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Montana Tunnels: Another mining disaster – Daily Montanan

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Montana Tunnels: Another mining disaster – Daily Montanan


The severely misnamed Montana Department of Environmental Quality recently announced that it was “initiating the bond forfeiture process for the Montana Tunnels mine after the mine failed to make a $1.5 million reclamation bond payment in December that was a court-approved bankruptcy stipulation.”

This latest disaster — in a long string of abandoned, bankrupt and perpetually-polluting mines — brings to mind the old adage: “The once burnt child fears the fire.” But in Montana’s case, it’s more like we’ve been napalmed —  and the state agencies, apparently incapable of learning from our costly and destructive mistakes, continue to permit mining.

The Montana Tunnels mine became “fully operational” in 1986. For those who may not remember, this was 10 years after ARCO bought out the Anaconda Co. in what Wall Street eventually called “the worst corporate acquisition of the decade.”

Forty years later, the “reclamation” debacle continues to drag on with Butte, Anaconda and the Upper Clark Fork carrying the stigma of being the largest Superfund site in the nation.

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The year of 1986 was also well into the era when the mining industry promised “new” mining would never create environmental disasters. But considering the long list of environmental disasters the industry has since left behind, one might think our “regulatory” agencies would realize they shouldn’t consider the promises of mining corporations seriously.

The old “take the gold and declare bankruptcy” ploy has left Montanans on the taxpayer hook for more than $100 million at the former Pegasus Gold Zortman-Landusky mine alone — to say nothing of its abandoned Beal Mountain Mine. Then there was ASARCO’s Mike Horse Mine that poisoned the Blackfoot River when it’s poorly-engineered tailings dam failed — and that continues to leach and require treatment of acid mine drainage. Or how about W.R. Grace’s disaster in Libby that killed — and continues to kill — hundreds of Montanans thanks to asbestosis from their vermiculite mining operation?

And then, of course, there’s Golden Sunlight — hailed as the bright light of “new mining” — it now requires treatment in perpetuity to address cyanide-poisoned water at the very confluence of the Boulder and Jefferson rivers. This disaster launched the successful citizens’ initiative to ban cyanide heap leach mining in Montana in the late 1990s. Notably, it came from citizens, not Montana’s Legislature, governor or its “environmental quality” agency.

When Pegasus Gold went bankrupt the mine was acquired by Apollo Gold Corp., and then by Montana Tunnels in 2010. Here’s what Montana Tunnels’ parent company, Eastern Resources claimed: “Over $4.85B worth of minerals at current prices has been extracted from Montana Tunnels.” They also claimed their exploration drilling “demonstrating substantial proven and probable reserves worth in excess of $1.4B.”

As noted in the recent article: “But the troubled mine hasn’t operated since 2008, and its permit was suspended in 2018 for failure to post an adequate bond. In December 2022, Montana Tunnels filed for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection.”

The Department of Environmental Quality, meanwhile, holds about half of the $40 million reclamation cost.

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Faced with another very large hole in the ground that’s filling with water as its side-walls collapse, the Gianforte administration, like the Republican and Democrat administrations before it, isn’t leaping into action to begin reclamation — it’s looking for someone to buy it and says it has five years before it terminates the permit.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me over and over and over again — shame on the Department of Environmental Quality and the Republican and Democrat governors who continue to ignore our constitution and sell out present and future generations by kowtowing to hit-and-run mining corporations.

George Ochenski is a longtime Helena resident, an environmental activist and Montana’s longest-running columnist.



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Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 21, 2025

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 21, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 21 drawing

27-30-56-64-65, Mega Ball: 22, Megaplier: 4

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 21 drawing

18-27-30-40-44, Lucky Ball: 15

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 21 drawing

06-12-17-21, Bonus: 04

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

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Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Tourism and travel reps argue property tax bill would 'wreak havoc' on Montana economy • Daily Montanan

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Tourism and travel reps argue property tax bill would 'wreak havoc' on Montana economy • Daily Montanan


No one showed up to cheer Sen. Carl Glimm’s proposal to return $437 to property taxpayers — but he figured all the supporters were at work, partly to pay their taxes.

Monday, more than 40 people from across the state spent roughly two hours telling the Senate Local Government committee that Senate Bill 90, to redirect dollars from lodging and rental car taxes to a property tax credit, is a “reckless” policy and would “wreak havoc” on Montana’s economy.

Opponents included representatives from the tourism and hospitality industry, a small farm, Main Street and historic preservation programs, and others.

Mandy Rambo, with the Department of Commerce, said her agency is acutely aware of the property tax problem in Montana, but SB 90 is “not the answer.”

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One in 12 jobs in Montana is tied to tourism, and tourism is a $5.4 billion industry in the state, Rambo said. She said Colorado gutted its marketing programs and regretted it, and it took 15 years to rebuild it.

“This is not just about tourism,” Rambo said. “It’s about the economy in Montana. Tourism is an economic driver, regardless of how any of us feel about tourism in Montana.”

The bill is one of several pieces of legislation designed to return money to residential property taxpayers, who have been carrying a growing share of property tax collections.

