Montana Mine Deal Sparks Tribal Outcry

Montana’s environmental regulators have reached a settlement with the buyer of the old Zortman gold mine, ending a years-long legal battle after a $500K fine in 2020. The mine’s decades-old cyanide leaching left toxic acid drainage, costing tens of millions to clean up — mostly public funds. The Fort Belknap Indian Community, whose ancestral lands border the site, calls the $200K settlement over five years inadequate, saying the damage to water and land endangers future generations. The buyer, film producer Luke Ployhar, says he’s relieved the lawsuit is over, claims no wrongdoing, and hopes to turn the 1,000-acre site into a recreational area — though those plans are on hold. The mine is now listed for $52.5M, but environmental cleanup remains an ongoing, costly nightmare. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/04c379f7d6c7c729