MEIC is the lead organization in the state watchdogging proposed new mines and expansions of existing mines to ensure that Montana's laws and constitution are upheld, and that public health and the environment will not be negatively affected. 

Among the proposed new mines and mine expansions:

• Rock Creek Mine
• Montana Tunnels Mine
  
• Montanore Mine

In the news:

• LAND BOARD OPENS UP OTTER CREEK TO COAL WHILE PROTECTING FLATHEAD WATERSHED:  In North Fork Protection, Some See a Double Standard (by Dan Testa, Flathead Beacon, 03-31-10)
  
• British Columbia Bans Mining, Drilling in Flathead River Valley (Environment News Service, February 10, 2010)  Mining and drilling for oil, gas and coal will be banned in the Canadian portion of the Flathead River Basin, under a new partnership with the state of Montana announced Tuesday...
  

Open-Cut Mines (Gravel Pits)

As Montana’s population continues to grow, and as more new houses, roads, and highways are built, many new gravel pits (also called open-cut mines) are being developed in the state.  Montana’s laws contain only minimal provisions for their regulation.  A spate of recent court rulings have left many people concerned about the pits and their impact on neighborhoods and the environment.

SEE ALSO:

• Audits Reveal DEQ Inadequacies