Update: Senator Daines comments added at end of story
Musselshell County landowners have some concerns about some bills going through the U.S. Senate.
They say that if one of these bills were to pass, they wouldn't get to have an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Signal Peak mine expansion.
The Bull Mountain Land Alliance and the Northern Plains Resource Council put together a rally and protest, a couple of miles from the mine on Monday night.
“We, the people rally for the Bull Mountains and we stand united in our demand for transparency and accountability,” one of the speakers said.
The concerns are with three bills sponsored by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont.
S. 4431 would reinstate the Bull Mountains Mining Plan Modification.
The bill states that an environmental assessment (EA) was done, the Department of the Interior (DOI) approved that plan, and the EA was analyzed by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
In February of 2023, a U.S. District Court judge reversed the DOI approval and required an EIS.
Another bill, S. 4432, would allow mining to continue while that EIS is processed.
Those at the rally say they want to know the potential impacts and want to have some input into that plan.
They understand the economic benefits of the mine and do not want it to close.
“That's not what our intentions are, is to close down the mine,” said Tom Baratta, a Bull Mountain Land Alliance member. “What our intentions are, is to protect our land, our water, and our wildlife. And we need that information to properly assess the damage that might be caused by mining activity.”
In a third bill, S. 4444, the Crow Revenue Act would put land into a private trust and eliminate the need for an environmental impact statement.
Some say trading that land would affect wildlife and hunting.
“We don't know what effect it would have,” said Mike Mershon, a Montana Wildlife Federation member. “We do know that we would lose access to it. It would make an impact.”
Signal Peak Energy and Senator Daine's office have not yet responded to requests for comment on the rally.
The Senators office sent a comment on Tuesday morning:
“These bills benefit all Montanans and have the strong support from local county officials, tribes as well as the mine. The Crow Revenue Act in particular is a win-win for Montana communities. Not only will we help preserve the jobs and economic impact from the Bull Mountains Mine in Musselshell County, it will also bring in new revenue for the Crow Tribe to help support their communities.”
