Tag Archives: Montana legislature

The Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation does not protect citizens from the damage done by oil and gas drilling. Here’s what local communities can do about it.

Posted on December 3, 2015 by davidjkatz

A small item on the Board of Oil and Gas Conservation docket for the organization’s December 9 meeting provides just a hint of major problems with the BOGC.

This state agency does not adequately enforce its existing laws and regulations with regard to oil and gas, and the problem has worsened as the Bakken oil boom has increased demands on the BOGC. If Montana residents want to protect themselves from the damage caused by oil and gas operations, they need to create their own local regulations.

Click to read the damning results of a 2011 Montana Legislature audit of the BOCG, and a report that shows the resources just aren’t there to enforce existing regulations. Continue reading →

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There have been 66 oil-related spills and 8 oil fires in Montana so far this year

Posted on July 3, 2015 by davidjkatz

Click to read BOGC report. Photo: Montana Board of Oil and Gas According to data published by the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC), in 2015 there have been a total of 74 “undesirable” oil-related incidents in Montana … Continue reading →

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You’ve probably never heard of the Wilks brothers. They’re about to take away your property rights.

Posted on June 9, 2015 by davidjkatz

Will you be surprised when the Wilkses fund a 2017 legislative effort in Montana to strip local communities of their right to regulate what happens on their own land?

You shouldn’t be. Continue reading →

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Montana legislature to eastern Montana: your infrastructure, your problem

Posted on May 1, 2015 by davidjkatz

The Montana legislature has failed once again to pass a bill that would support the increased infrastructure needs caused by oil and gas drilling in eastern Montana. As the semi-annual legislative session closed this week, two bills that would have … Continue reading →

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Guest Post: Why Silvertip landowners filed suit against the Carbon County Commissioners

Posted on February 20, 2015 by davidjkatz

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 →

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We need local control of oil and gas drilling

Posted on February 3, 2015 by davidjkatz

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 →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments