Montana’s Clean Water Protections Are Being Dismantled

In its most recent session, the Montana Legislature passed a suite of bills that collectively weaken the state’s ability to protect clean water and uphold environmental safeguards. These changes target both the regulatory tools we use to prevent pollution and the public’s right to participate in environmental decision-making.

Several bills directly undermine the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), which has long served as a cornerstone of environmental review and public accountability:

• HB 285 narrows the scope of MEPA reviews, restricting the state’s ability to consider cumulative environmental impacts—including climate change—when evaluating major projects.

Meanwhile, other legislation directly erodes water quality protections:

• HB 664 eliminates Montana’s numeric nutrient standards—scientifically grounded pollution limits critical to preventing nutrient-driven algae blooms—and replaces them with vague narrative criteria.

• HB 736 allows point source polluters (like wastewater plants or industrial sites) to exceed pollution limits if they fund non-point source pollution offsets elsewhere, creating a “pay-to-pollute” scheme that weakens local accountability.

These bills represent a coordinated effort to weaken environmental oversight, limit public engagement, and shift the burden of pollution onto communities and ecosystems. If left unchecked, they threaten the health of Montana’s rivers, lakes, and the very constitutional right of residents to a clean and healthful environment.