every day.

Montana Resources continues to be a SAFE low-cost producer of

copper and molybdenum. With these added ore reserves, Montana

Resources will continue the “Tradition of Mining” in Butte for many

years into the future.

For more information, please visit www.montanaresources.com. ✦

According to the Bureau of Labor’s

statistics, the mining industry is not

in the top-40 highest-incident rates.


Talc – Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 – is a layered,

hydrous magnesium silicate mineral. At

the microscopic level, talc particles are typi-

cally platy, but other morphologies can occur

in some deposits. Talc has a soft, soapy feel

and typically a smooth texture. Talc, known

for its insulation, heat resistance, chemical

stability, oil absorption and strong covering

quality, has a theoretical chemical composi-

tion of MgO at 31.7 percent, SiO2 at 63.5 per-

cent, and H2O at 4.8 percent. However, talc’s

chemical and mineralogical composition can

vary depending on its geological history/par-

ent rock association. These mineral associa-

tions and variable levels are usually chlorite,

quartz, and carbonates (magnesite, calcite,

and dolomite).

Two key elemental substitutions that can

occur in the talc crystal structure are iron for

magnesium and fluorine for hydroxyl. These

compositional differences may limit or

enhance the talc’s usage in specific market

niches.

Production of Talc in the U.S.The United States, still remains self-suffi-

cient in producing most grades of talc. There

are seven talc-producing mines, located in

four states, which account for the domestic

production of talc in 2009. Domestic produc-

tion is basically open pit mining. Crude ore

value is estimated at $15 million, as com-

piled by the USGS producer survey.

Rio Tinto Minerals remains the top domes-

tic, as well as is one of the world leaders in

talc production. American Talc Company has

mining and processing in Texas; Minerals

Technologies Inc. through Barretts Minerals,

a wholly-owned subsidiary, has mining and

processing facilities in Montana and Texas;

CIMBAR Performance Minerals owns a pro-

cessing plant in Indiana; Protech Minerals

Inc. has mining and operations in southern

California; Alberene Soapstone Company has

mining and operations in Virginia; Cal-Talc

Company operates facilities in southern

California; and IMI FABI has processing

plants in West Virginia and New York (pro-

duction volumes are in decreasing order of

the above listing). In 2007, USGS reported

that Steatite of Southern Oregon had ceased

operations, but the company still had an

active website as of 2009 and may be work-

ing off of stockpiled materials.

For 2009, companies in the states of

Montana, Texas, Vermont, New York and

California account for the predominant share

of actual domestic production, in decreasing

order.

Consumption of TalcTalc produced and sold domestically was

distributed as follows: ceramics (18 percent),

paint (21 percent), paper (20 percent), roofing

(eight percent), plastics (22 percent), rubber

(three percent), cosmetics (three percent), and

other (17 percent). The “other” section

includes a variety of applications for pharma-

ceuticals, agricultural products, animal-feed,

sealant, sculpturing, food and polishing.

Uses, New Applications andProcessing Technology

Talc producers must continue to provide a

functional and high-performance mineral

additive that can increase the value of their

products for the end-use customer.

In specific cases, unique properties can be

achieved by employing proprietary coatings

or processing products to increase aspect

ratio by delaminating, or increasing the over-

all talc purity by beneficiation. Silane/silox-

ane-based and directed surface treatments

are commonplace. Nano-talc products (10 to

100 nanometers in one dimension) continue

to be explored for their uses in various appli-

cations.

There are a multitude of uses for talc such

as plastics, cosmetics, flooring, health care,

catalytic converters, animal feed, caulks,

sealants, gaskets, belts, hoses, specialty anti-

blocking/anti-hazing in plastic films, auto

body putty, asphalt shingles, joint com-

By Gary Tomaino and John Parks

Talc in Montana: An important industrial mineral for the United States – and the world


pounds, pharmaceuticals, ceramics anddimension stone bodies (Steatite).

In ceramic applications of dinnerware,sanitary ware and hobby ceramics, talc pro-vides low shrinkage as well as high bright-ness upon firing at various temperatures. Inother applications, high-quality calcined-talcblends, which impart a controlled shrinkageand reduce firing time, can be tailored toeach individual customer's specifications.The reduced firing time aids in processingand reduced energy costs for the customer.

