The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 12

CITY STATE 4-B Friday. January 24, Tin. 'killings Gazette me violated wcalfe.4 standards for 1 V2 yeows HELENA (AP) The Montanore mining project south of Libby violated agreed-upon water standards for 1 years before state regulators took enforcement action, state documents reveal The documents, sealed from the public until two weeks ago, were opened after No-randa Minerals Corp. waived its right under state law to keep them secret Noranda's drilling operation in the Cabinet Mountains has been shut down since November, when state officials issued an ultimatum: Comply with water-quality laws or suspend operations. About 65 people lost their jobs when a Noranda subcontractor stopped the drilling Nov.

26. The exploration is the first development stage of a huge copper-silver mine that could employ as many as 500 people. In its exploration license, Noranda promised to keep nitrate levels in nearby Libby Creek no higher than 0.28 milligrams per liter. Nitrates are contained in explosives used in the drilling process and end up in waste water pumped from the exploration tunnel The documents showed that the 0.28 mgl level has been exceeded every month since February 1990 sometimes as much as 17 times higher. Montanore project director Mark Petersmeyer said Thursday that the state's ultimatum caught company officials by surprise because the state knew about the nitrate levels from the beginning.

"It just seems to me that somewhere through the process, the agencies would have hoisted a flag and said, 'We think there's a problem out there, and we ought to deal with he said. State Hard-Rock Mining Bureau Chief Sandi Olsen responded by saying company officials are aware of the law: "They know what they committed to in their permit as well as we do." Petersmeyer called the violation "tech nical," and said the nitrates pose no threat to human or animal health. He also said the dispute highlights elements of Montana water-quality laws that are "well-nigh unworkable." Environmental activists and others agreed that there are problems with the law but of a different nature. They said the law allowing the Department of State Lands to seal documents on hard-rock exploration licenses hinders enforcement of water-quality laws. State water-quality officials said they never saw data on the nitrates in Libby Creek until last September.

Within a week, they sent a letter informing Noranda that it was violating water-qual ity laws. "If that is how the Hard Rock Mining Act is interpreted, it essentially prevents this agency from doing its job at projects like Noranda," said Kevin Keenan, enforcement officer for the state Water Quality Bureau. "This action should have been taken in early 1990." "There is no direct, clear accountability of enforcement of the law because of the fuzzy relationship between the Hard-Rock Bureau and the Water Quality Bureau," added Jim Jensen, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center. "It's an obvious bureaucratic problem." 1 U-J7L- rra I rm( opens DORITOS RAINIER DEER 1 POTATO CHIPS (Q)(0) 14-1 5 OZ. Tortilla Chips.

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FOR Stephens credited for jobs LIVINGSTON (AP) The Uv-ingston Rebuild Center will add 20 jobs this spring because of an agreement with Burlington Northern Railroad to repair 130 rail cars. Another 50 workers may be hired by summer, said company President Chuck Win-nett Winnett and Lt Gov. Dennis Rehberg announced the hiring at a press conference where both men credited Gov. Stan Stephens with making the deal happen. State and rebuild center officials touted the contract as an opportunity to prove the quality of the facility's workmanship to national and international customers.

"This has the potential to put Livingston on the world's transportation map," Rehberg said. The 20 new jobs will bring the number of workers at the shops to about 100, Winnett said. In the past, the company has spoken glowingly of opportunities to put as many as 400 people to work here rebuilding locomotives and freight cars. However, last summer, the center laid off more than a third of its work force, reducing the number of jobs to 57. Winnett was hired shortly after that He said Thursday that he has implemented a new policy at the plant, formerly owned by BN.

Instead of relying on locomotive repair for most of the plant's work, each segment must now stand on its own, Winnett said. He said he hopes to have as many as 200 employees at the rebuild center in the future but stressed the company will grow gradually and try to avoid the ups and downs of economic fluctuation. Russ Ritter, spokesman for the Washington Corps the rebuild center's parent company, said the shop has yet to earn any money for owner Dennis Washington but said he believes the company may be "turning the corner" with the new orders from BN. Victor Bjornberg, Stephens' spokesman, said the governor made no tradeoff with BN to get the order. "The deal didn't cost the governor anything," Bjornberg said.

"Governor Stephens is a businessman. He knows how things work." Bjornberg said the governor considers "BN bashing" by former administrations to be "not very productive." Tribal woman reported missing By IRIS ALLRUNNER For the Gazette FRAZER On Nov. 19, the family of 27-year-old Jody Howard, an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assi-niboine and Sioux tribes, reported her missing. She was last seen in Wolf Point on Oct 7. The girl is five-foot three-inches tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and weighs 120 pounds After her family reported her missing to the Roosevelt County Sheriffs Department an investigation was launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigative personnel Nelson Heart, BIA Special Investigative Officer, is heading the search for Howard which has included following up on numerous "rumors" concerning her whereabouts that rapidly spread across the reservation.

"All the rumors have been looked into, pursued," said Heart, "We have heard rumors of her being sighted in several parts of the United Slates. From Seattle to Kansas, from BUlings to Wffliston, N.D. be said. "Someone out there knows here she is and we are hoping that they will come forward," be said. Heart is asking the public to help in the investigation.

Anyone with any information about Howard is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1 -800-543-292L Heart said callers wi3 not be asked to give their names and the information they provide will be kept confidential People can also call Heart at 406-768-5441 The Roosevelt County Sheriffs Department in Wolf Point can also be RoLfied at 4OM5J-10ei or 406-7SS-5711, sak Heart. HORMEL CHILI HOT DOG HAMBURGER DUNS MOOSE BROS. PIZZA SHURFRESH 8ct 15 oz. With Beans or Hot With Beans. WITH THIS COUPOti FOR I I UMTT ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMC J.

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