FORT BENTON, Mont. – In October 2016, Leonard Higgins and four other activists concerned about the imminent impact of climate change took action into their own hands to stop it. Known collectively as the "valve turners," the five climate activists shut off oil pipeline emergency valves acros

LIBBY, Mont. – The Regulatory Accountability Act in the U.S. Senate follows the lead of President Trump and the House in changing how federal agencies make regulations. But Montana critics of the bill are concerned it would set the bar too high for passing regulations and weaken agencies' abil

HELENA, Mont. – After more than four years of urging, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has released draft rules to oversee the disposal of radioactive oil waste in the state. Since 2013, the Oaks Disposal facility near Glendive has been the destination for more than 250,000 to

BILLINGS, Mont. – Although the fate of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan is up in the air now that Donald Trump has been elected president, at least part of Colstrip's coal-fired power plant is still likely to close by 2022. Peter DeJesus, field coordinator for Western N

HELENA, Mont. — Two groups petitioned the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation on Tuesday, asking to close loopholes that they said keep landowners in the dark about potentially toxic chemicals being injected into the ground at drilling sites. Derf Johnson, water program director for th

COLSTRIP, Mont. - The dirty coal ash ponds at Colstrip that have been polluting the aquifer for decades will be replaced with a safer system by 2022, part of a settlement filed in court on Thursday. The owners have agreed to dehydrate the sludge in the bottom ash pits from Units 3 and 4 and dispose

BANEVILLE, Mont. - More than 6,000 Montanans live within a half-mile of the state's almost 9,800 oil and gas facilities, according to a new mapping tool released this week. Two nonprofit groups, Earthworks and the Clean Air Task Force, are behind the website, Oil and Gas Threat Map. It pinpoints loc

MISSOULA, Mont. – Conservation advocates are holding a rally in Missoula today in honor of the 46th annual Earth Day. They're celebrating the official signing today of the Paris Agreement on climate change at the U.N. in New York by about 150 countries, including the U.S. and China. Missou