A year ago, we warned that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was considering creating a massive loophole in the Clean Water Act. EPA is now moving forward with this and has released an interpretation of the Act that would…
Tag: montana water keepers
The Proposed ‘Madison Food Park’ Slaughterhouse
Did you know the largest industrial-scale slaughterhouse in the Pacific Northwest is proposed for just south of Great Falls? WHO: In late summer 2017 the Cascade County Planning Division received a Special Use Permit application to allow Madison Food Park, LLC to operate a…
Pruitt’s EPA Proposes Removal of Clean Water Protections
Continuing its march toward elimination of key Clean Water Act protections, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today issued a formal notice of withdrawal for the Obama administration’s rule defining which waters can be protected against pollution and destruction under…
Comments on New River Pollution ‘Variance’ Rule
Last week we submitted technical comments to the Montana Board of Environmental Review opposing the Dept. of Environmental Quality’s draft new ‘variance’ rule allegedly implementing Senate Bill 325 of the 2015 Legislative Session. Click here to read our technical…
Big Sky’s Big Water Challenges
For the past 6 months Upper Missouri Waterkeeper has been an official stakeholder in the ‘Big Sky Sustainable Water Solutions Forum.’ The Forum was created as a means to gather community input on how Big Sky can best address the diverse…
Comment on Montana’s Triennial Review of Water Quality Standards
Every three years the state of Montana must open up its water quality standards for rivers, lakes, and streams and review, revise, develop or adopt changes necessary to protect public health and welfare, enhance the quality of water, and serve the…
Update: Yellowstone Club Wastewater Spill and Steps Moving Forward
The illegal 35 million gallon wastewater discharge in the Gallatin River has stopped, but the larger issues of how Big Sky grows and addresses wastewater, stormwater, and landscape pollution remain. Update 1: The Spill Has Stopped As of early Monday,…
New Comments on Black Butte Copper Mine Application
It’s been a little over two months since Tintina Resources submitted an application to Montana DEQ to open a copper mine near the headwaters of the Smith River. The mining permit application contains all the technical data from tests and…
Update on “Waters of the United States” Litigation
WOTUS UPDATE The “WOTUS” rule, EPA’s and the Army Corps of Engineers’ rule re-defining Waters of the United States under the Clean Water Act has been challenged by environmental groups — including Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, the Waterkeeper Alliance, other individual…
Lawsuit Challenges Pollution Loopholes & Exemptions in New, Federal Clean Water Rule
For Immediate Release, July 22, 2015 Contact: Guy Alsentzer, Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, 406-570-2202, guy@uppermissouriwaterkeeper.org Tina Posterli, Waterkeeper Alliance, 516-526-9371, tposterli@waterkeeper.org Adam Keats, Center for Food Safety, 415-826-2770, akeats@centerforfoodsafety.org Brett Hartl, Center for Biological Diversity, (202) 817-8121, bhartl@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Challenges Pollution…