Another specialty usage for talc for whichdemand remains high, is when it is com-bined with kaolinite and other proprietaryadditives to formulate fired-cordierite bod-ies, used for catalytic converters in vehicles.In dimension stone applications, talc is usedfor countertops, sinks, mantels, fireplace sur-rounds, pavers and tile brick.

In paints, talc is an economic extenderand filler while providing brightness anddurability to paint coatings. In rubber appli-cations, talc provides reinforcement, UV radi-ation resistance, and it can be used as a pro-cessing aid for good extrusion rates, imper-meability and improved surface finish.

Future TrendsTalc continues to face competition in the

paper filler and niche paper coating sectors,from precipitated and ground calcium car-bonates. Talc is still used in the paper-mak-ing process, especially as a pitch controlagent.

The plastics market continues to offerpotential growth opportunities, especially inpolypropylene. It is projected that increases

in talc usage for lightweight and recyclableproducts will be the future needs of the auto-motive market. Here, the desire for compact-ed and sub-micron talc products providehigh-performance end-use products. Apotential upside for new uses may be in the

area of Wood Polymer Composites (WPC),where talc will provide a functional fillerrole.

For further information, please visithttp://www.mineralstech.com. ✦

Typical platy Montana talc.

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In 1983, the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship Foundation was estab-lished to recognize the accomplishments of the children of Holcim

(US) employees. Gygi and von Wyss scholarships are given in memoryof Dr. Hans Gygi, the founder and longtime chairman of DundeeCement, and Mark R. von Wyss, Holcim’s former president and CEO.

Since the foundation began 27 years ago, more than 100 childrenof Holcim employees have received the Gygi and Von Wyss FoundationScholarship. The scholarship provides funds for tuition, fees andbooks.

Gygi and von Wyss scholarship recipients are selected by an inde-pendent scholarship committee of the foundation. The committee iscomprised of three members, all of whom are faculty or staff mem-bers at universities. Selections are based on character, SAT or ACTscores, high-school grades, curriculum, recommendations, extracur-ricular activities, and two essays the applicants are required to writedescribing their goals and character.

There have been four children of Holcim (US) Trident Plant employ-ees who have been awarded this prestigious scholarship and have

taken full advantage of the opportunity: • Darin Bessler (1991) – son of Paul Bessler, retired marketing man-

ager.• Michelle (Mathison) Leardini (1996) – daughter of Tom Mathison,

active maintenance technician.• Jill (Irey) Clark (2000) – daughter of Duane Irey, retired maintenance

planner.• Sarah (Bouldin) Morace (2003) – daughter of Mark Bouldin, active

driller/blaster.All four recipients attended Montana universities. Representatives

from Holcim (US) recently made contact with these individuals to seehow they have progressed in their careers and what the Gygi and vonWyss Scholarship meant to them.

Each of the recipients responded that they were able to study hardwithout the additional stress due to financial burden. The applicationprocess was not too difficult and was well worth their time. One of thehighlights was being flown to the Holcim (US) Corporate Office withtheir parents to receive the award.

“It was a really neat event to share with my parents before headingout to college,” states Jill Clark.

About The RecipientsSarah Morace graduated early from Montana State University,

Bozeman with a degree in elementary education. With additionalscholarship eligibility remaining, she pursued a second degree innursing. Morace taught briefly after college, and currently is workingin a medical office in Newberg, Oregon. She would like to pursue fur-ther education in the medical field. When asked about the benefit ofreceiving the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship, Morace stated, “Wouldn’thave been able to afford college.” She is currently married and isexpecting her first child.

Clark graduated from the University of Montana, Missoula with a

degree in business administration. While attending school, she was

able to volunteer with AmeriCorps and study abroad in the

Netherlands. Clark is a certified managerial accountant and is cur-

rently working as a project manager for an insurance company in

Portland, Oregon. Last year, Clark took a month off of work to volun-

teer at a school in Uganda. When asked what the Gygi and von Wyss

Scholarship meant to her, she replied, “I was really happy to make my

dad proud as he was to really happy to enable me with the opportu-

nity.” Clark is currently married and has one child.

