Pondera County joins lawsuit challenging EPA decision on Madison Aquifer wastewater disposal
The lawsuit says the exemption would let industrial wastewater go into two unused wells and weaken Safe Drinking Water Act protections.
- On Monday, Pondera County joined environmental groups in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency, challenging a May 1 decision allowing Montana Renewables to dump industrial wastewater into two unused wells in the Madison Aquifer.
- The EPA approved the permits after determining the region is "not a valuable potential source of drinking water," granting an exemption from the Safe Drinking Water Act for 6.6 square miles at the bottom of the wells.
- Although Montana Renewables promised a wastewater treatment plant two years ago, Pondera County officials report no construction progress, leaving them skeptical about the "industrial wastewater" claims.
- Petitioners filed the suit in the Ninth Circuit United States Court of Appeals, arguing the EPA used outdated geological models and ignored contamination risks to shallow aquifers during prolonged drought.
- The Madison Aquifer underlies eight states and provinces, making its protection critical as local agricultural users like Lisa Schmidt depend on the water source for their livelihoods amid ongoing regional drought.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Pondera County, environmental groups petition EPA
The William J. Clinton Federal Building, home of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. (GSA photo)Pondera County and several advocacy groups have filed a petition against the Environmental Protection Agency in federal court to stop an energy company from dumping wastewater into a nearby aquifer. Montana Renewables, a Great Falls biofuels company, has an agreement with the owner of the wells to dispose of wastewater into two…
ABC FOX Montana
Pondera County, environmental groups petition EPA over refinery wastewater
Pondera County and several advocacy groups have filed a petition against the Environmental Protection Agency in federal court to stop an energy company from dumping wastewater into a nearby aquifer. Montana Renewables, a Great Falls biofuels company, has an agreement…
Montana Free Press
Groups challenge EPA decision on Montana Renewables wastewater site
Regional and national environmental groups have joined Pondera County officials to challenge an underground wastewater disposal permit that benefits the Montana Renewables biorefinery in Great Falls. The petition filed in federal court disputes the EPA's determination that Pondera County will never need water from the nearby, deep underground aquifer.
Pondera County joins lawsuit challenging EPA decision on Madison Aquifer wastewater disposal
Pondera County has joined landowners and conservationists in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency over a decision that would allow industrial wastewater from a Great Falls facility to be disposed of in their county.The suit challenges an EPA decision to exempt a portion of the Madison Aquifer from protections under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The May 1 decision would allow Montana Renewables to dump wastewater into 2 unused wel…
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