Gravel Pits in Montana

Montana Gravel Pits Need More Regulation

As Montana’s population continues to grow, and as more new houses, roads, and highways are built, many new gravel pits (also called opencut mines) are being developed in the state. Mining for gravel has many implications for nearby landowners and residents, including hydrological impacts, dust, and in some cases, near-constant light and noise pollution.

Montana’s laws contain only minimal provisions for regulation of Montana gravel pits, and in 2021, the Montana Legislature struck a blow to people across the state who live near gravel resources.

The Legislature passed a new law that directed the State Department of Environmental Quality to allow developers to run roughshod over the rights of individuals who live in unzoned areas. Since most of Montana is unzoned, that means that just about any Montanan could wake up to a large mine and asphalt plant being developed within spitting distance of their property without ever being notified in advance. The stories of impacted communities are piling up, but the options for people in these communities are limited: hire a hydrologist, find a lawyer, and band together to make a fuss. There are few regulatory routes for impacted communities due to the actions of the Montana Legislature.

Read more articles about opencut mining in Montana.

Map of opencut mines in Montana

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has developed an interactive web mapping application that allows its users to utilize the same WMA that is used by Opencut staff to review applications for those sites Opencut permits and inspects throughout Montana. You can view the map on Montana DEQ’s site or click the screen shot below. If the map link doesn’t load, try going directly to DEQ’s website: https://deq.mt.gov/mining/Programs/opencut