Michelle Leardini started in pre-vet and graduated from Montana

State University, Bozeman with a degree in animal science, with the

feed and health option. After graduation, she worked in Minnesota for

several years as an artificial insemination tech at Genex Corporation.

Holcim (US)continues commitmentto educating our future leaders

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When asked how the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship impacted her

education, Leardini replied, “I was able to complete college in four

years and not have to take time off to work. It lessened the stress of

college life; and I didn’t have to worry about anything but studying.”

She is currently a stay-at-home mom with two small sons in

Plentywood, Montana.

Darin Bessler graduated from Montana State University, Bozeman,

with a degree in arts, painting and graphic design. While pursuing his

degree, he participated in the National Student Exchange Program

with Hunter College in New York City. Bessler is currently working for

the company that he most admired throughout his life. When asked

what the benefit of receiving the Gygi and von Wyss Scholarship meant

to him, he replied, “I was free to fully explore both my artistic passion

and a new, much more ‘career friendly’ discovery. This is, sadly, a lux-

ury not many [people] are afforded due to financial constraints, caus-

ing many students to hastily gamble between a vocational path or a

dream – what could be the most important decision in one’s life.”

Darin resides in London, England.

Most recently, Hunter Morrical, son of Steve Morrical, active senior

technical service engineer, received this prestigious scholarship and is

planning to attend Montana State University, Bozeman. When asked

how receiving the scholarship may impact your education, Morrical

replied, “It is giving me the motivation to do better in school.” In addi-

tion, it is a relief to Hunter, knowing that he can focus more on his

studies and less on his finances. Hunter is planning to major in civil

engineering.

In addition to the Gygi and von Wyss scholarship program, the

Trident Plant Donations Committee established the Worthy Student

Scholarship program in 2001 for students from the communities in

which Trident employees live. The original program was offered to

three local schools and has expanded to include six local high schools:

Three Forks, Manhattan, Willow Creek, Harrison, Belgrade, and

Whitehall.

Worthy Student scholarship recipients are awarded a scholarship

based on the following criteria:

1. Must be a high school senior in one of the above listed schools;

2. Must be continuing their education in a four-year university, junior

college, or vocational school;

3. Scholarship must be used beginning the fall after they graduate

high school;

4. The school determines who receives the scholarship.

Over the past 10 years, over $40,000 has been awarded to 48 stu-

dents.

Holcim (US) and the Trident Plant are proud to be involved in the

process of educating our future leaders. ✦

209 Cedar Street • Bozeman, Montana 597151-800-406-LIFT • www.montanacraneservice.com

Holcim’s Trident Cement Plant: supportingeducation and youth development in theGallatin Valley. Our products build foun-dations; our people build communities.The most important area of developmentin the Gallatin Valley takes place in theminds of our students.


Thousands of teams operate G-856 ProtonPrecession magnetometers for geologic and min-

eral exploration surveys; this older-designed instru-ment does not have the capability of storing GPS posi-tions, however. Fortunately, Geometrics announces therelease of a new version of their venerableMagMap2000 data download and processing program(Win 7-compatible) that provides for the repositioningof magnetometer data (G-856 Proton, G-858 Cesium)from a hand-held GPS system operating on independ-ent logging devices.

The only requirement is that the magnetometertime should be synchronized to the local or UTC GPStime; this can be accomplished manually. The GPStracks are then logged inside the GPS, and the magne-tometer data logged inside the magnetometer.MagMap2000 interpolates and recombines the posi-tions into a magnetometer, latitude, longitude andtime file suitable for contouring and further process-ing.

MagMap2000 uses a free conversion program fromGPSBabel (www.gpsbabel.org) that converts waypoints,tracks, and routes between popular GPS receivers andmapping programs. It also has powerful manipulationtools for such data. GPSBabel downloads track datafrom popular Garmin, Magellan receivers and alsoopens GPS GPX XML file format offered on most mod-ern GPS receivers. Many GPSs, such as the GarminOregon 450, have the ability to create and upload way-points and routes, enabling the user to predefine sur-vey grids and then use the GPS as an in-field steeringdevice! This new facility gives users of older magne-tometer equipment the ability to perform surveys withGPS accuracies (SBAS approximately two meters,Omnistart differential corrected accuracies of 1onemeter or better) and to steer to waypoints in the fieldwithout laying out the survey grid prior to survey.

