By Duncan Adams, Helena Independent Record
Montana Tunnels Mining filed a voluntary petition Monday seeking Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection.
The filing was reminiscent for many observers of mining company bankruptcies in Montana in years past and the prospect of taxpayers getting stuck with reclamation costs.
The bankruptcy filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Montana again heightens concerns about whether Montana Tunnels will pay for the reclamation at its dormant open-pit mine near Jefferson City in Jefferson County.
“This was, unfortunately, completely predictable, and really appalling,” said Derf Johnson, deputy director of the Montana Environmental Information Center.
