BAUCUS WANTS INVESTIGATION INTO CANADA MINE PLAN

Senator Asks Secretary Of State Rice To Convene International Panel

March 13, 2007

(Washington, D.C.) - Montana Senator Max Baucus today called on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to initiate an investigation into the potential environmental consequences of a proposed coal mine in British Columbia, near Glacier National Park.

Baucus has been the leading opponent of the Cline Mining Company's proposal to mine coal on the headwaters of the North Fork Flathead River, which runs into Montana's Flathead Lake. He says there could be devastating consequences to Montana's fish, wildlife, and the recreation industry in the Flathead with "zero economic benefits or jobs for Montanans."

"Glacier National Park, the Flathead River system and the clean, clear waters of Flathead Lake serve as the backbone of the economy of northwestern Montana," Baucus wrote in a letter to Rice today. "This [mine] represents a renewed threat of degradation and destruction of social, environmental, and economic assets that are important to Montana.

"In the face of this threat," Baucus continued, "I strongly encourage you to request a hearing by the International Joint Commission on the current mining proposal. It is of the utmost importance to Montana's outdoor heritage, and our nation's environmental legacy, to stop this mine and protect the Flathead River basin."

The International Joint Commission is a panel of both American and Canadian experts charged with preventing and resolving international disputes between the U.S. and Canada. The panel was instrumental, at Baucus' urging, in defeating a similar mining proposal in the same area in 1988.

For the International Joint Commission to issue a finding on this case against the proposed coal mine, a hearing must be requested by the U.S. State Department, Baucus said.

"Montana has always regarded the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, which formed the IJC, as an important tool," Baucus wrote. "The investigation I am requesting would be an effective way of bringing that tool to bear in defense of Montanans' right to a healthy environment."

In a letter late last week, the U.S. State Department said that if the Canadian mining proposal moves forward "significant adverse environmental effects" may occur in the United States." Baucus said the letter is a "huge step forward in our efforts to stop the mine," but noted an IJC investigation is needed.

Baucus is Montana's senior U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over international trade policy.

Baucus' letter to Secretary Rice to follow. March 13, 2007

Dr. Condoleezza Rice Secretary of State Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, D.C. 20520-0099

Dear Secretary Rice:

The North Fork of the Flathead River, which rises in Canada, serves as the western boundary of Glacier National Park when it enters Montana. It is a federal Wild and Scenic River, and it feeds into Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River. Glacier National Park, the Flathead River system and the clean, clear waters of Flathead Lake serve as the backbone of the economy of northwestern Montana.

In December 1988, in reply to a 1984 referral by Secretary of State George Schultz and Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs Joe Clark, the International Joint Commission (IJC) delivered a finding on a proposed coal mine in British Columbia. The mine was to be located on a tributary of the Flathead River that flows into Montana. The IJC unanimously concluded that pollution caused by the mine would constitute a breach of treaty obligations between the United States and Canada. Subsequently, the mine proponent withdrew the coal development proposal.

There is now another proposal on the table for a coal mine in the same area. This represents a renewed threat of degradation and destruction of social, environmental and economic assets that are important to Montana. In the face of this threat, I strongly encourage you to request a hearing by the International Joint Commission on the current mining proposal. It is of the utmost importance to Montana's outdoor heritage, and our nation's environmental legacy, to stop this mine and protect the Flathead River basin.

For the International Joint Commission to issue a finding on this case against the proposed coal mine, this hearing must be requested by the U.S. State Department. Montana has always regarded the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, which formed the IJC, as an important tool. The investigation I am requesting would be an effective way of bringing that tool to bear in defense of Montanans' right to a healthy environment.

Montanans are outdoor people. We enjoy sharing our legacy of hunting and fishing with our children, and work hard to preserve our rivers, lakes, forests and rangelands for future generations.

This mining proposal presents serious risks to that valuable legacy in the Flathead River Basin and Glacier National Park. I look forward to the opportunity to bring international scrutiny to mining plans that would degrade some of Montana's most pristine bodies of water.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in requesting an International Joint Commission hearing on the Flathead Basin mining proposal. This is a critically important issue for Montanans. Please feel free to contact me or my staff if we can be of any assistance in bringing this matter to a speedy conclusion.

With best personal regards, I am

Sincerely,

Max Baucus

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