District Judge Kathy Seeley in 2016 ordered the state Department of Environmental Quality to reconsider the permit for the Rosebud strip mine, which fuels the nearby Colstrip power plant.
Studies show people with asthma can experience problems following just five minutes of exposure to air with elevated sulfur dioxide levels, the EPA concluded.
After the announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday rolling back what has been called federal overreach by former President Obama’s Waters of the U.S. rule, Environment Montana issued a press release condemning the decision.
A report by the Montana Environmental Information Center and Environment Montana states that in one instance, Western Energy's Rosebud Coal Mine in eastern Montana exceeded the allowed amount of pollution into area waterways by up to 19,500 percent.
With temperatures in Arizona and parts of California over 120 degrees, an environmental group in Montana is urging government officials to embrace renewable energy.