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- 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
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- Must attend! Stillwater County Planning Board: Wednesday, August 7, 7pm
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Tag Archives: Montana Environmental Information Center
Montana coalition sues BOGC over fracking chemical disclosure
A coalition of Montana property owners, public health advocates, and conservation groups today filed a legal challenge to the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC), which refused last September to grant the public greater access to information about the chemicals used in fracking.
Many chemicals used in fracking are toxic or carcinogenic to humans, who may be exposed to the chemicals through surface spills of fracking fluids, groundwater contamination, and chemical releases into the air. As we often show on this site, numerous studies have documented adverse health effects in people who live or use water wells near fracking operations.
In 2011 the BOGC put rules in place regarding chemical disclosure. These rules have two major shortcomings:
1. They allow oil and gas operators to withhold the identities of specific chemicals they use for fracking from the Board and the public until after fracking occurs.
2. Even after fracking occurs, operators may continue to withhold the identity of any fracking chemical information they claim is a trade secret. They can do this, according to the rules, without providing any evidence demonstrating that withheld chemical information actually qualifies as a trade secret under state law and with no oversight by the BOGC.
To read more about the lawsuit, click the link. Continue reading
Time for the Montana Board of Oil and Gas to act on fracking chemical disclosure
Last week a coalition of environmental organizations, landowners and public health advocates petitioned the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) to provide broader public disclosure of information about the chemicals used in fracking.
The proposals are common sense reforms that would protect landowners from potential harm. As Katherine O’Brien, the Earthjustice attorney who drafted the petition on behalf of the coalition put it, “Montanans have the right to know what is being pumped into the ground around their homes, farms, and ranches.”
While the Montana press has reacted favorably to the proposed changes, the oil and gas industry opposes the changes, citing their oft-repeated and always incorrect mantra, “Fracking is safe.”
The Board of Oil and Gas needs to take this opportunity to protect Montana’s residents.
To read more, click the link. Continue reading
Montana temperatures have risen 2.6° over the last century
Click to see a chart from the Montana Climate Office at the University of Montana depicting the temperature rise in the state from 1895-2012. Continue reading
Catching up on some items that have been sent to me and other things I’ve been meaning to post: Work has now started on the ECA well in Belfry. A local resident reports, ““I drove up there and sure enough … Continue reading
Missoulian: Environmental group sues Montana AG over ‘fracking’ documents
According to the February 1, 2014 Missoulian, the Montana Environmental Information Center (MEIC) has filed suit against Attorney General Tim Fox over Fox’s failure to disclose documents related to his support of a letter protesting federal efforts to regulate fracking. … Continue reading
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