Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC

09/10/2026

The Columbia Gold Project by Australian mining company, Sentinel Metals, has started its aggressive gold mining exploration on the headwaters of the Blackfoot River near Lincoln, MT. The project has been framed as a minor exploration amendment, but this ignores the reality of a budding full-scale gold mine.

The Blackfoot is known for its exceptional fishery, outdoor recreation opportunities, and cultural heritage. Compromising this proud legacy for a mining company to suck profit out of the ground is a fool's errand that risks leaving the Blackfoot forever polluted and Montana worse off economically.

This disturbing news is a wake-up call for Montanans that we need to, once again, stand up and say, the Blackfoot River is more precious than gold.

Learn more: https://meic.org/gold-mining-threatens-the-blackfoot-river-again/

09/09/2026

Missoula folks! Next week we're teaming up with the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) for this special screening!

SHARED WATERS is ICL's new documentary exploring the effort to protect the Kootenai River watershed from pollution caused by mountaintop removal coal mining in British Columbia.

Kootenai Tribe of Idaho Vice Chairman Gary Aitken Jr. will join for a Q&A after the film.

Join the Idaho Conservation League (ICL) in partnership with Montana Environmental Information Center for the premiere of Shared Waters, ICL’s new documentary exploring the effort to protect the Kootenai River watershed from pollution caused by mountaintop removal coal mining in British Columbia. ...

09/08/2026

Has your electricity bill spiked recently? A lot of Montanans are asking why their recent NorthWestern Energy bill went up. The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) said they are working with NorthWestern Energy to “investigate the cause of increased energy bills.”

But these increases didn’t come out of nowhere... Here’s what is actually jacking up Montanans’ energy bills.

Watch our YouTube video to see how NorthWestern keeps getting away with raising our rates: https://youtu.be/avu63q9n6BE?si=JGx1R5WazdXKTBrb

09/08/2026

Gov. Gianforte and his Energy Task Force shared recommendations for Montana's energy plan and it was mediocre to say the least.

They are:
😠still focusing on prioritizing expensive and risky fossil fuel and nuclear generation resources
👎they want to invest in gas transmission systems (this would bake unnecessary costs and environmental harm into Montana’s energy system for decades)
😒they are calling for "economic development," which is a euphemism for "build more data centers"
💩they're looking at a new tax framework, which likely means more tax breaks to data centers and fossil fuel energy developers.

We recommend the Energy Task Force do better.

Members of a state task force on energy say Montana is at an “energy crossroads,” and they’ve unveiled a list of recommendations for how state leaders can start preparing.

09/07/2026

A new player in the data center fight has entered the arena. Nearly 200 people in the MAHA movement wrote a letter to Pres. Trump, criticizing his support of coal to power data centers, citing concerns about coal ash and the health and safety of communities that live near them.

Nearly 200 activists in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s “Make America Healthy Again” movement are criticizing President Donald Trump's promotion of coal to power artificial intelligence data centers.

09/04/2026

If Bill Gates is concerned about AI, that must warrant a bigger conversation about data centers...

In an hourlong interview, he said his industry was downplaying the risks, which he believes include mass unemployment and bioterrorism.

09/03/2026

MEIC and the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper are planning to sue the EPA over lack of action on Montana's water quality standards.

Derf Johnson, MEIC's Deputy Director, said, “Protection of clean water is a primary responsibility of the EPA, but instead it is letting Montana weaken our water quality standards and degrade our water. It’s no surprise, considering the people in charge, but nonetheless disappointing as clean water is absolutely critical for Montana’s environment and economy.”

09/02/2026

Drinking water in two different Helena schools tested positive for PFAS, according to a news release from Helena Public Schools. While Montana DEQ still has to directly test the well source, it's concerning, especially given that earlier this year, PBS found that Montana fish had enough PFAS in them to merit a consumption ban in some parts of the state.

MEIC has been advocating for stronger PFAS regulations at the EQC, as seen in this video of our Deputy Director, Derf Johnson: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1297459029043533

A singular interior faucet has tested positive for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as "forever chemicals," at Rossiter Elementary School in Helena.