DEQ Releases Record of Decision for Mine Amendment at GSM

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released a Record of Decision for the Golden Sunlight Mines Inc.’s (GSM) amendment application to Permit No. 00065 for the proposed tailings reprocessing project. The Golden Sunlight Mine is located approximately five miles northeast of Whitehall, Mont. in Jefferson County.

The project, an amendment to the current operating permit under the Metal Mine Reclamation Act, would allow Golden Sunlight to excavate and reprocess tailings in order to extract a gold and sulfide concentrate. Golden Sunlight would excavate tailings in Tailing Storage Facility 1, move the material to a re-pulping plant, pump the slurried tailings to the flotation plant in the mill, and reprocess the tailings. The project may extend the life of the mine by up to 12 years. Approximately 26 million tons of tailings would be reprocessed and the remaining material would be disposed of in an onsite pit. After excavation, the tailings facility footprint would be reclaimed for land uses such as grazing, recreation and wildlife habitat. All proposed activities would occur within the existing permitted boundary and would not disturb any new areas.

DEQ has selected the Modified Alternative as described in the previously published Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Modified Alternative incorporates reclamation techniques to mimic pre-disturbance of the current mining activity and ensure suitable soil cover for revegetation in the tailing storage area. DEQ identified the DEQ Modified Alternative as the agency’s preferred alternative in the previously published Draft and Final EIS. The Record of Decision provides the reasons and rationale for the decision, and any special conditions surrounding the decision.

To view the Record of Decision, please visit the DEQ website at: https://deq.mt.gov/mining/Programs/hardrock#accordion1-collapse2