Final supplemental environmental impact statement for reclamation of the Zortman and Landusky mines, Phillips County, Montana

This Final Supplemental EIS is a supplement to the 1996 Final EIS on Reclamation Plan Modifications and Mine Life Extensions at the Zortman and Landusky Mines. Since 1996, the mines operator has declared bankruptcy and the regulatory agencies (DEQ and BLM) are overseeing reclamation using the reclamation bonds. Reclamation issues include the amount of pit backfilling, the type of reclamation covers to place over acid generating materials, protection of water quality, disposal of heap effluent, and long-term water treatment. The Fort Belknap Indian Reservation is adjacent the mining area and reclamation plans include measures to protect trust resources. The Final SEIS evaluates 12 reclamation alternatives, six for the Zortman Mine and six for the Landusky Mine. These include alternatives that could be implemented using the available reclamation bond and those that would require a considerable amount of additional funding. The alternatives were developed because they are either more cost effective, better address some environmental concerns, or both, than those presented in the 1996 FEIS.