DEQ announces start of Red Lodge East Bench Mine Phase II Reclamation Project

HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is pleased to announce that work has begun on Phase II of the Red Lodge East Bench Mine Reclamation Project in Carbon County, Mont. The project site includes a portion of Rock Creek and adjacent areas and is designed to repair damage from June 2022 flooding, prevent additional erosion and improve water flow to reduce future flooding impacts.

Phase I of the project was completed in the Spring of 2023 to stabilize the site prior to annual runoff and prevent further erosion. Preliminary work was completed in late August, including the installation of a temporary bridge and stockpiling of materials. The temporary bridge was installed across Rock Creek to access the construction site from Cooper Avenue North near 9th Street East. Construction of the current phase started in early September and is expected to continue into October 2023. Localized impacts to the community during the construction period will include increased truck traffic hauling material to the site and minor noise and dust disturbances. 

Coal was mined at the East Bench Mine from 1887 to 1932 and the site therefore qualifies for reclamation under the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program. DEQ’s AML program oversees reclamation of eligible coal mine sites that were abandoned prior to the passage of the federal Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). DEQ previously performed reclamation at the site in 1993, including erosion control and revegetation. 

DEQ is holding a public meeting to provide updates on Phase II of the project on September 28, 2023, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Red Lodge City Hall. For more information on the meeting or to attend online visit: https://deq.mt.gov/public/publicmeetings 

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Tags: Cleanup and Press Release