Montana Supreme Court rules in favor of major copper mine

Stalled work on a major copper mine proposed in central Montana can proceed after the state's Supreme Court ruled Monday that officials had adequately reviewed the project's environmental effects.

The court's 5-2 decision overturns a 2022 lower court ruling that effectively blocked work on the Black Butte mine north of White Sulphur Springs by revoking its permit.

Attorneys for Montana Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups claimed the mine's permit from the Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ, was unlawful.