This bill declares that the Montana Department of Environmental Quality has full authority over air quality, water quality, and emissions standards for existing fossil fuel-fired electric generating units within the state. It designates the department as the sole oversight and permitting authority for coal, natural gas, and oil power plants currently operating in Montana, while asserting that federal agencies lack authority to regulate these facilities without significant economic investment from owners and ratepayers. The legislation includes a contingency clause that would void the bill if the federal Environmental Protection Agency repeals specific rules from May 2024, and it takes effect immediately upon passage and approval.
This bill allows industrial facilities and other permitted water polluters in Montana to receive credits, known as nutrient pollutant loading offsets, when they reduce nutrient pollution in local watersheds. These credits enable facilities to legally discharge more nutrients or reduce pollution from other sources, provided the overall nutrient load in the watershed decreases. The law sets specific credit values based on where pollution reductions occur, awarding full credits for point source reductions, 80% for upstream nonpoint source reductions, and 50% for downstream nonpoint source reductions. It also directs the state environmental department to establish standardized credit amounts for conservation projects like riparian fencing, wetland development, and septic system removal. The bill requires the department to update existing policies and regulations to implement this nutrient trading system.
This bill allows Montana cities and towns to independently review and approve the design and construction of public water and sewer systems, including modifications to existing infrastructure. To exercise this authority, municipalities must hire or contract with a licensed professional engineer and establish a formal review program. The bill also requires these local review processes to comply with state environmental policies, property takings rules, and water quality standards. This change gives local governments more direct control over infrastructure projects within their jurisdictions while maintaining oversight through existing state regulations.
This bill revises Montana's lakeshore protection laws to clarify definitions and strengthen enforcement for unauthorized work near lakes. It directly affects property owners, contractors, and local governments by establishing clearer rules for what constitutes a lake and lakeshore, requiring permits for construction activities, and allowing local authorities to issue stop-work orders. Key provisions include a 90-day timeline for permit decisions, the ability to require surety bonds to cover potential restoration costs, and new penalties that can include fines up to $10,000 for repeat offenders, jail time, and property liens for unpaid restoration costs. The bill also encourages cooperation between multiple governing bodies that share jurisdiction over the same lake.
This bill (LC 3867) aimed to revise state laws governing public funding for wastewater treatment facilities, which would have directly affected local municipalities and public utilities managing these systems. However, the bill was drafted but never advanced beyond the initial drafting phase, as it "died in process" on May 23, 2025. The context provides no details about specific provisions, mechanisms, or policy changes the bill would have implemented. Since the bill was not enacted or debated, no concrete policy changes were made. No further information about its intended scope or effects is available in the provided records.
HB 6 implements the Renewable Resource Grant and Loan Program by appropriating funds to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). The bill allocates specific amounts for various grant types, including emergency projects, planning, irrigation development, private projects, and nonpoint source pollution reduction. Additionally, it appropriates $5.25 million for prioritized infrastructure grant projects to specific cities, towns, and water districts for improvements to wastewater systems, drinking water infrastructure, and stormwater control. Funds for these prioritized projects are awarded in a specified order until available money is expended.
Senate Bill 365 revises the capacity requirements for siltation structures at strip and underground mines in Montana. The bill amends Section 82-4-231, MCA, which outlines the process for mine operators to submit and obtain approval for reclamation plans. It grants rulemaking authority to the relevant department to establish specific requirements for these structures. The changes aim to ensure effective water control measures are included in reclamation plans to prevent damages from soil erosion and water pollution.
SB 460 would have required Montana's Department of Environmental Quality to ensure protection of surface and groundwater from open-cut mining operations. The bill amended state law to specifically mandate the department adopt rules for permits, records, and inspections, and to enforce water quality and quantity standards during mining activities. This would directly affect open-cut mining operations statewide by imposing new regulatory requirements on their water protection measures. The bill did not advance beyond committee and died in the 2025 legislative session.
This bill requires property owners or entities with structures (like dams or bridges) in natural, perennial streams to either remove them within one year after stopping use or pay a $5,000 fee plus provide a bond covering removal and stream restoration costs. It directly affects anyone maintaining structures in Montana's streams, including landowners, developers, or businesses. The key mechanism sets a clear deadline for removal or mandates financial security ($5,000 fee + bond) to ensure stream restoration. The law defines "stream" as natural, perennial waterways, their beds, and immediate banks, and directs its implementation under Montana's existing water code.
LC 3522, titled "Generally revise water quality standards," was a bill intended to update state regulations governing clean water levels in rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. It would have directly affected water quality regulators, industrial facilities, and wastewater treatment plants by changing the specific pollution limits they must meet. The bill's key mechanism involved revising numerical thresholds for contaminants like nutrients and chemicals to align with updated scientific research. However, the bill died in process on May 23, 2025, and never became law, so no policy changes were implemented.
