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Montana News
- 11/11/08 - Fidelity Violating Permit With Water Tests
- 10/28/08 - Got Weeds? These Sheep Will Make House Calls
- 10/21/08 - Voting Protection Victories and Voting Rights Threats
- 10/21/08 - East Helena Looks for Ways to Protect Health Post-Asarco
- 10/09/08 - Progressive States Network Voter Suppression Update
- 10/07/08 - EPA Talked Out of Declaring Public-Health Emergency in Asbestos-Ridden Town, Libby Montana
- 09/25/08 - EPA Scuttled Libby Emergency Declaration
- 09/05/08 - Monsanto Successfully Intimidates Missouri Farmers for 'Crime' of Seed Saving
- 08/22/08 - Grassroots Direct Action: San Francisco Voters Nov. 4 Will Tell Their Congress Reps to Defund the War
- 08/17/08 - Climate Change Is Already Affecting the West's Water
- 07/24/08 - Has Your Town Declared Peace Yet?
- 07/21/08 - Healthy MT Environment Key to Healthy Economy
- 07/02/08 - Oil and Gas Drilling on Public Lands Reaches New High
- 06/30/08 - States Taking Initiative on Environmental & Climate Crisis while Feds Do Little or Nothing
- 06/24/08 - Harry Reid Puts Mining Reform in a Deep Hole
- 06/11/08 - Move Over MoveOn: Grassroots Netroots Alliance (GNA) Launches New Progressive Campaign to 'Press the Politicians'
- 05/15/08 - Center for American Progress: What Are You Paying for the War?
- 04/22/08 - Want to be a leader in the local-food movement? Join Montana's FoodCorps!
- 04/15/08 - Wal-Mart Lists Area Contractors
- 04/02/08 - As Fight For Water Heats Up, Prized Fish Suffer
- 03/31/08 - Into the Breach - Clark Fork, Blackfoot Rivers Punch Through Milltown Dam
- 03/26/08 - Battle Lines Shift For War On Fire
- 03/20/08 - Program Teaches Dentists to Recycle Fillings
- 03/20/08 - Toxic Mud Is Being Removed in Montana
- 03/14/08 - EPA Approves Montana Water Standards
- 03/13/08 - WR Grace Company Agrees to Pay Record $250 Million in Superfund Cleanup Costs
- 03/07/08 - Camelina Biofuel Development Center Slated for Bozeman
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Tell your Representatives to Support Legislation Opposing New Coal Plants
Please write your representatives and ask the to support H.R. 5575, the "Moratorium on Uncontrolled Power Plants Act." H.R. 5575 was introduced by Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Rep Edward J. Markey, chairs of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H.R. 5575 places a moratorium on the issuance of permits to new coal-fired that are not equipped with state-of-the-art control technology to capture the plant's carbon dioxide emissions. The bill also prevents coal-fired plants without state-of-the-art control technology from obtaining free or discounted emissions allowances.
Here in Montana Southern Montana Electric Generation and Transmission (SME) has been trying to get financing for a new coal-fired plant, the Highwood Generating Station. This plant would emit 3 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.
There have been some positive developments; on February 19th The Agricultural Department’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced that it has suspended its low-interest lending for building new coal-fired plants, which means RUS will not be lending SME money for the Highwood Plant. However, SME is still searching for other ways to finance the plant and could still succeed in building the Highwood plant. Passage of H.R. 5575 is very important because it would mean that would that plants like this couldn't go forwards here in Montana, and around the county.
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H.R. 5575
Updated 7/16/07
Legislative Roundup: Montana Meltdown
(From Progressive States Network)
If the states above highlight solid leadership on progressive change, Montana's failed legislative session shows what happens when rightwing legislators play politics with working families' lives.
As we described earlier in the year, the Montana Senate passed first-in-the-nation Tax Disclosure legislation, but, like almost all progressive legislation this year, it died in the state House, blocked by that chamber's rightwing leadership who were fixated on insane proposals such as eliminating all $3 billion in state health and human services programs.
With fringe craziness like this, it's hardly surprising that budget discussions ended up in deadlock with the leader of the House going into a tirade telling the Governor to "stick it up his ass" (to the applause of his fellow caucus members and the outrage of most of the Montana public). With the regular session ending without a budget, the legislature will need to reconvene in special session, but it's clear that Montana will need new House leadership before any real reforms can be enacted.
Take Action. Support Green Jobs!
The Green Jobs Act of 2007 authorized $125 million per year to create an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Worker Training Program as an amendment to the Workforce Investment Act (WIA). The Green Jobs Act (GJA) is an initial pilot program to identify needed skills, develop training programs, and train workers for jobs in a range of industries - including energy efficient building, construction and retrofits, renewable electric power, energy efficient vehicles, biofuels, and manufacturing that produces sustainable products and uses sustainable processes and materials. It targets a broad range of populations for eligibility, but has a special focus on creating "green pathways out of poverty."
Congress has not yet appropriated money for the Green Jobs Act. Please contact your Senator today and urge them to fund the Green Jobs Act of 2007!
Read more at Green for All's web site.
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