By Helena Dore, Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Dozens of people gathered in Ennis on Wednesday evening to voice their opposition to the proposed expansion of a gravel pit operation near McAllister during a public hearing.
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation organized Wednesday’s hearing to gather testimony on a proposal to expand a gravel pit mine on state trust land between McAllister and Ennis, in close proximity to a Madison River tributary and Ennis Lake.
A few people supported an expansion of the mine, citing their confidence in state agencies’ environmental analyses, the revenue that the gravel royalties would generate for public schools and a desire to continue to source materials locally.
The vast majority of people opposed the proposal, sharing a wide variety of concerns. Some believed the project’s environmental analyses were faulty, and others worried the expanded activity could kick up pollutants, threaten the area’s tourism-based economy and damage archeological and natural resources.
