RICO Charges Filed Over Big Sky Pollution

Whelp, the billionaires are at it again. Now it is the Yellowstone Club in Big Sky that is making news. Not about another celebrity chalet or overpriced ski run. Nope. They’re being arrested under RICO. Yeah, the sort of legal heat you’d normally expect to be dropped on the mafia. Or just about every season of "Sons of Anarchy."

Cottonwood Environmental recently filed a lawsuit that alleges that the Yellowstone Club is a dirty operation. Literally. They’re accused of over-irrigating their golf course with treated sewage water. Not great in and of itself, but even worse when all of that excess water starts running downhill into a river that’s already struggling with pollution

That river is the West Fork of the Gallatin. It was already reeling from nitrogen pollution, and now mystery poo runoff at the Yellowstone Club is making it worse. (and The Observer) Cottonwood Law claims they didn't have the permits, concealed the impact, and just did whatever the hell they wanted.

Sound familiar?

It gets better. The suit is not just aimed at the Club. It also takes a shot at the Montana DEQ and even the Governor’s office for not intervening when they should have. I guess it’s just easier to look the other way on sewage when it’s served with a side of luxury real estate and donation money.

This is the kind of business that people in Montana are just really tired of. Rich outsiders move in, build as if the entire mountain were theirs alone, and then pile the harm off on the rest of us.

Cottonwood is asking the courts to put a hold on future development until the Club comes up with a plan to quit flushing its problems downstream.

@cottonwoodlaw Cottonwood has filed a Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) against many Big Sky entities including the Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peak and Cross Harbor Capital Partners for what we allege is their scheme to illegally dispose of sewage in order to continue their devolopments in the area - #rico #yellowstone #yellowstoneclub - [ ] #cottonwood #cottonwoodlaw #law #environment #environmental #environmentallaw #wilderness #nature #fishing #flyfishing #montana #montanafishing #montanaflyfishing #hunting #montanahunting #yellowstone #conservation #wildernessculture #natureculture #outdoors #outdoorslife #wildlife #wildlifeconservation #environmentalprotection #cleanwater #climate ♬ growth - Gede Yudis