Were Montana voters confused last year when they
passed an initiative halting any expanded or new cyanide leach gold
mines? Yes, say some state legislators, and not only confused, but
wrong.
“Just because the people said that is what
they wanted, that does not make it right,” said State Sen. Lorents
Grosfield of Big Timber. Sen. Thomas Keating of Billings added,
“The people were misinformed through emotional ads.”
Legislative ire against the successful push to
curb mining took shape through two bills that recently passed the
state Senate. One bill would require a second vote on the
initiative in 2000; the other would give counties the option of
approving a local ordinance to allow cyanide heap-leach mining.
Rancher Mark Gerlach, who lives near a proposed
gold mine along the Blackfoot River, said he opposes any plans to
overturn Initiative 137, which Montana voters easily passed, 52
percent-48 percent. At a legislative hearing in Helena, he said,
“When we voted for I-137, we also voted for you, our
representatives. Are you suggesting that we were just selectively
stupid, or stupid across the board?”
Jim Jensen,
who coordinated the I-137 campaign, said voters knew what they were
doing last year. “Regardless of what these legislators say, I-137
was a clearly stated attempt to phase out what is demonstrably a
failed and dangerous technology.” Jensen said the campaign cited 22
documented cyanide leaks at the Zortman Landusky mine in northern
Montana, as well as a cyanide spill at the Golden Sunlight Mine,
which polluted groundwater and cost the owners $66,000 in state
fines. The bill next moves to the State House.
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Alan S. Kesselheim
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline State senate says voters weren’t very smart.
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