COMMENTARY — Promoting a positive approach in Montana

In a vote that was important to the industry, the Montana ballot initiative to ban mining’s use of cyanide in the recovery of precious metal was passed by a 53% vote in favor.

Unfortunately, there was inadequate time for the mining industry to mount a rational education campaign about the safe, heavily regulated use of cyanide in mining. It was only ten days before the election that a district court judge declared the Montana prohibition against corporate spending to promote or oppose a ballot initiative in the state. Once the judge ruled, the industry mounted a campaign to defeat the cyanide initiative, but there was very little time to inform the voters.

We hope that the legal efforts are not yet done in Montana — it was not a fair fight — and the losers are those whose livelihoods depend, directly or indirectly, on jobs in the state’s mining sector.

The situation in Montana is a great example of why an effective public outreach campaign and a strong government affairs function are so important to the mining industry. Our political leaders and their constituents must be accurately informed about modern mining.

The mining industry and its representatives need constantly to promote the positive approach we take to environmental protection, our concern for the health and safety of workers, the need for the products we produce, and the contributions we make to our communities.

Russell A. Fields is president of the Nevada Mining Association. This item appeared as part of his November, 1998, President’s Message in the Association’s newsletter, Nevada Mining.