MTDEQ Dryland Opencut Mine Permits are Changing: Your comments are needed!
The Montana DEQ put forward a plan that will change how they permit dryland mines, including gravel pits.
This proposal departs from individual site analysis, opting instead for a generalized "Programmatic Environmental Assessment" that provides a one-size-fits-all checklist for future mines under 50 acres.
Instead of considering a location's unique geography, the DEQ wants to use a rubber-stamp approach to expedite permit processing.
Read the Proposed Plan https://deq.mt.gov/files/Land/OpenCut/DEQ%20Dryland%20Programmatic%20EA%20_Draft.pdf
With the DEQ's formal public comment period open now, we must remind the state that a simple checklist cannot replace the environmental protections guaranteed by our constitution.
Make it clear: we expect real oversight, robust public engagement, and we won't stand by while our public lands are handed over for industrial profit at the cost of our clean and healthful environment.
Comment Period Closes: March 23, 2026, at 11:59 PM
Submit Digital Comments To: [email protected]
(Please include "Programmatic EA" in the subject of your email)
Submit Written Comments To:
Opencut Section
Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 200901
Helena, MT 59620-0901
