MISSOULA COUNTY — A copper mining company is looking to start drilling near Potomac.
The United States branch of Canada's Mogotes Metals is proposing exploration on mining claims eight miles southeast of town in Missoula County.
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Supporters say the mining could bring jobs and a domestic source of copper, but critics worry about the risk to local waterways and ecosystems.
The company is looking to see if the area near Union Creek holds enough copper to invest further financially and create a bigger operation, according to project manager Peter Ellsworth.
“Submitted a permit for four drill sites and we plan to drill holes as deep as 6,500 feet," he explained. "And then we are going to do what's called branch drilling using directional drilling technology."
Mogotes’ draft environmental assessment shows there would be just over 1.5 acres of new surface disturbances and a total drilling of 59,800 linear feet.
Drill pad dimensions are 100 feet by 100 feet. Four holes could be drilled at each, with three total tracks inside. The assessment document details that there would be eight internal and four external drill sumps.
One new 340-foot road would be constructed, and some existing roads would be regraded.
"You pull the core as you drill and the geologist looks at the core, and we can tell by visual inspection if we have a success or not, and we can use handheld instruments to measure a copper grade," Ellsworth said. "From the time it comes out of the ground till the time we get the results from the lab takes four or five months," he added.
Ellsworth said much of the drilling work would be done by specialists, but the company would seek locals for other roles.
“We will hire as many as we can," he added. "It's in the form of contractors and maybe a couple employees for now."
Potomac rancher Justin Iverson said he’s in favor of bringing opportunities to the area.
"We all are complicit in using these materials. It comes from somewhere," Iverson said. "Maybe this isn't a terrible place to have it if we can make sure it's done cleanly and in an ethical way and an environmentally friendly way."
His family has used water from Union Creek to irrigate for decades.
"There were no issues back when Kennecott was drilling 10 years ago. I don't foresee any problems with it now. But it also means they need to work within the rules like the rest of us do," Iverson said.
However, Blackfoot Riverkeeper Jerry O’Connell believes mining in any form could hurt the surrounding waterbodies, including the Blackfoot River.
"The Blackfoot is in danger. It's a healthy river. It can sustain some blows and recover. We've seen that. But that doesn't mean you have to keep giving it blows. We've just got to respect it," O'Connell stated.
O'Connell said protecting the environment should come before making money through mining operations. He wants the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to require an environmental impact study for a full-scale mine, not only one for the exploration project.
“It will destroy things. There's no such thing as a clean copper mine," O'Connell said. "Recognize the value of this compared to the value of extracting metals for some company. We don’t have to destroy one of the most iconic, beautiful, pristine rivers in this country for a copper mine. Get it somewhere else.”
Public comment is available on the DEQ's website through Nov. 5.
"As long as we keep talking and keep open and everything's above board, I think that's what's going to be important," Iverson said.
If the project is approved, Mogotes plans to begin exploratory mining work this winter.
The company would be done with exploration no later than July 31, 2028, and reclamation operations would finish by December 14, 2028.
