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FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2002

The Bureau of Land Management and the state of Montana issued a record of decision on Thursday for the cleanup of a mine next to the Fort Belknap Reservation.

The decision outlines options for the open-pit gold mine operation which gutted peaks sacred to the tribes on the reservation. But a tribal attorney said the plan is inadequate.

The preferred cleanup method costs $64 million. But the mine operator, Pegasus Gold Inc., went bankrupt, forfeiting $30 million in reclamation bonds.

The tribes are seeking more funds from Congress and are actively pursuing litigation to force a full cleanup.

Get the Story:
Tribes' attorney rips Zortman plans (The Billings Gazette 5/3)

Relevant Documents:
Record of Decision | Final Environmental Impact Statement

Related Stories:
Cleanup of mine near reservation costly (1/9)
Fort Belknap tribes push mine cleanup (10/1)
Mont. tribes lose mining auction (9/5)