Water Quality

EPA Rules Against Montana’s New Water Quality Standards

Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality disapproving of core sections of Senate Bill 358 which replaced numeric nutrient standards of Montana water with more subjective narrative standards. Northern News Network’s Eric Young reports.

Montana Receives Federal Funding For Mine Cleanup Efforts

Out of nearly $725 million in federal funding available this fiscal year for 22 states and the Navajo Nation to reclaim abandoned coal mines and cleanup of acid mine drainage, Montana’s share is $4,602,000. The funding is considered key to removing toxic metals and returning fish and wildlife to waterways that haven’t been vibrant ...

Montana DEQ Exploring Changes For Water-Quality Standards

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is considering new rules for a law passed in 2021 that changed water quality standards and opponents say it could roll back current standards across the state. Andrew Gorder with the Clark Fork Coalition says the state needs the ones being used now to protect waterways that are essential to Monta...

New Water Quality Standards May Not Address Suburban Impact

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is considering new rules for a law passed in 2021 that changed water-quality standards, which opponents say could roll back those standards across the state. Former Helena public works director John Lundquist says wastewater from Montana’s growing suburban development is a major source of nutrien...