Sibanye Stillwater mine not expected to be fully operation for 4 to 6 weeks

Operations at the Sibanyee Stillwater mine in southern Montana are suspended, and the mine is not expected to be fully operational for four to six weeks after historic flooding last week damaged and cut off access to the plant.

The dormancy at the mine is notable as mining makes up an estimated 41% of jobs in Stillwater County, according to the governor’s office. The mine employs 1,200 people, and all but 90 are currently not working at the mine; however, according to a spokesperson for the mine, all employees are getting paid through July 1.

“We have been encouraged by the positive response to the flooding by the entire community and are proud of the key role our employees have played in supporting those worst affected during this difficult period. We will continue to work with the local authorities and other stakeholders to fast-track the recovery of the region and look forward to resuming operations at the Stillwater section in due course,” Sibanye Stillwater Limited CEO said in a stock market release sent out Friday.

The mine is the only palladium and platinum producer in the U.S. Among communities that are economically dependent on mining, some are positioned to experience more significant hardship, according to the governor’s office.

“Several bridges in the vicinity of our Stillwater mine were however damaged during the flooding, and sections of the primary access road from Nye to the Stillwater mine have been severely eroded, restricting access to the mine and requiring rerouting of water, tailings and other piping,” the release read.

Heather McDowell, an attorney and spokesperson for the mine said the repairs to the washed-out bridge between Absarokee and Fishtail have been moving faster than expected.

“The day after the flood, we were doing contingency planning for having that bridge out for six months, now it’s going to be within probably two weeks,” she said.

Dean Rehbein, with Riverside Contracting Incorporated and project supervisor of restoring access to the bridge, said eight to 10 people are working on it at any given time.

“We were assigned the one wash-out to do, so as far as the focal point, that’s what we were told to work on. To put the river back in the channel and then repair the area that was washed out between the bridges,” he said.