Most of the approximately 85 persons who attended a Department of Environmental Quality hearing on Wednesday made their feelings on a proposed opencut mine abundantly clear: They oppose it.

The hearing at Libby’s Little Theatre was to air a proposal received for what ultimately could be a 25-acre opencut mine at a site off Mountain Meadow Road, which runs east off U.S. Route 2 about five miles out of town.

Ward Crushing, a Libby business, seeks the proposed mine site, and as is customary, the public hearing followed.

One persona after another took to the microphone to address Mark Peck of the Department of Natural Resources, and Rod Samdahl and Chris Cronin of the DEQ Opencut Mine Panel.

Addressing concerns about the mine, Cronin told those in attendance it is only the DEQ’s wishes to make sure laws and environmental concerns are met, which fell short of the answer most wanted to hear about health concerns.

Sydney Ward said if approved the mine would not operate “7-to-7 five days a week all year long.”

Persons have until Sept. 14 to address their concerns to the DEQ.