Right. There are lead mines all over central Montana. I used to live in Helena and the ASARCO smelter in East Helena was one of the largest in the US before it shut down in 2002. Prickly Pear creek’s water was so contaminated with lead and arsenic, it couldn’t even be used to irrigate crops.
Thanks for the info. That was my implication, but I didn’t have the hard evidence you cited. Thanks for that.