1) Discovery of all historical data: With over 100 years of mining by a major, there exists a large amount of historical data which needs to be located, compiled, digitized and modelled. Our Butte based technical team (3 mining engineers, 3 geologists) and numerous consultants are assisting in this endeavour.
2) Stakeholder relations: This area has seen a long history of mining along with the environmental degradation that reflects the practices at the time. Our challenge is to remind local stakeholders that: a) this degradation occurred a long time ago by other parties, b) our activities will not impede or add to the job of the current clean-up, c) our eventual footprint, as an underground mine, will be very small, and that most of our tailings will be deposited underground as paste backfill. We have been active in engaging with local residents, town council, the state of Montana, and the EPA, and have done numerous presentations and tours for these groups.