Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Navigating the local costs and benefits of modern mineral mines: the role of non-regulatory agreements(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2020) Rose, Jackson Cooper; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Julia Hobson Haggerty; Julia H. Haggerty was a co-author of the article, 'Navigating the local costs and benefits of modern mineral mines: the role of non-regulatory agreements' submitted to the journal 'Society and Natural Resources' which is contained within this thesis.This thesis explores natural resource development at the local level from the perspective of resource peripheries in the United States. Using three case studies--two in Montana and one in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan--this study combines qualitative mixed-methods with on-the-ground experience to explore the dynamics of the costs and benefits of extractive industries in the context of short-duration, high-impact underground mines. Research questions focused on the specific concerns and priorities in each place and the novel tools communities are using to address both short-term impacts and long-term economic development. The methodology relied on in-person, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, participant observation, and document and policy analysis. Results reveal that rural places share similar concerns tied to these projects, although multiple stakeholder groups often have divergent ideas and priorities. Non-regulatory agreements show promise as a tool for stakeholder groups to navigate the balancing act of mining projects, but the initiatives found in these agreements are often affected by classic dilemmas facing resource peripheries as well as individual places' institutional and regulatory context. Findings also suggest that communities are granted a limited window of opportunity to maximize their negotiating power in the social license to operate process. Ultimately, non-regulatory agreements should be tailored to fill regulatory gaps and, in the best cases, are able to focus on delivering lasting economic benefits from short-term mining developments.Item Traditional knowledge systems and tribal water governance on Fort Peck Indian Reservation, MT(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2017) Zoanni, Dionne Kae; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jamie McEvoy; Jamie McEvoy, Julia Haggerty and Elizabeth Rink were co-authors of the article, 'All the answers are in our culture': integrating traditional knowledge systems into tribal water governance on Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Montana' submitted to the journal 'Geoforum' which is contained within this thesis.The Fort Peck Indian Reservation is located in northeast Montana and is home to the Assiniboine (Nakona) and Sioux (Dakota) Tribes. Conventional oil and gas development and the disposal of produced water has led to the contamination of 15-37 billion gallons of groundwater within the aquifer that had historically been the only source of drinking water for reservation community members. Although the tribes are aware of the contamination plume, exploiting newly accessible shale resources has become a viable option as the tribes continue to try to alleviate the high unemployment and poverty rates of tribal members. Even so, tribal members and authorities also understand the importance of ecological health in fostering a healthy community. A strong movement of cultural resurgence has been in motion, with tribal members looking to traditional stories and lessons in order to guide the future of the community and create community cohesion. Traditional knowledge systems (TKS) have been heralded throughout contemporary Indigenous governance literature as an important dynamic resource for indigenous communities that deal with difficult decisions involving resource management. Using a TKS framework and interviews with tribal members, this research seeks to answer the following questions: 1) What are the TKS that surrounds water and its use for the Nakona and Dakota tribes? 2) What are some of the opportunities and barriers that exist for the successful incorporation of TKS into tribal water governance structures at Fort Peck? Challenges to validity, process, and relevance due to political histories and power imbalances, as well as diverse intertribal knowledge systems, may impede the successful integration of Indigenous knowledge in collaborative water governance initiatives with outside interests. The internal knowledge sharing process has the potential to enhance cultural revitalization efforts on the reservation -- which represent an organic solution that takes place from within the community itself. In addition, TKS-based tribal policies may uphold the expression of tribal self-determination, i.e. the 'governance-value' of traditional knowledge systems.Item Nature, age, and genesis of quartz-sulfide-precious-metal vein systems in the Virginia City Mining District, Madison County, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1983) Cole, Marshall MorrisItem Controls on ore deposition, Polaris mining district, Pioneer Mountains, Beaverhead County, Montana(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 1980) Davis, Thomas EdwardItem Geochemistry and mineralogy of Tongue River member coal from three Montana coal mines(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2010) Gottschalk, Caroline McColl; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: David W. MogkThe geochemistry and mineralogy of coal from the Absaloka, Rosebud, and Decker mines located in the Powder River Basin in Montana have been characterized to determine the bulk composition of inorganic constituents in the coal; mineralogy of the coal, including the identity, morphology, composition and distribution of minerals present; occurrence and distribution of potentially hazardous trace elements; and chemical state of selected elements (N, O, S). These data were acquired using instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and time of flight mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). In aggregate, these analytical techniques provide complementary information and also allow for cross-technique comparison of results. Overall the Montana coals contain mineral assemblages that are typical of coals described from across the United States and the world. Comparing Montana Powder River basin coal versus the rest of the United States coals, Montana Power River has, overall, a remarkably lower abundance of potentially hazardous elements. XRD analysis revealed kaolinite in all samples, variably present are quartz, illite, calcite, dolomite, gypsum, and pyrite. SEM/EDS imaging and analysis confirmed the occurrence of these mineral phases and the dominance of kaolinite in ash layers. Pyrite is the primary sulfide mineral that occurs in a variety of crystal forms that could affect its solubility, and therefore, potential for acid release. Pyrite occurs as a pure compound with no As nor other potentially hazardous element as part of a solid solution. However XPS analysis of sulfide rich areas reveal a concentration of Se and Co suggesting these elements are sorbed onto the pyrite surfaces. This study provided a reconnaissance overview of the geochemistry and mineralogy of these Montana coal mines. Future work could include a more detailed chemical stratigraphy of the coal-producing layers to better characterize the distribution of minerals and elemental components in the coal, and to determine the processes responsible for their occurrence and distribution. The results of this study are applicable to the future development of clean coal technologies and to address the potential environmental and health impacts of coal combustion.