The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has completed a $13 million water treatment plant in Belt to address acid mine drainage from historic coal mining. The facility was built on abandoned mine land under the state’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program.
The project received federal approval in 2019, and construction began in 2023. The plant treats more than 200,000 gallons of contaminated water discharged daily from former coal mines near Belt Creek. The system removes dissolved metals and discharges pH-neutral water to the creek. Treatment uses lime to raise pH and allow metal solids to form for removal.
The new facility is the first public treatment project constructed under Montana’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program. The program uses federal grants supported by coal industry fees to remediate legacy mine impacts.
Montana DEQ worked with local partners, including Cascade County and the City of Belt, during design and construction.