Mine Design, Operations and Closure Conference Schedule

34th Annual Conference

May 11-14, 2026

Agenda:

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

7:30 am                Registration Opens

8:30 am                Welcome Breakfast

9:00 am                Keynote Address:  America's Next Watershed Moment:  Artificial Intelligence, Mining, and Montana Technological University, Johnny MacLean, Chancellor, Montana Technological University

9:45 am                Break

10:30 am             Tribute to the memory of Dave Williams, BLM (retired)

Permitting Session

10:45 am             Updates on Hard Rock Mine Permitting in Montana, Garrett Smith, Montana DEQ

 11:15 am             State–Federal Coordination in Montana Mine Permitting: A Practice-Based Perspective on Process, Timing, and Operations, Morgan Pettit, Crowley Fleck PLLP

 11:45 am             Lunch (provided to all attendees)

Exploration Session

1:00 pm                Exploring Butte's Historic Rainbow Block, John Marjerison, Silver Bow Mining Corp.

1:30 pm                Dakota Gold Corp: Revitalizing the Homestake District of South Dakota, Sky Dragoo, Dakota Gold Corp.

2:00 pm                Update on Exploration Drilling at Black Butte Copper, Nancy Schlepp, Sandfire Resources America

2:30 pm                Break

Water Session

3:00 pm                A New Paradigm – the Berkeley Pit and the Post-Pilot Project Era, Jeremy Fleege, Montana Resources

3:30 pm                Scaling Up Facilities: Taking Montana Tech from Lab to Pilot, Teagan Leitzke & Jerry Downey, Montana Tech

4:00 pm                Belt Water Treatment Plant, Bob Flesher, PG, Montana DEQ and Steve Hector, PE, HGL, Inc.       

4:30 pm                Two Approaches for Managing Low Metal Discharge Limits, Hope Mariska, Ascentarix

5:00 pm                Social hosted by Tetra Tech

Wednesday 13, 2026

7:30 am                Registration Opens

Reclamation Session

8:30 am                Grosgarth Mine Investigation and Mitigation - Coal Mine in Northeast Montana, Kyle Johnson, PE, Herrera Environmental, Inc.

9:00 am               Emergency Earthworks! (dam removal), Breeyn Greer, PE and Lindsay Chutas, PWS, Haley & Aldrich, Inc.

9:30 am               Pretty Girl Placer Reclamation Project, Matt Johnson, RESPEC

10:00 am             Break

 
Update Session

10:30 am            Troy Mine: How We Are Achieving Long‑Term Passive Water Management, Caroline Kaufman, Hecla, Inc. & JP Downey, Troy Mine Manager

11:00 am             A Look at Zortman/Landusky after 26 Years, Dan Seifert, BLM & HGL

11:30 am             Happenings at Sheep’s Creek, Scott Osterman, US Critical Materials

Noon                    Lunch (provided to all attendees)

 
Mining Revitalized Session

1:00 pm               Revival of Mercur Project – Revival Gold, Tim Barnett, Revival Gold

1:30 pm               Accelerating the Design and Construction of an Antimony Processing Facility in Montana to Meet US Critical Mineral Needs – US Antimony Corporation, Jeff Fink, US Antimony Corporation, Randy Huffsmith & Alan Erickson, WSP, and Loenbro Construction

2:00 pm               Moving Forward:  An Overview of US Antimony, Aaron Tenesch, US Antimony Corporation

2:30 pm               Generational Tungsten Property in Beaverhead County, Dirk Nelson, Gentung

3:00 pm                Break

Advances in Mining Session

3:30 pm                Use of Drones and “SPOT” in Abandoned Mines, Chris Roos, Montana Technological University

4:00 pm                Sustainable Practices in Mining, Jeremiah Vermillion, Environmental Products & Applications

4:30 pm               Social provided by Pioneer Technical Services     

Thursday, May 14, 2026

7:30 am               Registration Opens

Reclamation Session

8:30 am               Evaluating Potential Acid Generation of Pyritic Waste Rock Through 24-Hour and Five-Day Weathering Experiments for Closure Planning, Jeff Langman, PhD, University of Idaho

9:00 am               Assessing Dynamic Equilibrium in Reclaimed Drainages – Montana Coal Mines, Mitch Hoffman & Zach Ashauer, Montana DEQ

9:30 am               Testing Sediment Amendments Under Site-Relevant Variability: Sediment Type and Time Effects, Steve Dent, PhD, CDM Smith, USA

10:00 am             Break

Geochemistry Session

10:30 am             Geochem talk on project in South America, Nick Tucci, Haley & Aldrich

11:00 am             Efficient and Customizable:  RESPEC’s Dynamic Code-based Tool for Geochemical Modeling, Ryan Williamson, EIT, RESPEC

11:30 am             Microbial Iron Uptake Kinetics Across pH 2–9: Implications for ARD Prediction and Mine Waste Management, Eva Wordal, Ph.D., Montana Technological University

Noon                    Lunch (provided to all attendees)