By John Riley, KRTV
HELENA — A judge has ruled that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) unlawfully approved the construction of the Black Butte Copper Mine near White Sulphur Springs.
In June 2020, Montana Trout Unlimited, Montana Environmental Information Center, Earthworks, and American Rivers challenged the mine’s operating permit in court, alleging that DEQ failed to conduct a thorough environmental analysis and that the agency ignored over 12,000 public comments opposing the mine.
