Dear Gov. Gianforte,

Montana’s Bad Actor provision in our hardrock mining law was adopted overwhelmingly in a bi-partisan legislative vote and signed into law by former Republican Governor Judy Martz. If followed correctly, the law will protect Montana from mining polluters who take our resources and saddle us, the citizens of Montana, with the costs associated with cleaning up their mess. The law prevents these scofflaws from getting new mining permits unless and until they reimburse the state and clean up their old mess. This law is common sense and hits on something we all learned in grade school: cleaning up after yourself.

Phillips S. Baker, former top executive at Pegasus Gold and current executive at Hecla Mining Company, is the reason the Bad Actor provision exists in Montana. Pegasus Gold mined millions in gold in the 1980s and ’90s, including Zortman-Landusky, but declared bankruptcy and left behind an environmental disaster. Montana taxpayers are paying millions each year in reclamation and remediation costs, with no end in sight.

We urge you to direct the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to do its job and enforce the Bad Actor provision immediately and as it was intended. We shouldn’t bend Montana’s laws so that a wealthy, Idaho-based mining CEO can get a free pass.