HELENA, Mont. (NMB) – The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will be hosting a virtual and in-person public meeting at 4 PM on Tuesday, January 4th to hear from Montanans about a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed exploration project near Zortman.
A press release says the new exploration project is proposed by Luke Ployhar on private land at the former Zortman Mine. The proposed project is not a full-scale mine and the operator would have to apply for a separate permit and undergo a separate environmental analysis should he wish to operate a full-scale mine.
The Fort Belknap Council has previously stated their opposition to the proposed project.
During the public meeting, there will be a short presentation about the project, as well as plenty of time for questions and public comment.
People can join the meeting via Zoom or phone.
People can attend the meeting in-person at Hays-Lodgepole High School.
- To access the online meeting via Zoom or for a call in number, visit: https://lukeployharexploration.eventbrite.com
- Or call Moira Davin, Public Relations Specialist, at: 406-461-2503.
DEQ will be taking official public comment at the meeting. Participants may sign-up in advance for comment using the link above or may sign-up during the meeting.
The deadline to provide public comment is Tuesday, January 11th. To submit comments or view the document, please visit the DEQ website at: https://deq.mt.gov/News/publiccomment-folder/news-article1.
DEQ says the draft EA is not a decision document, but instead is a disclosure document of the potential impacts from the project.
