Public meeting set regarding proposed new mining in Little Rockies

Montana Department of Environmental Quality has set a date for a public meeting, including on Zoom, regarding a draft environmental assessment for a proposal for mining exploration in the Little Rocky Mountains, near a former mining site that is still being reclaimed at a cost of millions of dollars.

DEQ said in a release that the exploration project near Zortman is proposed by Luke Ployhar, who owns private land surrounded by federally owned land in the area, near the former Zortman mine.

The Fort Belknap is still dealing with impacts from heap-leach cyanide mining at that location which shut down in 1998 when the company doing the mining, Pegasus Gold Corp., went bankrupt Fort Belknap Indian Community has opposed the exploration since it first was proposed in October 2020. Fort Belknap Indian Community and other groups are requesting an investigation by the Interior Department’s inspector general as to why a withdrawal from eligibility for mining was not posted for several days, giving Ployhar a window in which to file mining claims.

Editor’s note: Watch for more on this in upcoming editions of Havre Daily News.

The proposed project is not a full-scale mine and the operator would have to apply for a separate permit and undergo a separate environmental analysis should he wish to operate a full-scale mine, the DEQ release said.

The public meeting will include a brief presentation on the proposed project and allow time for questions, followed by official public comment, the release said. The meeting will be held online via Zoom or by phone.

DEQ is working to identify a location near the site of the proposed project where individuals may access the meeting remotely. Once a location is finalized, details will be shared at the link following.

DEQ will be taking official public comment at the meeting, the release said. Participants may sign up in advance for comment using the link or may sign-up during the meeting. Commentors will be called on in the order they are received. DEQ will make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities who wish to participate in the meeting. People who need accommodation are asked to contact DEQ using the contact information that follows at least one week prior to the meeting.

DEQ prepared a draft EA to analyze potential impacts from the proposed exploration project and will accept public comments on the draft EA until 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 11. To submit comments or view the document, people can visit the DEQ website at https://deq.mt.gov/News/publiccomment-folder/news-article1 .