(GLASGOW, Mont.) - Millions of Americans need bentonite every day, but many don’t even know it.
To supply that demand, bentonite mining started in Valley County Nov. 13, 2017, on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management Glasgow Field Office.
Bentonite clay is used for a variety of purposes including medical products and cosmetic make-up.
(BLM Photo Jonathan Moor)
Imerys started an open pit bentonite mine about two acres in size, approximately 20 miles southwest of Glasgow, Mont. This is a portion of a total of 17.8 acres that was approved to mine in April 2016.
“Bentonite is a locatable mineral used for a wide variety of industrial purposes, including: medical products, binder, drilling mud, and even cosmetic make-up," said BLM Geologist Craig Towery.
Mining operations are scheduled to shut down for the year on Nov. 30, 2017.
“Since the mining is taking place during hunting season, we are asking hunters to take extra safety precautions when in the vicinity of the mining activity," said BLM Glasgow Field Manager Pat Gunderson.
This mine is also within the Sagebrush Focal Area. “The BLM is honoring valid and existing rights on unpatented mining claims in accordance with our new Resource Management Plan," explained Gunderson.
In keeping with the Trump Administration’s priority of getting America back to work, the BLM supports working landscapes across the West through its many programs.
For more information, contact Craig Towery 406-538-1906 ctowery@blm.gov.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
