Montana conservationists say water quality near coal mines needs protection

Two conservation groups representing citizens and landowners in southeastern Montana filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that the state Department of Environmental Quality is not doing enough to protect streams from coal mining.

Attorneys for Coalition Members Montana Environmental Information Center and the Sierra Club sued in U.S. District Court in Helena over Colorado-based Westmoreland Coal Co. plans to expand the Rosebud mine near Colstrip…

Read the full article at GreatFallsTribune.com

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Columbia River salmon plans: The judge is not amused

The Seattle Times Editorial page weighs in on Judge Redden’s ruling. U.S. District Court Judge James Redden issued a 24-page ruling Tuesday that slapped down another federal plan for operating the economic interests of the Columbia and Snake rivers, while working to save endangered fish.

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Federal Judge Rules for Columbia and Snake River Salmon

U.S. District Court Judge James Redden ruled today that the NOAA Fisheries Service again failed to produce a legal and scientific plan to protect imperiled Columbia-Snake River salmon from harm caused by the operation of federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Today’s court action – which has been ongoing for almost a decade – is a landmark decision for fishing and conservation groups, the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce and Spokane tribes, all of which have opposed the federal biological opinion, or BiOp, in court.

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The Missoulian: Decoupling, inverted block rates can help energy consumers

A recent op-ed in the Missoulian discusses how the current NorthWestern Energy rate case provides two exciting opportunities for saving energy and reducing people’s power bills.

The Montana Public Service Commission is now considering a pair of company-supported proposals that promise long-lasting benefits for consumers and particularly for low-income Montanans.

Read the full article online at The Missoulian. Read More

Missoulian Op-Ed: Renewable energy works for Montana

Complaints about the supposedly high costs of renewable energy by political pundits and candidates around the state are vastly misleading and need correction. In an Oct. 11 Missoulian story, Public Service Commission candidate Bill Gallagher is quoted as saying that renewable energy in Montana has raised electricity rates “without generating any real benefits.” Meanwhile, PSC candidate Travis Kavulla claims that renewable energy requirements for our utilities are “going to add costs to the consumer without adding any real value for them.” Let’s set the record straight…

Read the full Op-Ed online at The Missoulian.

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