Cleanup of mine near reservation costly

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2002

The cleanup of a mine next to the Fort Belknap Reservation in Montana will cost $33.5 million more than the state has to reclaim the operation that gutted sacred peaks.

The Bureau of Land Management and Montana�s Department of Environmental Quality have chosen a reclamation plan that costs $52.1 million, plus $11 million for water treatment. But bankrupt Pegasus Gold Corp. had only posted a $30 million bond, so the state needs additional money if the plan is followed.

A cheaper alternative will be implemented if no money can be found.

The tribes on the reservation have been pushing for an aggressive cleanup of the open-pit gold mines. The mines were located on mountains considered sacred to the tribes.

Get the Story:
Mine cleanup needs $33.5M (The Billings Gazette 1/9)

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