MagMap2000 v 5.0 may be downloaded fromGeometrics’s website (www.geometrics.com) under“Magnetometer Downloads”. The operator’s manual isincluded with the download. For more information,please contact [email protected]. ✦

Geometrics announces releaseof GPS interface programMagMap2000 V 5.0By Ross Johnson, VP Sales and Marketing – Magnetometers


Apex Abrasives Inc. is a Montana corporation that is reprocessing

and reclaiming old tailing ponds and producing waterjet garnet

and tungsten concentrate. Apex, which maintains an office in Dillon,

has its plant site located on the west side of I-15, near Glen on the

eastern bench, below the Pioneer Mountain range. Apex employs up

to six employees operating 12 hours per day.

Apex Abrasives Inc., incorporated in Montana in 2005, was formed

from a partnership between Gene Nelson, Dirk Nelson, and James

Womack. James Womack grew up in Madison and Beaverhead

Counties, joined the U.S. Army during WWII, and worked his way

through the ranks, eventually retiring as Major General. He has been

a long-time prospector, mine developer, and successful entrepreneur

with broad diversification in business. Gene Nelson was born in Butte

as a descendant of a Cornish mining family that first arrived in

Bannack. Gene is an engineer and licensed professional geologist. Dirk

Nelson, Gene’s son, is a licensed professional engineer. Together, they

developed the Apex property, and they also hold nearby drilled

reserves on the Lentung tungsten and Yellow Band gold properties in

Beaverhead County.

Gene and Dirk have been working together to open their mines

since 1983. It has been a family dream. Unfortunately, “exploration

success followed by permitting setback” has become all too familiar

for new mines in Montana. After years of work developing the Yellow

Band Mine, the final operating permit was essentially completed

when the cyanide ban of 1997 narrowly passed and the permit was

withheld. They redirected their efforts into garnet and tungsten; this

time, permitting was quickly granted. Gene and Dirk, who have been

operating the Apex Abrasives plant for nearly two years, are now

reprocessing and reclaiming the tailings ponds of the old tungsten

mines for garnet products and tungsten by-product. The garnet is sold

primarily to the waterjet industry, which has been a growing market.

Tungsten prices are climbing beyond all-time highs; together, tung-

sten and garnet make these exciting times. This plant is also proof for

the future that the Nelsons’ vast hard-rock reserves will double the

tungsten value due to garnet.

There was not a market for garnet when the old tungsten mill was

operating. However, new technology created demand and in the late

1980s, Cominco’s nearby ruby garnet operation drew attention to the

new market for garnet, especially abrasive waterjet. Sandblasters suf-

fering silica dusting were also eager to switch to garnet.

Gene was intrigued by the combined profit potential of both tung-

sten and garnet from his properties, but the garnet performance had

to be proven and developed. Following microscopic analysis, lab test-

ing began in 2003 and pilot-plant testing in 2004 to produce a clean

garnet abrasive. This garnet product was simultaneously tested at sev-

eral independent waterjet labs to prove garnet’s performance. Final

waterjet viability was established through Batelle’s Hanford lab, via a

small business assistance grant. The crushed garnet performed well

against competitors’ garnets as the surface smoothness of the cuts was

superior.

The mining and mill permits were granted through the MDEQ and

BLM in 2007, in a little over one year under Governor Schweitzer’s

favorable administration. Nowadays, permits have become the critical

key to the feasibility study. Utilizing the old mill foundations that were

preserved by the BLM for future use, mill construction was completed

in a little over one year and the plant became operational in 2009.

The tailing ponds hold about one million tons predominately com-

posed of garnet ground to -48 mesh. The tailings are easily dug with a

Cat 966, and are hauled less than 2,000 feet with a Kenworth dump

truck. The process facility is single pass from the dump truck to the

baggers. The plant is composed of a wet plant to separate, clean, and

size garnet, magnetite, and scheelite; a dry plant for drying, addition-

al cleaning, and sizing garnet; and a bagging plant producing 50-

pound bags or one-ton sacks of sized garnet abrasive.

