Multimillionaires' Montana Resort Fined $1.8 Million For Water Pollution

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HELENA, Montana — A golf and ski community for multimillionaires will pay $1.8 million and complete several environmental restoration projects to settle complaints over construction site discharge into waterways and wetlands, officials said Monday.

The Yellowstone Mountain Club near Big Sky was accused in 2001 of illegally dumping dredge and fill material. Earlier this summer, the club settled separate state allegations over discharges into a tributary of the Gallatin River.

Among other things, the club agreed in the latest settlement to replace lost wetlands, repair others that were damaged, replace culverts, and pay for an independent contractor for five years to monitor the club's restoration activities. The agreement must be approved by a federal judge.

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The Yellowstone Mountain Club is a 13,000-acre gated, multimillion-dollar development adjacent to the Big Sky ski resort in southern Montana, near Yellowstone National Park. Prospective members must have a net worth of at least $3 million and are required to pay a $250,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $16,000. The development features homes with price tags starting at $5 million, an 18-hole golf course and a private ski slope."

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http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-10/s_26446.asp