The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is seeking public comment on a proposed gravel pit four miles east of Seeley Lake.
Deer Creek Excavating, LLC, has applied to mine gravel on a 26.5-acre site known as the Cottonwood Pit. A similar application from a different company to mine the Cottonwood Pit drew opposition from locals at the county level last year.
Deer Creek has already secured a conditional use permit from the county and now seeks an open-cut mining permit from the state DEQ, which is required for removing ground-surface gravels and clays.
The DEQ will host an informational meeting with questions-and-answers tonight at 6 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School. Comments will be accepted through November 9. The DEQ will make its final determination by November 14.
Written comment can be submitted at the meeting or by email using the "Public Comment for Deer Creek Excavating, LLC – Cottonwood Site" link under "Opencut News" at this link, or by U.S. Mail addressed to the DEQ, Opencut Mining Section, P.O. Box 200901, Helena, MT 59620-0901.