May 10, 2012 in Helena: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to Discuss Trapping of Wolves

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will hold a meeting to discuss the trapping of wolves. The agenda will be set about ten days prior to the meeting, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day on May 10, 2012. Please write to addresses below protesting the trapping of wolves.

Please plan to attend this important meeting. MFWP has informally decided to trap wolves, but we can stop it.

For updates, go to www.footloosemontana.org.

Write MFWP Commissioners TODAY!

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks 1420 East Sixth Avenue P.O. Box 200701 Helena, MT 59620-0701 Phone: (406) 444-2535 Fax: (406) 444-4952

E-mail: fwpgen@mt.gov

FWP Commissioners at fwpcomm@mt.gov. FWP Director Joe Maurier at jmaurier@mt.gov COPY, Governor Schweitzer at governor@mt.gov

• FWP Commissioner Ron Moody at Couleeking@hotmail.com
• FWP Commissioner Bob Ream at bobream@mt.net

Tell EPA to reduce life-threatening air pollution in Montana!

Public Hearings in Helena May 1^st, and Billings May 2^nd

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding two Public Hearings on its plan to reduce haze-causing air pollution in Montana. The plan is supposed to reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter from industrial facilities including coal-fired power plants. These pollutants are unhealthy to breathe.

Unfortunately, the EPA appears to be giving a green light to an out-of-state corporation to pollute Montana’s air and avoid investing in clean-up technology. The Colstrip coal-fired power plant in SE Montana emits more of these harmful pollutants than Montana’s next 9 largest emitters combined! There is cost effective technology being used at hundreds of coal plants across the country — including in Montana — that would greatly reduced these dangerous pollutants BUT.... the EPA is not requiring it!

Help send the EPA a clear message: Modern pollution controls like Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) MUST BE REQUIRED at coal-burning power plants in Montana!

Please Attend the Hearing nearest you!

Tuesday May 1st Helena: Lewis & Clark Library, 120 S. Last Chance Gulch, 2:00 - 5:30 & 6:30 - 9:00

Wednesday May 2nd Billings: MSU Campus, 2804 3rd ave N., meeting rm. Broadway III-A, 1:00 - 5:00 & 6:00 - 8:00

Buses, vans and/or carpools for evening sessions, are planned from Missoula (for Helena) and from Bozeman (for Helena & Billings)* Transportation & RSVP - PLEASE CONTACT: Bob Clark, Missoula at 549-1142, bob.clark@sierraclub.org or Mike Scott, Billings at 839-3333, mike.scott@sierraclub.org.

* Buses/vans will provide complimentary meal & beverages!

Montanans deserve the best! Let’s make sure we don’t get stuck with sub-standard pollution controls....

Comments Needed on EPA Regional Haze Plan for Montana

In Montana, being a good neighbor means more than just being polite and keeping the lawn mowed or changing a tire for a stranger on a dark night. It means doing unto those downwind as you would have done to yourself.

However, the good old boys from Pennsylvania Power and Light (PPL), the operators of Colstrip Power Plant, don’t seem to share these values.

Instead of protecting Montana from their dirty pollution by upgrading Colstrip with 21st century pollution controls they are lobbying the EPA to pass weak coal pollution standards.

Fortunately, the EPA is taking comments on a draft regional haze plan for Montana, Unfortunately, the current draft doesn’t require Pennsylvania Power & Light (PPL) invest in strong pollution control technology. Click here to tell the EPA to protect Montanan’s from dirty coal pollution and pass strong Regional Haze standards for Montana. Across the country over 200 coal-fired power plants have installed strong pollution controls. This technology works much like a catalytic converter on your car keeping dangerous toxic gas from spewing into the air.

But PPL refuses to upgrade its facilities like others -- content to continue polluting our Big Sky, with noxious gas that threatens our health and air quality.

The good news is we still have time to influence the draft regional haze plan from the EPA. Colstrip’s owners have a ton of money and lobbyists on their side, but we have something even better, the voices of people like you. Tell the EPA to implement strong Regional Haze standards for Montana.

Thanks for all you do for the environment,

Mike Scott Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign P.S. - We need to get as many comments to the EPA as possible, so please forward this to your friends after you have taken action.

Clean Air Act at Risk — Action Needed!

By Bob Clark, Organizing Representative, Missoula Field Office

As 2011 winds down, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) efforts to curtail dangerous toxic pollution by adopting common-sense pollution safeguards to protect public health, are in jeopardy. Clean air advocates were disappointed by the Obama Administration’s delay of the Greenhouse Gas and Smog standards in September. So, it is now more important than ever for the EPA to adopt strong mercury and air toxics protections as well as a strong Regional Haze Plan.

Mercury is a significant threat to public health and dirty coal-fired power plants are the number one source of mercury pollution in the United States. According to EPA studies, the mercury contamination problem in the U.S. is so widespread that as many as one in six women of childbearing age is likely to have mercury levels in her blood high enough to put her baby at risk. There are 49 waterbodies in Montana that have been determined by the MT Department of Environmental Quality to be “impaired and threatened waterbodies in need of water quality restoration” due to mercury contamination. These waterbodies, located in 20 different counties, comprise 418,837 lake acres and 1,235 river miles.

The good news is that we already have the technology to clean up mercury pollution by 90%. By enacting a strong federal standard we will reduce mercury in the fish we eat quickly and significantly. Montana is one of 19 states that already has an emission standard for mercury. However, mercury pollution knows no boundaries and can travel hundreds of miles, so it is important to have a strong nation-wide standard for mercury. Additionally, the Mercury and Air Toxics standard is projected to create 31,000 short-term and 9,000 long-term jobs for ironworkers, pipefitters, electricians, and boilermakers.

The EPA is also working on a Regional Haze Plan that would protect public health and improve air quality in National Parks and Wilderness Areas. The plan could require Montana’s largest polluters, like the Colstrip and Corette power plants, to control Particulate Matter, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide emissions. These pollutants cause serious respiratory illnesses yet affordable technology exists today that would significantly decrease these emissions. The final rule is due by June 2012 and has the potential to significantly improve air quality in our state.

Unfortunately, these public health safeguards have been under constant attack by industry and members of Congress (such as Rep. Denny Rehberg), who are putting the profits of Big Oil and Coal, above public health. It is critical that we prevent Congress from interfering with EPA’s progress and ensure that the Obama administration finalizes these much needed safeguards.

Contact our Senators’ offices and urge them to protect the Clean Air Act and EPA’s authority to protect public health!

• Senator Max Baucus: (202) 224-2651, or e-mail comments at: http://baucus.senate.gov
• Senator Jon Tester: (202) 224-2644, or e-mail comments at: http://tester.senate.gov

Contact Congressman Rehberg’s office and tell him to Clean Up his Act: (202) 225-3211 or e-mail comments at: http://rehberg.house.gov

For more information, visit: http://www.sierraclub.org/stoppolluters/ or contact Sierra Club’s Missoula field office at 406-549-1142.

Take Action - Safe Chemicals Act

The Safe Chemicals Act of 2011, would require that chemicals be evaluated for safety before they're placed in products. The Bill was recently reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. We're helping fellow supporters to convince Senators Baucus and Tester to co-sponsor this critical legislation, and we need your help. Montana plays an incredibly important role in determining the future of the Safe Chemicals Act because Senator Baucus sits on the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the committee in which the legislation has been introduced.

Womens Voices for the Earth is gathering petition signatures asking Senators Baucus and Tester to co-sponsor the Safe Chemicals Act. The Montana Chapter of the Sierra Club proudly endorses this legislation! Please sign the petition Today!

Click Here to Comment Today.
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