Update on Montana’s Municipal Stormwater Permit

Too often we separate what happens in our rivers from the lives we live on land. The things we do here on land—drive, build, farm—have a big impact on our rivers and wetlands. Clean, healthy riparian areas, rivers, and wetlands…

Waterkeeper Litigation Update 2018

Citizens are one of a nation’s greatest resources for enforcing environmental laws and regulations. We know the country’s land, natural attributes, and values more intimately than government ever will.   A bird-watcher walking in the woods sees chemical waste flowing through a…

U.S. Legislative Update (On All Things Water)

It’s tough staying on top of what’s happening in Washington D.C., let alone know what proposed Congressional bills mean for waterways and Montana. For this reason we’ve compiled a Fall 2017 Legislative Update on all things water. Take a look…

Informal Comments on SB 325 – More Polluter Exemptions

We’ve submitted comments to DEQ on its draft implementing rules for Senate Bill 325 including, notably, another “variance” rule that would exempt certain polluters from doing their part to reduce pollution to Montana waterways. The effect of SB 325’s variance rule…

Oppose the “Regulatory Accountability Act” – URGENT LEGISLATIVE ACTION

Montana! We want to alert you all about a bad federal bill making its way through Congress that, if passed, would make it much harder for environmental agencies to create rules protecting clean water and healthy landscapes. Senate bill 951, the “Regulatory…

Poison Pesticide In Our Waters

We must stop the pesticide industry from viewing the Clean Water Act as nothing more than a nuisance.  Did you know that the House Rules Committee recently passed a controversial and dangerous piece of legislation that will now move to the…

Smith Mine Update

This November 2016 Tintina Resources – the Australian backed company proposing a new copper mine in the headwaters of Montana’s famed Smith River – applied for a Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit (AKA, a dredge and fill permit) to…

Hot Topic: SB325 state workgroup

SB 325, originally sponsored by Sen. Jim Keane, D-Butte, prohibits the Board of Environmental Review (BER) from establishing water quality standards stringent enough to protect Montana’s rivers and streams, and will have a particular impact on irrigators on southeast Montana tributaries,…

January 2016 Update

Happy New Year from your Clean Water Advocates! We are excited to share a quick program overview with you. The overview provides a good summary of actions Upper Missouri Waterkeeper is taking to protect rivers, fisheries and communities in the upcoming months. We…