Opencut Mining

The Opencut Section reviews permit and amendment applications within its statutory timeframe to ensure Opencut minerals (bentonite, clay, scoria, soil materials, peat, sand or gravel) are extracted in accordance with the act and rules to ensure adequate protection of environmental resources and successful reclamation of the affected land back to a productive postmining land use.

If you believe you need a permit, applicable forms and instructions can be found by clicking the "Permitting and Operator Assistance" button. Contact us if you have questions or run into problems with any of the information. We're here to help!

Opencut Permits & Locations

To review the permit for an existing Opencut site, click the button below to visit DEQ's data portal where you can search Opencut permits.

Search Opencut Permits

Permitted Opencut site locations may be viewed using DEQ's web mapping application. Click the button below to view the map. If you experience issues viewing the application, it may help to try a different browser. For information on how to use the application, please view the instructional video, How to Use Opencut's Web Mapping Application.

View Permitted Opencut Locations

March 18, 2025 Remote Opencut Mining Stakeholder Meeting

DEQ will hold a remote Opencut Mining Stakeholder Meeting on March 18^th, 2025, at 1:00 pm. There will not be an option to join in person for this meeting, though we will plan to have an in-person option for future meetings.

The proposed agenda is below. 

Opencut Mining Stakeholder Meeting Agenda

• Introductions
• DEQ Update and Discussion
  • Staffing Update
  • Permitting
  • Annual Production Reports
  • Proposed Changes to Applications
  • Release Requests
  • Public Participation
  • Inspection Season
• Stakeholder Input
• Planning
  • Action Items
  • Future Topics

 When: Mar 18, 2025 01:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Topic:  Opencut Section Stakeholder Meeting

Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:

https://mt-gov.zoom.us/j/86029600186?pwd=04Cp8d1T7AHvJqED1lPkHuCAM62JBC.1

Passcode:299826

Join via audio:

+1 206 337 9723 US (Seattle)