Hundreds of residents of Montana turned out at a public meeting Monday night to speak against a controversial coal mine proposed in southeastern B.C. near the Canada-U.S. border.

Canadian-based Cline Mining plans to develop a mine in the Flathead Valley, just upstream from the Montana border. 
 
If the B.C. government gives final approval to the mine near the mountain resort community of Fernie, it would produce two million tonnes of coal a year from a valley renowned for its abundance of wildlife and lack of development.

The company says the mine will meet B.C.'s environmental standards. But many Montana residents have expressed fears it will pollute their pristine mountain valley.

"There's no such thing as a pristine coal mining operation, no matter how well designed, things can and do go wrong at some point in time," one man said at the meeting in Kalispell, Mont.

"Friends don't poison their neighbours' water supply," said another.

Resident Brian Beck told the meeting the area is too important to wildlife and the state's tourism business for B.C. to allow the mine.

"The North Fork of the Flathead is our Sistine Chapel, and its frescoes of intact water, abundant wildlife and intact ecosystems should never be sacrificed for any amount of coal-stained dollars."

Fly-fishing guide Steve Smith also voiced his opposition. "I think our message to British Columbia should not just be 'no,' but 'hell no.'"

The state is transcribing all comments and sending them to the B.C. government, which will hold its own public meetings this week on the Canadian side of the border.

But some Montana officials say they're afraid the province is moving too quickly, and are hoping their representatives in Washington may be able to convince Canadian federal officials to intervene.

The company received a permit to build roads a couple of years ago, and hopes to start operations later this year.