Judge Halts Construction of Laurel Forensic Psychiatric Facility Pending New Water Study
A Yellowstone County judge issued a preliminary injunction that stops work on a planned 32-bed forensic psychiatric center in Laurel until a fresh environmental review, focusing on water availability, is completed.
Yellowstone County District Court Judge Ed Zink placed a preliminary injunction on the state’s plan to build a 32-bed forensic mental health center west of Laurel, responding to a lawsuit by the advocacy group Laurel CARED. The group contends the state’s original environmental analysis did not sufficiently examine whether the town’s water system can accommodate the facility, raising concerns about potential water shortages.
Construction, which was scheduled to start within days, is now paused pending a new environmental study that must be made available for public comment. Laurel CARED’s attorney Liz Forster highlighted past issues with water pressure after a nearby truck stop opened, suggesting similar problems could affect the new hospital. The state’s Department of Health and Human Services and the Board of Investments are named as defendants, and officials have not yet commented. Supporters of the project, including mental-health advocates and the Gianforte administration, argue the center is needed to reduce jail backlogs, but local residents feel the site-selection process ignored community impact.
Why it matters
The ruling forces a reassessment of water resources before a costly psychiatric facility proceeds, affecting local infrastructure and public spending.
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