#molybdenum ore

Molybdenite in matrix

Molybdenum Ore

A truck was crashed, causing a loss of $250,000 worth of molybdenum ore. A fish biologist from Fish, Wildlife & Parks was sent to the scene to check whether the environment was polluted and cleanup work was continuing.

About 48,000 pounds of molybdenum ore spilled when a truck carrying the load from Montana Resources in Butte crashed at Thompson Corner on its way to Thompson Creek Mine in Idaho. There were no injuries.

Jim Olsen, the FWP fish biologist, visited the site and said the molybdenum that spilled off the truck did not go into the river. The area where the spill occurred is about 10 yards from the river’s edge.

“It’s a long ways from the river. Dust may have gotten into the river,” he said. Olsen said he could not say at this stage with any certainty if there is any potential risk to aquatic life.

The cleanup continued with traffic at that particular spot on Highway 43 routed around the trucks and equipment. A backhoe, a dump truck, and a vacuum truck were on the scene vacuuming up the spill. Montana Resources, who had already sold the “moly” to Thompson Creek Mine, responded immediately Wednesday with a pumper truck to start vacuuming up the ore.

“They had zero responsibility. So for them (Montana Resources) to step up and do what they did is pretty huge,” said Mark Thompson, president of the George Grant chapter of Trout Unlimited.

A barrier called a straw waddle was put in place to prevent any movement of the material into the river should any rain come through before the cleanup is finished.