A legislative subcommittee will meet June 10 to review a recent decision regarding the adequacy of the air-quality permit for the proposed Highwood Generating Station southeast of Great Falls.
The Agency Oversight Subcommittee of the Environmental Quality Council will meet from 1 to 3 p.m. in Room 102 of the State Capitol. An agenda is available on the legislative website at www.leg.mt.gov/eqc under the subcommittee link. The public will be able to listen to the meeting live at www.leg.mt.gov.
In April, the state Board of Environmental Review (BER) voted 6-1 to require further review of the air permit for the proposed 250-megawatt coal-fired power plant. The board determined that the plant failed to identify the best available control technologies to limit particulate matter called PM-2.5. With the decision, Montana became the first state to require a project to look at maximum reductions in PM-2.5 emissions.
The board decision came in the wake of a challenge by the Montana Environmental Information Center and the Great Falls-based Citizens for Clean Energy. The two groups claimed state requirements for PM-2.5 control were inadequate. The BER voted to require an analysis of PM-2.5 emissions at Highwood.
Joe Russell, chair of the BER, and staff of the state Department of Environmental Quality are scheduled to speak at the meeting. The public will also have an opportunity to comment.
Members of the subcommittee are Sen. Jim Shockley, R-Victor, chair; Rep. Norma Bixby, D-Lame Deer; Rep. Sue Dickenson, D-Great Falls; Rep. Craig Witte, R-Kalispell; Rep. Chas Vincent, R-Libby; and Brian Cebull, a citizen representative from Billings.
For more information, contact the Legislative Environmental Policy Office at 444-3742.
