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WASHINGTON -- The Bureau of Land Management today recognized three hardrock mining companies for advancing the use of sustainable development practices in their work.  The awards were presented at a ceremony officiated by Kathy Benedetto, Senior Advisor to the Bureau of Land Management.

The BLM’s 2018 Reclamation and Sustainable Mineral Development Awards went to companies in three different categories of achievement:

• M-I, LLC, Greybull, Wyo., winner of the Hardrock Mineral Environmental Award, which highlights the component of sustainable development that relates to environmental stewardship.  The award recognizes an operator’s accomplishments in meeting or exceeding federal, state, or local reclamation requirements.  M-I is being recognized for its continuous efforts to successfully improve its mining, permitting and reclamation process, including the creation of a “Master Mine Permit,” which serves as its reference manual for all ongoing and future permitting, mining and reclamation activities and operating procedures.  M-I is also being recognized for its commitment to invasive weed control practices.
• Western Mining and Minerals, Inc., St. George, Utah, winner of the Hardrock Mineral Small Operator Award, which acknowledges environmental stewardship successes of operators with fewer than 15 employees. Western Mining and Minerals is being recognized for a series of innovative and successful reclamation techniques initiated at their Black Rock Mine facility in Arizona, which have inhibited the growth of non-native weeds such as Red brome while encouraging the establishment of native species.  Western is also being recognized for its partnership activities with the University of Utah’s Red Butte Garden and Arboretum, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM to re-introduce the endangered plant Gierisch mallow to restored mine site areas.
• Comstock Mining, Inc., Virginia City, Nev., winner of the “Fix a Shaft Today!” Award, which recognizes partnership initiatives aimed at eliminating unsafe abandoned mine land features including open mine shafts and the filling of shafts.  Comstock Mining is being recognized for the successful filling of the Silver Hill Mine Shaft and the rebuilding of Nevada State Route 342, which included the removal of 1,000 pounds of legacy mercury-contaminated mine dumps from the abandoned Silver Hill Mine shaft.

“BLM is committed to the sustainable development of natural resources while increasing revenues to support national interests,” Benedetto said.  “The companies we recognize today best exemplify these objectives, demonstrating initiative, leadership, and environmental responsibility without compromising the needs of future generations.”

Sustainable development is a concept adopted by the United States and 192 other countries to balance environmental, economic, and social concerns in planning for mining operations.

Nominations for BLM hardrock mineral awards were first screened by BLM state office officials, who forwarded applications to the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., for final judging by a panel of mining experts, Federal or state employees, academics, and members of the public.