Environment

Federal environmental regulators Thursday repealed the bedrock finding that climate change endangers human health. It authorized the EPA to regulate planet-warming emissions as part of the Clean Air Act and to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks. Experts say the repeal will worsen climate change and have a negative impact on industries across the state.

Water watchdog groups and tribes are suing federal environmental regulators. The suit challenges the federal approval of Montana’s new water quality standards.

Thousands of Montanans are petitioning the federal government to hold public meetings on a proposal to rescind roadless protections. The change would impact more than 6 million acres of forest lands across the state.

Court denies request to halt Montana GOP operations amid lawsuit from party members. Wildlife officials seek information on illegal introduction of non-native pike to a Kalispell pond.

The deadline to decide on whether grizzly bears will remain under federal protection has been pushed back by a year. The U.S.. Fish and Wildlife Service was originally court-ordered to make a decision by the end of January, but last Friday, a federal judge extended that deadline to the end of the year.

Montana’s largest utility is planning how it’s going to generate power and meet rising demand in the era of data centers. The company is now soliciting public feedback on that draft plan. MTPR’s Ellis Juhlin attended a recent meeting in Missoula and reports.

Montana’s largest utility has released a draft plan of how it will generate power for the next two decades. It’s soliciting public comments on that plan in meetings across the state.

Wetlands make up just 3% of total land in Montana. But new research finds their benefits have much larger ripple effects.

Researchers at the University of Montana found people’s attitudes about wolves are fairly neutral regardless of their political beliefs. But when participants answered questions about political beliefs and then wolves, attitudes changed in a big way.

To meet climate goals, some organizations use a mechanism called carbon offsets to counteract some of their emissions. Money raised by a voluntary carbon offset program at the University of Montana is being used to cap abandoned oil and gas wells.