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Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

MT: Toxics

Wilderness areas comprise roughly 3.5 million acres of Montana's landmass, or almost 4%. (Adobe Stock)
MT seeks public input on environmental policy

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality wants to know what people think the state's next Environmental Policy Act should include. Critics …

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An increase in average global temperatures above 1.5 degrees Celsius risks sea-level rise, extreme weather and the loss of species and habitats, as well as food scarcity and increasing poverty for millions of people worldwide, according to ClientEarth. (Adobe Stock)
Montana Rolls Back Environmental Protections

Montana's environmental advocates are criticizing Gov. Greg Gianforte for signing a bill they said will allow the state to ignore the impacts of …

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There's a long history of mining across the Canadian province of British Columbia. (davidrh/Adobe Stock)
Tribes Say BC Mine Waste Threatens Water, Way of Life

Tribal representatives from across the Northwest are flying into Washington, D.C. this week to discuss how mine waste in British Columbia is …

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A photo from the top of the berm near the Smurfit-Stone site shows how close the Clark Fork River is. (Lisa Ronald/American Rivers)
Tour of Former Mill Site Underscores Dangers for MT River

Community members and conservation groups recently toured a former paper mill because of urgent concerns that the site poses a threat to a nearby Mont…

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Signers of a letter to NorthWestern Energy's chief executive want the company to move away from fossil fuels. (Winona Batemen)
Frustration Boils Over as MT Utility Doubles Down on Fossil Fuels

The clean-energy future needs to start now, according to some Montanans fighting to change the direction of the state's largest utility. Nearly 1,000…

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Outdoor recreation is the second-biggest economic driver in Montana. (melissadoar/Adobe Stock)
Conservation Advocates: Water-Quality Bill Could Sink MT Waterways

HELENA, Mont. -- Montana lawmakers have passed a measure to change how water quality is measured in the state. Supporters said it will reduce red …

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The coal ash ponds for retired Units 1 and 2 of Colstrip leak 400,000 gallons of contaminated water per day. (Western Organization of Resource Council)
Challenge to Colstrip Cleanup Plan Upsets MT Landowners

COLSTRIP, Mont. -- Many landowners in southeastern Montana are displeased with Talen Energy's decision to challenge a cleanup plan for Colstrip's …

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The International Energy Agency says countries need to reduce carbon pollution by 74% before 2030 to avoid a catastrophic rise in global temperatures. (Snap Happy/Adobe Stock)
Trump Administration Finalizes Coal-Friendly Emissions Rule

HELENA, Mont. – The Trump administration has finalized a rule that will roll back an Obama-era regulation to cut emissions from the United …

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A new report says extensive cleanup of Colstrip's coal-ash ponds would create more than twice as many jobs as current cleanup proposals. (Northern Plains Resource Council)
Report: Colstrip Cleanup Would Create Jobs, Save Groundwater

HELENA, Mont. – A thorough cleanup of the Colstrip Power Plant's coal-ash ponds could provide a major boost for the local economy, according to …

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Mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants dropped nearly 82 percent after the EPA put stricter emission limits in place in 2012. (Tim Evanson/Wikimedia Commons)
EPA to Undermine But Not Overturn Mercury-Emission Rule

HELENA, Mont. – The Trump administration is set to weaken standards limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired …

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Unlike some other states, Montana doesn't have setback limits mandating how far away wells must be from buildings and homes. (Northern Plains Resource Council)
Montanans Travel to Denver for Only Hearing on Methane Rule Rollback

HELENA, Mont. – The Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday held its only public hearing on a proposal to roll back regulations on methane …

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The defunct Mike Horse Mine must be perpetually treated so that it doesn't pollute the nearby Blackfoot River. (Earthworks/Flickr)
Ballot Initiative Would Hold Hard Rock Mines Responsible for Their Mess

HELENA, Mont. – Montana environmentalists and outdoor recreation businesses are looking to hold new hard rock mining companies accountable for …

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