Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee hears bill to raise hard-rock mining fees, create permitting-account for reclamation work
Summary
Representative Steve Gist told the Senate Natural Resources Committee that House Bill 69 updates decades‑old hard‑rock mining fees and creates a new permitting program account so DEQ can use fee revenue to implement the Montana Metal Mine Reclamation Act.
Representative Steve Gist opened the hearing on House Bill 69 by saying the bill updates hard‑rock mining fees that have not kept pace with costs for several decades and creates a dedicated account to let the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) use collected fees to implement the Montana Metal Mine Reclamation Act.
DEQ testimony said HB 69 would add a third funding source for implementation of the act, relieve pressure on the general fund, and direct fees to a new hard rock permitting program account instead of the Environmental Rehabilitation and Response…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