Garnet products are sold primarily to the waterjet and sandblasting

industries, while scheelite is sold to a tungsten carbide refinery. Minor

by-products of gangue sand and magnetite are also sold.

The wet plant is primarily a gravity circuit using only water. It is a

modular plant consisting of screens, hydro-cyclone, wet magnetic sep-

arator, density separator, spirals, and a concentrating table with a

basement of slurry pumps. The dry plant is composed of a propane-

fired rotary dryer, rotary cooler, high-intensity magnetic separator,

and bucket elevators filling silos. The bagging plant draws from the

The history of Apex Abrasives

w w w. b k b h . c o mServing Exploration and Production Companies,

Pipelines and Refineries in Montana

• Legislative affairs, including lobbying and public relations consulting

• Regulatory compliance and contested cases• Environmental regulation and compliance• Civil litigation including commercial, royalty,

and environmental matters• Commercial transactions• Land and lease acquisition• Tax matters, including income, property

and severance taxes

For additional information contact:

BROWNINGROWNING KALECZYCALECZYCBERRYERRY & HOVEN P.C.Bozeman . Great Falls . Helena . Missoula

Catherine A. Laughner801 W. Main, Suite 2ABozeman, MT 59715-3358(406) 585-0888

Leo Berry, Steve Wade & Jessie Luther825 Great Northern Blvd.Helena, MT 59601(406) 443-6820


silos onto screens and gravity baggers onscales. The plant is typically operated withone employee on a loader/truck, oneemployee operating the wet plant, oneemployee operating the dry plant, twoemployees operating the bagging machine,and one employee on maintenance orload-out. This total circuit has proven to bevery efficient and when fed from the stock-pile, the entire plant can be run to fill thesilos with only two operators.

Background and HistoryThis district has a colorful history. The

gold stampede to the Pioneers Mountainsput Montana territory on the map atBannack. A decade later, the silver boomwas bustling in the Pioneers. Numerousmines were opened in the Pioneers, andmany became famous for a while; but afterthe silver crash in 1893, attention began toshift to non-precious metals. The skarnsalong the western front of the Pioneers firstbegan producing copper ore at the IndianQueen Mine, which was first established bythe Farlin brothers of Butte fame. This mineproduced from 1903 until 1923 (the districtwas also a producer of gold, silver, iron,lead). The diversity of ores always captivat-ed prospectors, and eventually interestshifted to tungsten.

One of the reasons the U.S.A. prevailed inWWII was due to our vast natural resources,industrialization, and those who developedthe natural resources. Blair Burwell was oneof those who were commissioned duringthe war with the task of procuring uraniumneeded for the Manhattan project; he alsosupplied other “strategic metals” such astungsten. When the Korean War erupted,the importance of these strategic metalsincreased. Burwell heard about tungstendiscovered in the Pioneer Mountains. Heformed Minerals Engineering Company,which built the mines and mill to supplytungsten concentrate to the governmentstrategic stockpile.

Later during the Vietnam War, high tung-sten prices returned. The mill was rebuiltwith General Electric funding. During theyears that the mill ran, ore was producedalong the Lost Creek Trend from the UtopiaMines, the Lost Creek Mines, and the

The Apex mill today.

Gene Nelson (left) and son Dirk.

“Under construction”.


Browns Lake Mine, as well as the CalvertMine.

The Lost Creek trend is about ten miles inoverall length. Of the many tungsten minesdeveloped along this trend, the biggest ore-body was yet to be found. Gene worked atthese mines during their heyday; he subse-quently earned a degree in geological engi-neering and became exploration managerfor Union Carbide Tungsten exploration.Gene developed an exploration program thatin three years revealed the hidden Lentungorebody that dwarfed the combined reservesof the other mines. Over six million tons oftungsten reserves were drill-defined over1,000 feet of strike length, with strike lengthstill open. This exploration came to a prema-ture halt under falling tungsten prices fol-lowing the Vietnam War. The GE mill was alsoscrapped, and the millsite was partiallyreclaimed by the BLM. These properties wereultimately passed on to Gene Nelson.

