-
Recent posts
- Beartooth landowners victorious in lawsuit against Stillwater County
- PLEASE NOTE: Change in Zoom access code for today’s hearing
- Action alert: Watch court hearing on Zoom, Thursday, 2:00 pm
- Action alert: Stillwater County Planning Board meeting, Wed, 9/4, 7pm
- Must attend! Stillwater County Planning Board: Wednesday, August 7, 7pm
Blog Archives
Click to see the Preserve the Beartooth Front video
Like on Facebook
Tag Archives: Billings Gazette
Billings Gazette Editorial: Montana can’t stake its future on coal
There was an interesting and unexpected editorial in this morning’s Billings Gazette, entitled “Montana can’t stake its future on coal.”
The central argument of the editorial is that US coal-fired power generation will continue to decline and be offset by an increase from renewable sources, so it makes no sense for Senator Daines and others to accuse the Administration of “killing coal,” as Daines did this week in Billings. Instead “Montana must look forward….We don’t want anyone to lose jobs, but in a dynamic economy jobs are lost and new jobs are created. Any Montana workers who will be displaced by changes in the coal and electrical industries deserve training and support to land good, new jobs.
“Montana’s leaders in government and business should host summits on energy diversification. Let’s figure out how to provide what energy customers want and how to best transition out of the energy they don’t want.”
This is an argument that we have been making on this site for years. Montanans need to recognize that the battle to prop up fossil fuels is lost. The transition to a clean energy economy may play out over years or decades, but it is time for the state’s leaders to step forward to put Montana at the forefront of that transition, not, as Senator Daines would have it, trying to beat a dying horse. Continue reading
Lee newspapers decide to stop covering state government. Here’s what you can do about it
“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” -Thomas Jefferson Lee Enterprises closes Helena bureau In a shocking … Continue reading
Guest Post: Why Silvertip landowners filed suit against the Carbon County Commissioners
by Bonnie Martinell I am one of a group of Belfry landowners who recently filed suit against the Carbon County Commissioners to vindicate our right to protect our property, health, and livelihoods through local action. On February 13, seven landowners … Continue reading
Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History
Tagged Billings Gazette, Bonnie Martinell, Carbon County Commissioners, Carbon County Growth Plan, citizen initiated zoning, clean and healthful environment, Energy Corporation of America, Montana Board of Oil and Gas, Montana legislature, Northern Plains Resource Council, Silvertip zone
4 Comments
We need local control of oil and gas drilling
I sometimes speak to Montanans who just don’t like the idea of local control of oil and gas drilling. “Regulation of oil and gas,” they say, “is a matter for state and federal governments. If you get local governments involved, … Continue reading
Billings Gazette Editorial: Landowners deserve protection before drilling starts
Published January 29, 2015 Most Montanans support responsible energy development, valuing clean air, water and land as well as the oil and gas that powers our travel and heats our homes. Where we often disagree is on the definition of … Continue reading
Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History
Tagged baseline water testing, Billings Gazette, bonding, Christine Kaufmann, closed loop system, House Bill 253, Mary McNally, Semate Bill 173, Senate Bill 172, Senate Bill 177, setbacks, Sharon Stewart-Peregoy, Virginia Court, water testing
2 Comments
What’s wrong with the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation
The Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) is not serving the needs of the people of the state and is in need of substantive reform. The current BOGC model may have worked better back in history when mineral extraction … Continue reading
Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History, Fracking Information
Tagged 48 hour rule, Belfry well, Billings Gazette, BOGC, Bonnie Martinell, Bret Smelser, Carbon County Resource Council, Charles Sangmeister, Energy Corporation of America, groundwater contamination, hearing, John Mork, Lawsuit, Linda King, Mark Quarles, Mineral rights, Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation, Northern Plains Resource Council, Peggy Nerud, split estate, Stillwater Protective Association, surface rights, Tom richmond, violations
48 Comments
Billings Gazette Letter to the Editor: Pete Dronkers
The following letter to the editor appeared in the Billings Gazette on April 18. As the letter makes clear, ECA is just another company out to exploit oil reserves without concern for the impact they have on the local community. … Continue reading