Distinctly Montana Magazine

A New Legacy: Off-site Ore Processing G olden Sunlight Mine's ability and willingness to process ores brought in from off-site has created a unique opportunity in southwest Montana. Small miners with an entrepreneurial spirit are shipping material from abandoned mines with mineral value to Barrick for processing and gold recovery and then reclaiming the historic mine site to today's reclamation standards. To date dozens of sites have been reclaimed and over 500,000 tons of legacy mine material has been delivered to Golden Sunlight. In turn, in the last 2.5 years, Golden Sunlight has paid out over $35,000,000 into the local economy. Golden Sunlight finds their third party ore processing program to be a win-win-win project for the small miners, local employment, and economy and the environment. Further, these mine cleanups by private industry have saved millions of dollars in taxpayer funded cleanups. the bar higher. For exbelt systems in constant motion around ample, this year GSM the site. To combat this, Barrick keeps had picked four targets the roads damp with water and on which to improve: has installed dust collection • Fugitive Dust Emissions systems at major sources. • Greenhouse Gases Air emissions from the • Diesel Spillage Management mill are controlled with • Reduce Potential Environfilters, scrubbers, and mental Impacts from Seismic other devices, but these stacks Activity. do not pump out any ozone Last year, Barrick's focus depleting substances (ODS) or was natural resource mangreen house gasses. agement. By focusing on One of Barrick's major the individual parts of the environmental objectives is massive operation, GSM is to continually cut fresh water able to make a significant and use. The Golden Sunlight Mine measurable impact in reducuses 1600 GPM of water for its ing their footprint over time. daily use; 1300 GPM is recycled The success of meeting their water and only 300 GPM is objectives is constantly monifresh, mainly sourced from the tored and reviewed by their Jefferson River. They are curown hired experts as well as rently working to further cut third party inspectors. For fresh water use. these efforts, Barrick has won The disturbance of land and several major awards from eco-systems is an un-avoidable both industry and governconsequence of mining. ment organizations. Through careful planning and Only time will tell us what development, Barrick is able will become of The Golden to minimize its footprint and All efforts to protect, Sunlight Mine once the minmitigate its impact on the environment. Reclamation at reclaim, and conserve natural ers are long gone and the reclamation effort is completed. Golden Sunlight is a constant resources do not just happen Nature is a remarkable engine process managed by a full-time of renewal. If we look backstaff and a $5 million annual as an after thought. wards along the timeline of budget. The open-pit will be remother earth, then we can see claimed with pine seeding, folithat the age of industrial mining and even humankind age, and wildlife habitat; bats & raptors will have cliff are no more than tiny blips. Who can say what will face aeries and caves in which to dwell. Even bighorn become of the vast open pit in the next 10,000 years? sheep may have a place if the FWP decides to move Nature will likely swallow The Golden Sunlight Mine them onto the area. Full reclamation will take place like a leviathan. Trees and shrubs may spring from the in the areas adjacent to and surrounding the mine pit rock, eagles will cling to the cliffs and animals of every area. This is done primarily with the seeding of natural sort may well roam across the reclaimed landscape. grasses and alfalfa as a soil stabilizer—the seed mix inThe shuffled dirt will churn out potent soil. In our hibits the generation of sulfuric acid created from the own short scope we can only hope this ideal will be natural breakdown of the exposed rock and rock faces. achieved in time for near-future generations to utilize All these efforts to protect, reclaim and conserve natand enjoy the land. By spending tremendous money ural resources do not just happen as an afterthought of and effort to lighten its footstep, Barrick is pledging its the company. Barrick holds all operations and everydedication to an ideal: that of responsible and responone involved to a strict environmental policy. Annual sive mining. objectives are set to improve their standard and raise w w w. d i s t i n c t lymo nt a na .co m 41

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