Waterjet GarnetClean and efficient waterjets became pop-

ular in the early 1970s, initially for “soft cuts”such as in food processing. Abrasive waterjetmachining began in the early 1980s. Theconcept of the abrasive in the water streamis to provide a hard, heavy, sharp particlethat will cut through resistant materials thatwater cannot cut alone. Abrasive waterjetmachining, which is popular in aerospace,automobile, and housing to create precisioncuts, is versatile and it can cut almost anymaterial – including hard stainless steel, softaluminum, glass, rock, and composites.

Waterjet typically pressurizes water up to55,000 PSI and then forces it through a mix-ing tube at 2500 fps (mach 2.5). Garnet abra-sive is then pulled into this high-speedstream of water and mixed with the water. Astream of abrasive-laden water moving at1000 fps exits at supersonic speed, and theabrasive literally saws through the materialto be cut. This cutting action is much like agrinding process, but rather than using asolid grinder, water and garnet sand areused. Waterjet cutting has a big advantageover conventional cutting methods becausethere is no heat damage. A quality cut willnot leave burrs and will not require addi-tional machining. Cuts can be very detailed

and intricate. The cut is typically drawn bythe user in AutoCAD and precisely controlledwith a computerized mechanical arm. Thecuttings are neatly captured in a water tankfor disposal or recycling.

Apex garnet occurs primarily ascalderite/andradite ((Mn,Ca)3Fe2(Sio4)3), butother elemental substitutions create othergarnet species as well. Although colorful crys-tals of garnet are used for gemstones, mostfine garnet is used for industrial abrasives.Garnet is hard and heavy, yet relatively com-mon, which makes it ideal for waterjet andsandblasting. Crushing the garnet to producesharp edges improves the quality of the cuts. The major suppliers of waterjet garnet in theU.S.A. produce from New York, Idaho, andMontana. Imports are becoming quite signif-icant from Australia, India, and China.

Tungsten

Apex tungsten occurs as scheelite

(CaWO4). Tungsten, which has the highest

melting point of any metal and the second-

highest of all elements, is used to make

light bulb filaments. Tungsten is used in

steel to increase strength and make super-

alloys such as armor or armor piercing pro-

jectiles. Tungsten is most commonly alloyed

into tungsten carbide for cutting edges in

tools such as drill bits, saw blades, and

scraper blades. Tungsten carbide is hard,

high-temperature and impact resistant.

Most of the world’s tungsten is supplied by

China. Like the rare-earth elements, China

has also been cutting back on tungsten

exports, and prices have recently doubled

and are climbing. ✦

Garnet micrograph.

Environmentally Responsible Drilling

Hot Springs, Montana www.springvalleydrilling.com

SPRING VALLEY DRILLING

All aspects of mineral exploration: Underground Surface Drilling Helicopter Portable Consulting Services Down Hole Surveying Road and Drill Site Construction

ph: 406-544-6401




The Montana Mining Association would like to thank thefollowing members for their continued support:

AFFCOAMEC GeomaterixApplied Industrial TechArcadisAWSBaroid Industrial DrillingBecker WholesaleBig Timber ReclamationBison Eng.Boart Longyear CompanyBrenntag PacificBrowning, Kaleczyc, Buckley Powder Co.B utte War BonnetCDMBerry & HovenChampion Charter SalesChemical MontanaChevronChilds and AssociatesChristenson, Moore Cockrell, Cummings &

Axelberg, P.C. Continental SupplyCross Petroleum

Crowley, Fleck PLLPCrown Parts and MachineCummins Rocky MountainDick Irvin, Inc.Energy LabrotoriesEnvironomicsEzzle’s WholesaleF& H Mine SupplyFickler Oil CompanyGCR Tire CentersGeneral Distributing Glacier HR ServiceGodwin PumpsGolder AssociatesGough, Shanahan, Johnson & WatermanGuy Nielson Co.H & E Equipment ServicesHallett MineralsHD SupplyHolland & HartIndustrial Automation Intermountain West EnergyInterstate Power JBR Environmental

