County to enact interim zoning for gravel pits

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By The Associated Press

Story Published: May 8, 2008 at 7:33 AM MDT

Story Updated: May 8, 2008 at 7:33 AM MDT

BOZEMAN - Gallatin County commissioners have agreed to enact emergency zoning aimed at regulating the county's gravel pit operations. That's after recent rulings the pits could be permitted without any environmental review.

The 2-1 decision came after a district judge in Helena on Monday ordered the state Department of Environmental Quality to issue three permits for gravel pits in the Cameron Bridge Road area. Commissioners extended the emergency zoning to cover all unincorporated and unzoned areas of the county.

The zoning would force gravel pit owners to obtain conditional-use permits from the county. The DEQ has said it would question the case law on which recent District Court decisions about open-cut mining permits were based.

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