Sheehy, Daines, and Zinke urge for Sheep Creek mine to be slowed down

Ravalli County officials are reviewing the Sheep Creek mine proposal amid growing public concern, and several members of Montanas Congressional delegation have voiced support for slowing the project down.

Montana understands better than anyone how to mine responsibly, said Republican Representative Ryan Zinke. Rushing a mine forward against widespread public opposition and bypassing transparent processes is the wrong approach.

The company behind the proposal, U.S. Critical Materials, intends to explore rare earth minerals to determine if a full-scale operation is viable. However, the site is located at the headwaters of the Bitterroot River, drawing objections from locals who say they have not been adequately informed of the project plans.

Republican Senator Tim Sheehy emphasized the importance of balancing Montanas economic interests with local input. While I support developing Montanas resources, local communities must have a strong voice in decisions regarding public lands, Sheehy stated. He added that residents opposition to Sheep Creek makes it difficult to support the project and urged the Permitting Council to remove it from the fast-track review list.

Recently, Ravalli County learned that Sheep Creek was included on the federal FAST-41 priority list, which identifies key infrastructure projects for expedited review under Title 41 of the Fixing Americas Surface Transportation Act. Other Montana mining projects are also included on this list for transparency purposes.

At a public meeting about Sheep Creek, approximately 700 citizens attended, with no one speaking in favor of the project, according to a letter from county commissioners to Congress and Governor Greg Gianforte. The commissioners stressed that if the project proceeds, it must meet the highest environmental standards.

Representatives from U.S. Critical Materials said they plan to explore roughly 3.9 acres for critical minerals, such as gallium, which have strategic importance for U.S. defense. They described the area as exceptionally rich in minerals but without the environmental challenges seen in other regions.

Concerns have been raised regarding transparency and potential foreign ownership. The company stated that foreign ownership is being removed and confirmed they plan to proceed with solely domestic control.

The county commissioners requested a comprehensive environmental review and outlined several areas of concern, including water quality and supply, ecological impacts, wildlife protection, long-term economic and cultural effects, and the need for public involvement. They highlighted that rare-earth mining is water-intensive and could threaten existing water uses, as well as potentially harming local ecosystems and economies dependent on recreation and agriculture.

Senator Steve Daines also highlighted the lack of community engagement, saying, Critical mineral mining must be developed responsibly and with local input. Until the Sheep Creek developers engage with the local population, I cannot support the project.

Zinke echoed these concerns, urging mine representatives to communicate with Ravalli County residents and officials, and recommended the removal of Sheep Creek from the FAST-41 program.

As of Wednesday, the Sheep Creek project remains listed on the federal transparency dashboard, which tracks mining initiatives subject to expedited review for boosting domestic mineral production.

Author: Sophia Brooks