Legal Expert on Fracking Has Advice for Montana Communities
Thursday, November 13, 2014
BILLINGS, Mont. - A legal expert on "local control" is speaking in Montana on Saturday about how local laws can help communities protect themselves against fracking and other oil and gas development.
Attorney Helen Slottje's legal research has inspired more than 200 communities around the country to adopt policies to control development, and the laws have been held up in court. Slottje says the oil and gas industry fights the local laws on every front, and enlists big names for their cause.
"It's interesting, and ironic, to watch conservatives try to explain why all of the sudden the state, or better yet the federal government, should be making these decisions and not local communities," she says.
According to Slottje, residents of small towns usually do not want their communities to become industrialized, and even a promise of jobs doesn't make the idea of more traffic and temporary residents appealing. Slottje is speaking at the 43rd annual Northern Plains Resource Council meeting in Billings.
Slottje is helping any interested community pursue how they can step in and take control, even when they think they have no rights. Some states have passed laws attempting to overrule local decisions that would control, or even ban, fracking - but they don't hold up in court.
"That's what this is really all about," she says. "People being in charge of their own communities."
Slottje is the 2014 winner of the Goldman Prize, which honors grassroots environmental heroes - one from each continent, each year.
get more stories like this via email
Health and Wellness
A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …
Social Issues
Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …
Social Issues
Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…
Social Issues
A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …
Social Issues
Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …
Social Issues
Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…