The proposed expansion of a gravel pit south of Lolo remains in limbo while the county has asked the pit owners and the neighbors to try to find a solution.
The EPA estimates the new standards will, by 2028, reduce emissions of fine particulate matter by 770 tons, reduce mercury emissions by 1,000 pounds, and stop thousands of other tons of greenhouse gases from being sent into the atmosphere.
The four bills would force the withdrawal of a recent Bureau of Land Management rule that would allow leases for conservation, remove mining restrictions near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters, delist the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act and block federal bans on lead ammunition.
Missoula County hopes to notch a number of conditions over the proposed expansion of a gravel pit in the Bitterroot Valley, including a bond for reclamation and a specific date for when the mine would sunset.
Karen Knudsen and Andrew Gorder write, "Regardless of political affiliation, zip code, line of work, or guiding values, we are intrinsically connected to one another by a common need for clean and abundant water."
The Environmental Justice Clinic this week filed an amicus brief with the Montana Supreme Court, joining the fight to ensure that the landmark Held v. State of Montana ruling of last year is upheld in the face of the state's appeal.
A University of Montana poll indicates that the high growth the state has experienced over the past five years has made Montanans even more supportive of conservation efforts.