For Immediate Release

SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. - An independent study conducted for the U.S. Forest Service has determined that chances are “minimal to nonexistent” for the occurrence of subsidence at the Rock Creek underground mine in Northwest Montana.

   “This independent, third-party report is great news for the environment and for advocates of responsible mining in Montana ,” said Bill Orchow, President and CEO of Revett Minerals.  “It validates the protective measures we’re going to take at Rock Creek.”

 The Forest Service commissioned Tetra Tech, an environmental engineering firm, to (1) describe two sinkholes which developed at the Troy Mine in 2005 and 2006, and (2) develop conclusions regarding the potential for sinkholes, such as those that occurred at the Troy Mine, to occur at the proposed Rock Creek Project..

 The 116-page report determined that the primary causes of two sinkholes at Troy was mining activity that did not leave buffer zones of solid rock between the workings and the East Fault zone.  The report noted that precautionary safety measures which will be employed at Rock Creek specifically address those concerns because they “restrict mine development in fault zones and require buffer zones.”

 Orchow noted that mine design, safety, and regulations have advanced significantly since another company originally began obtaining permits for the Troy Mine back in the 1970s.  “The agencies require that we have massive, 450 to 1,000 foot buffer zones at Rock Creek, and we agree that’s the right thing to do.  It means we won’t be able to mine some of the ore, but that’s a price we’re willing to pay to ensure protection of the environment, especially the mountain lakes we all appreciate so much.”

 Other findings of the Tetra Tech report include:

•  The Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Record of Decision for the Rock Creek Mine “properly considered” subsidence issues and concluded that buffer zones are the appropriate safety measures.
• Buffer zones under lakes and near faults are “the most effective mitigations for reducing impacts to water bodies.”
• A 1,000-foot buffer zone will be required around all sides of Cliff Lake during the development of the Rock Creek Mine. 
• Several comments submitted by a consultant hired by environmental groups opposed to the mine were erroneous and misleading.

  Specific to those comments submitted for environmental groups, the independent engineers reported to the Forest service that “We disagree with Mr. Kuipers regarding the potential for subsidence at Rock Creek and the sufficiency and adequacy of the ROD and FEIS.”  That disagreement came in part, the expert report said, because Kuipers apparently drew some conclusions from a handbook on coal mining, rather than using the appropriate literature on hard rock mining.

 The Forest Service has posted the entire Tetra Tech report online.  To review it, go to: http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai/projects/projects/ then click on “Troy Mine - Geotechnical Assessment Report.”

 The Troy Mine is operated by Genesis, Inc., a subsidiary of Revett Silver.  The underground copper-silver mine is located 15 miles southwest of Troy in Lincoln County and employs 160 workers.

 Revett is progressing with the permitting of the Rock Creek Mine, located nearby in Sanders County . Like Troy , Rock Creek will be an underground copper-silver mine and will employ about 250 to 300 workers.