As proposed, the bill would put $102.5 million into a property tax assistance account in 2026, although opponents argued the policy would lead to a drop in those revenues in the future. Money would be redirected from 65.5% of the lodging facility use tax, 82% of the lodging sales tax, and 75% of the rental car tax, according to the bill’s companion fiscal analysis.

In the Senate, Republican leaders have spoken in favor of Glimm’s bill, but other legislation to help residential property taxpayers is on the table, too. Gov. Greg Gianforte has a separate proposal, in House Bill 231, carried by Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, also scheduled for a hearing this week.

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The Local Government committee didn’t take immediate action Monday. Chairman Sen. Forrest Mandeville, R-Columbus, asked Glimm if he wanted to address any of the issues opponents raised in testimony.

Glimm said the committee was free to amend the bill as it wished. However, he also said he wasn’t convinced it was the job of state government to market Montana in the first place, and he wasn’t sure it was needed.

“Tourism is valuable. I get that,” Glimm said. “But tourism is also alive and well. Try and visit Glacier Park. Try and go camping. Try and get a hotel. Almost anywhere. Tourism is alive and well in Montana.”

The fund the new account, the bill would pull $48 million from the general fund, $37.9 million from the Department of Commerce, $1.6 million from the Montana University System — which operates the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research — and $4.5 million from a long-range building fund, according to the fiscal analysis.

To pay for the reimbursement, the bill would eliminate a number of programs, including Made in Montana marketing, the Montana Film Office, the Main Street program, the Japan and Taiwan trade offices, and statewide tourism industry research, the fiscal analysis said.

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It also would cut grants, such as for agritourism and tribal tourism.

At the hearing, Scott Vollmer, a fishing outfitter and vice president of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, said fishing is just one part of the vacation for his clients.

But Vollmer said one thing needs to happen before they spend their money in the Treasure State at all, and it requires marketing Montana.

“The constant is that they first decide to come here as opposed to going somewhere else, and I simply can’t do that myself,” Vollmer said.

Even more troubling, Vollmer said, would be the loss of data from the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research out of the University of Montana, although he said the need to fix the property tax problem is “obvious.”

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“We all feel it. We know we need to do something about it. But the benefits need to outweigh the cost,” Vollmer said.

Other opponents included the Montana Chamber of Commerce, representatives for agritourism, the Montana Travel Association, a small business owner and community advocate in Cut Bank, Preserve Montana (protecting state heritage), Montana Cattlewomen, the Montana Farmers Union, the Big Sky Resort Area District, and the Montana Learning Center (an education nonprofit).

Logan Smith, with the Old Salt Coop, a meat company with a restaurant and processing facility, said various Department of Commerce funds have supported the business, including its land stewardship festival in Helmville.

Smith said the festival, which attracts 2,600 people, led one participant to put a conservation easement in the Gallatin Valley.

Another, a teacher who had been looking for a job and liked Helmville, decided to teach there, and Helmville had been looking for a school teacher for roughly three years, Smith said.

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Smith said the money has real impact in rural areas, for the development and growth of communities and businesses, “and especially for us and the agricultural industry.”



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A-list Hollywood star reveals she lives in ‘modest’ Montana home

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A-list Hollywood star reveals she lives in ‘modest’ Montana home


Glenn Close has revealed she has left New York City behind in favor of small-town Montana.

The Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe-winning actor, 77, is known for her iconic roles in films such as Fatal Attraction and 101 Dalmatians and can currently be seen in the new Netflix action-comedy Back in Action.

In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Close said she moved to the town of 57,000 in 2019 to be closer to her family.

“Today, my home is in Bozeman, Montana,” she said. “All of my siblings live here. My modest, 1892 brick house has a porch where I can see the mountains and say hi to neighbors.”

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Her 2,316 square-foot home has three bedrooms and three bathrooms and is close to the town center.

However, Close did add that she plans to construct a bigger house nearby.

Glenn Close’s ‘modest’ home in Bozeman, Montana

Glenn Close’s ‘modest’ home in Bozeman, Montana (Google Maps)

“I’m building a larger house about a half-hour outside of town,” she said. “It’s going to be my Zen farmhouse and our family sanctuary. In the back will be a stone cottage, reminding me of the best years of my childhood.”

In a previous 2021 interview with Mountain Outlaw magazine, Close said she “never used to get homesick” before moving to Bozeman.

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“Not only is Bozeman my home, but I couldn’t wait to get back here. When I left to go to that job, [her sisters] Jessie and Tina were there to see me off at the airport. It was so great. I’ve come to realize how much I dread going away,” continued Close.

“When I was little, I got solace in nature, and that has never changed. I always tried to create that same potential for my family, especially now to come back here and be with my siblings and have a piece of land outside of town that will always be here for my daughter and her children.

“That’s my legacy. I just feel incredibly lucky. I do think these will be the best years of my life.”

Close in Netflix’s ‘Back in Action’

Close in Netflix’s ‘Back in Action’ (© 2024 Netflix, Inc.)

Earlier this month, Glenn Close hit out at JD Vance during an appearance on The View. She previously starred in a film based on his book about his life, Hillbilly Elegy.

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When co-host Joy Behar noted Vance “had a whole different personality in those days than he has now”, Close said: “I don’t know what happened”, suggesting that political success might have altered his outlook.

“Power is probably the biggest aphrodisiac for a human being,” she told Behar.



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