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Neighbors press Crook County on Knife River mine water testing and enforcement of CUP
Summary
Multiple residents urged the county to take stronger or swifter action after water tests and compliance reports allegedly showed worsening conditions near the Knife River mine; county staff said agencies are investigating, DEQ spring sampling is planned and jurisdictional constraints complicate unilateral action by the county.
Several residents addressed the Crook County Board of Commissioners to express concern about water quality near the Knife River mining operation and to press for faster enforcement of conditional-use permit (CUP) terms and third-party testing.
Speakers described multiple compliance reports and cited a DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) report that showed degraded water quality. Commenters said mine ponds had been dewatered and discharged into a stream that runs past nearby homes and worried that contaminants remain in on-site ponds. One resident described how the enforcement and fine process accounted for prior enforcement history in setting penalties, and urged more proactive county inspection and follow-up so neighbors do not have to discover violations years later.
County staff said the matter is being investigated: agencies are coordinating, a neighbor-sampling plan had been developed, Knife River is conducting an internal investigation at the request of DOGAMI and other agencies, and DEQ indicated it plans follow-up spring sampling to supplement earlier tests. Officials acknowledged the jurisdictional complexity — multiple state agencies have roles in water-quality and mining regulation — and said the county was pressing state partners and the governor’s office for action.
Residents asked whether the county could “pause” mine operations under the CUP while investigations continue. County staff replied that the county does not itself have unilateral authority to order such pauses on water-quality grounds and that a formal finding of violation is required to pursue enforcement measures; staff said they are pursuing all available processes and that the county has forwarded compliance reports to the appropriate agencies.
The board thanked residents for providing documentation and said staff are following up; residents expressed continued frustration at the pace of state-level responses and called for more testing and quicker remedies.
