1. Science-based numeric nutrient standards are far more effective mechanisms for controlling pollution and measuring river health than narrative nutrient standards. Numeric criteria allow detecting and reducing pollution before harm occurs, and judging waterway health with a high degree of…
Gutting Water Protections by Repealing Numeric Nutrient Standards Contrary to Science and Federal Law Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a letter to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) approving the state’s repeal of scientific numeric nutrient…
New, Real Threat of Industrial Oil and Gas Development and Leasing in SW Montana On Friday, August 1, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published four new rule amendments to the federal oil and gas leasing program as required by…
As you’ve likely read, in mid-February the Montana First Judicial District Court ruled in favor of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, local citizens, and water in our complaint against Broadwater County and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) for their…
Judge Declares Horse Creek Hills Subdivision Approval Dead in the Water BROADWATER COUNTY, MT – On Wednesday, February 14th, the Montana First Judicial District Court in Broadwater County ruled in favor of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper in the complaint against Broadwater…
Waterkeeper and National Organizations File Comments to Improve Statewide CAFO Permitting Yesterday, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper and several national organizations submitted technical comments to the Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) on the proposed renewal of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation…
This week, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper documented and notified the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of a miles-long neon-green noxious algal bloom emerging on the Big Hole River downstream of Divide. The new algal bloom adds to the suite of…
The U.S. Supreme Court dramatically curtailed Clean Water Act protections with its ruling in Sackett v. EPA, favoring polluters over the health of wetlands and headwater creeks across Montana and the nation. Let’s back up. What was the Sackett v….
Gallatin County Commission Should Deny Application On Tuesday, April 25th, the Gallatin County Planning Board rubber-stamped a preliminary plat application for the Sandhill Major Subdivision, a new 34-lot subdivision south of Bozeman city limits reliant on exempt wells and septic…
Nutrient pollution levels too high to support aquatic life, recreation Today, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) formally declared the middle segment of the Gallatin River ‘impaired’ by algal blooms under Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA)….
