Tell Montana's Department of Environmental Quality TODAY, or no later than July 21, to require removal of arsenic from discharges generated by Tintina Resource's proposed groundwater pumping near Sheep Creek.
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Canadian mining company Tintina Resources is asking for State approval to discharge arsenic laced groundwater to grasslands near Sheep Creek in the upper Smith River watershed. The discharges will result from groundwater "pump tests" the company wants to conduct this summer to help determine potential impacts to surface and ground water should the company be granted approval to build an underground copper mine in the area. The pump tests are an admission by DEQ and Tintina that despite their unequivocal public assurances that a potential copper mine in the upper Smith River watershed will not harm water or fish, they still don't have data necessary to reach that conclusion.
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What's the problem with the pump test?
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The groundwater being pumped will be enriched with arsenic, a known carcinogen. The company proposes to "land apply" the pumped groundwater on nearby rangeland. In an "environmental analysis" the company and DEQ say they have determined that evaporation and plant transpiration will eliminate 100 percent of the discharge before it hits ground or surface water. Our experts disagree. It is almost impossible to eliminate 100 percent of the discharge in this fashion. And thus, if the company's plan is approved it could result in a violation of Montana's water quality standards for discharge of carcinogens.
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Here's what you should tell DEQ in your own words:
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- Deny Tintina's request to land apply the discharge as proposed. Though this might be the cheapest alternative, it is fraught with risk and will not prevent some discharge from reaching groundwater and possibly surface flows.
- Require Tintina to collect all the discharge, run it through a treatment system to remove the arsenic and other potential pollutants, and then discharge the groundwater.
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Send your comments by July 21, 2014 to:
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or
Kristi Ponozzo
DEQ MEPA Project Manager
P.O. Box 200901
Helena MT 59620
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