Tell Governor Bullock to Veto Senate Bill 347

Commentary from Montana Trout Unlimited Executive Director Bruce Farling

During pretty much every Montana Legislature the mining industry comes in asking for special gifts. This session the industry wants the ability to trump water rights — all water rights, including very old, established rights for agricultural irrigation, hydropower, municipalities and fishery protection. The Senate and House have obliged.

It is now up to Gov. Steve Bullock to tell the mining industry it can’t diminish the property of others. He should veto Senate Bill 347.

Evading water law

Sponsored by Libby Republican Sen. Chas Vincent, SB347 ensures that the effects of massive groundwater pumping or diversions for mines will not be reviewed under the “nondegradation policy” of Montana’s Water Quality Act. The standards under this policy aim to protect Montana’s highest-quality waters. One standard says that if diversions or groundwater pumping reduce streamflows by more than 15 percent, or 10 percent when streams are lowest, it triggers a review of the effects, possibly requiring alternatives or mitigation. But the industry doesn’t want to comply, so it’s asking for a special deal.

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Mining groundwater

So if you irrigate in, say, one of the areas that could be facing future mining that requires massive groundwater pumping, such as near Sheep Creek and the Smith River, or, along Fish Creek in the Jefferson River watershed, or around Moose Creek in the Big Hole drainage, you could lose water you have a legal right to. If you run a hydroelectric dam on the lower Clark Fork downstream of two huge underground mines in the Cabinet Mountains that will pump millions of gallons of water a day, you might have less water to run your turbines, water you have a legal right to. Or, if you’re the city of Butte and want adequate water in Basin Creek Reservoir, a municipal drinking-water source, be concerned. Groundwater pumping for a mining operation upstream in the Highland Mountains could diminish your right to surface flows. Finally, if you think instream flow rights that Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has on the Blackfoot, Big Hole or Smith Rivers will protect these multi-million-dollar recreational gems, think again. SB347 allows mining to trump FWP’s fishery-based water rights.

SB347 passed the Senate by a wide margin because the bill was supposed to be fixed in the House. But it wasn’t. Vincent did add an amendment that purports to protect fish. But industry lobbyists ensured the language is vague and difficult to enforce, practically guaranteeing future lawsuits.

Everyone who uses water beneficially in Montana must have a valid water right. The priority of these rights follows our first-in-time, first-in-right system. Newer rights cannot trump old rights. Interests with senior rights can file objections with Montana’s water use agency or state water court if a new use will harm theirs. That’s our system. But under SB347, the mining industry can ignore this. Gov. Bullock should ensure mining doesn’t harm existing water rights and veto SB347.