Montana’s rivers and lakes threatened
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Editor,
A Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) report in 2020 determined that 35% of our river miles and 22% of our lake acres are impaired by harmful levels of nutrients. The fact is, these figures do not even include waters being polluted by industrial waste from coal fired power plant operations, radioactive wastes from fracking, wastes from mining activities, oil and gas leaks, pesticides, plastics, and pharmaceutical contaminants. Why would Montana’s GOP Legislators and Governor Gianforte risk further impacting our remaining high quality water resources by not using the best available tools to protect this invaluable resource? As a result of the recently passed Senate Bill 358, Montana’s DEQ plans to replace our states scientifically based “numeric” water quality standards with a subjective “narrative” evaluation system to monitor nutrient pollution in our rivers and lakes.
Pollution is like a cancer on the environment. We manage cancer by using scientifically proven blood tests, biopsies, and CAT scans. We use the best available science. We would never want our doctor to only give us a subjective evaluation for cancer by telling us we look fine.
Our rivers and lakes deserve the same science-based approach. High water quality in the state has benefited our citizens for many years providing clean drinking and irrigation water, productive and healthy fisheries, and a magnate for tourists. This could soon change. Protecting the state’s water quality is a complex business with lots of potential point and non-point pollution sources to monitor. Montana deserves better than a “narrative” approach. If you don’t quantify it, how do we protect it? DEQ is currently accepting comments through Feb 2 at loryn.johnson2@mt.gov.
Craig McClure
Polson