K & N Electric Inc.Lacy & Ebeling EngineeringLeTourneau TechnologyLiberty Company

McCloskey’s Auto ElectricMDM SupplyMetallurgical Eng.Mining TechnologyModern MachineryMoen BuildersMontana Bolt CompanyMontana Crane ServiceMontana Electric Motors, Inc.Montana Sales and PackingMoore Oil, Inc.Norco Inc.Northside Welding & FabricationNorthwest Mine SupplyNorthwest Parts & EquipmentO’Keefe DrillingPacific Steel & RecyclingPayne MachineryPoore, Roth & Robinson, P.C.Power Service of Montana

R. Dorvall & AssociatesRain for RentRed Lion Colonial HotelResource ManagementSandvik, Inc.Spencer Fluid PowerSpring Valley DrillingSun Moutain LumberTaylor Mine ServiceTechline ServicesTerex MiningThe Archibald CompanyThe Industrial CompanyTown Pump Inc.Tractor & EquipmentTri State Truck & EquipmentTurkenburg Power SystemsUS Bearings and DrivesWescoWestate MachineryWhitewood TransportationZiegler Sales, Inc.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Alan GrantAlec NysBill VerretteBob MoodryBrad IsbellBrian RoatBritt BabcockCarol BrownCherie TilleyDanney GlaserDavid ArmstrongDavid StevensDolores RifeDon Parsons

Douglas ParkerEd DiekmanFess FosterGary BenjaminJames CollinsJason NelsonJeff WelcherJerry HanleyJoe BardswichJohn FitzpatrickJohn WittKenneth HitronKevin JohnsonLarry Johnson

Leora BachLynn ClarkMark RadcliffeMarko LucichMary BergMike MullaneyMitzi NelsonNeal HurniPam MinerickRandall PinocciRay ConnorsRichard BergRick StrandRobb Rice

Robert RoutaRod McElwainScott NielsenScott RosenthalSteve FitzpatrickTime LindseyTom HarringtonTom WeitzTracey HolemanVernon SmithWayne WilsonWilliam BrooksDebbie SheaJohn Parks

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS

Apex Abrasivies, Inc.Gentor Resources Inc.Newmont MiningBarretts Minerals, Inc.Golden Sunlight MinesNorthwestern Energy

Bigler MinesGranite Resources CompanyRevett MineralsCaboose Mining Co.GraymontRio Tinto

Contact MiningHolcimStillwater Mining Comp.CR Kendall CorporationMines Management Inc.WCP Resources Ltd

Ernest K. Lehamnn & Associates ofMontana

Montana ResourcesMontana Tunnels

PRODUCERS, NON-PRODUCERS, SMALL & INACTIVE MINERS

Montana Mining Association - Missoula ChapterMontana Mining Association - Victor Chapter

Zelda DavisHoward Lindsey

CHAPTERS AND CHAPTER MEMBERS

Courtney Young Tom Harrington

HONORARY MEMBERS

Montana is famous for big dinosaurs, big geysers and a big sky overhead.

Did you know that it’s also home to the United State’sbiggest talc mine?

While Rio Tinto Minerals’ Yellowstone mine is a big deposit,the talc we find here ends up making environmental foot-prints smaller. Cars run cleaner, paint lasts longer, andpaper mills use less energy thanks to our talc.

Our people also work hard to make our operations’ footprintsmaller – putting big ideas to work to reduce energy use,water use and greenhouse gas emissions.

To find out more about our big mine and small footprint,visit www.riotintominerals.com.

Big minesmall footprint

Toronto Stock Exchange: MGTNYSE Alternext US: MGN

Advancing theMONTANORESilver-Copper

Project

Mines Management, Inc.

Lincoln County, Montana

Innovative and ResponsibleNatural Resource Development

Unearthing Life’s Key Ingredients

Northwestern Montana boasts host to some of the world’s largest deposits of copper and silver. Mines Management, Inc., are committed to advancing the devel-opment of such projects in a manner consistent to further the interests of the local community and the long term preservation of the environment.

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