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Let environmental board know farmers come first

By George Nell

On Friday, Dec. 6, the Montana Board of Environmental Review met at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) office in Helena. The main item on the agenda was to decide whether or not to set sodium and electrical conductivity levels for the Tongue, Powder, and Little Powder rivers, along with Rosebud Creek and their tributaries in southeastern Montana. This is an area which may soon be involved in coalbed methane development, which will add unwanted salts and minerals to these waters that are used by farmers to irrigate their crops.


 The energy industry has heavily lobbied the Board of Environmental Review and the DEQ to set high sodium limits or none at all. It would cost them more money to either reinject the saltwater back into the ground, or to treat the wastewater from coalbed methane development. The irrigators and Northern Plains Resource Council filed a detailed petition months ago that told the board exactly why the salt and electrical conductivity levels need to be set. If sodium levels are too high it will at the very least reduce crop productivity and do irreversible damage to the soils, rendering them useless for growing any kind of crop.

Unfortunately, the Board of Environmental Review decided to delay its decision because it needed more information, even though the petition that was filed contained all the facts they needed to make a good and educated decision. By the end of the meeting it appeared that the board is leaning towards at least setting some water quality standards for these rivers, but probably at levels that will cut crop production and possibly put farmers out of business.

Please let the Montana Board of Environmental Review know that they should protect the livelihood of these farmers. If the energy companies are allowed to operate without safeguards for the environment, there will be permanent damage to our waters and lands. We are not saying that coalbed methane development shouldn't be done, but that it should be done right.

George Nell

952 Highway 89 South

Gardiner

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