The Trump administration this week approved an Idaho company’s mine to explore for copper and silver near Libby in northwestern Montana.
In development for decades, the Hecla Mining Company’s Libby Exploration Project has faced criticism from environmental groups concerned about a mine beneath a sensitive wilderness area.
But earlier this year, the Trump administration put the proposed mine and nine other projects in line for “expedited permitting.” The decision followed President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order aimed at increasing mineral production, particularly on federal lands.
In a press release this week, Hecla President and CEO Rob Krcmarov praised the U.S. Forest Service’s decision and the federal government for adding the project to its “FAST-41” permitting dashboa