Bill would expand public notice and comment for open‑cut gravel permits; industry warns of delays (SB 391)

Senator Shane Morgeau introduced Senate Bill 391 as a response to changes made in 2021 to Montana’s open‑cut mining law that, sponsors said, curtailed public participation when local communities face applications for gravel pits and asphalt plants.

"This bill simply tries to make the law match the constitutional rights of my constituents," Morgeau said, framing SB 391 as a measure to restore meaningful notice and opportunity to comment when a proposed mine could affect neighbors’ property, water or community life.

Proponents—largely nearby residents and community organizations—described cases where notice arrived late, where meetings were hard to schedule and where they were told a permit would be issued regardless of public comment. Kristen Corbin, a Manhattan resident, said her neighborhood received notice of a proposed pit on Thanksgiving and faced an abbreviated timeline for response: "We were ambushed by an application for a gravel mine next to our home," she said. Several other residents from Gallatin Gateway and Elbow Lake gave…