Fort Belknap officials get permission to tour mines

After being told in May that only state Department of Environmental Quality representatives could tour mine sites on private land south of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, members of the tribal government may get a chance to tour the sites again.

"The purpose of the visit is to give us information on the development - or nondevelopment - of the plan to rehabilitate the mines," said Ben Speakthunder, president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community Council.

The tribal government in May received a copy of a letter from the attorney of Dale Ployhar, an owner of some of the private land the Z...