Urgent: Defend our childrens' right to a clean and healthful environment

Parents and caregivers: Please join us on THIS MONDAY, APRIL 17,  at 3 p.m. with the House Natural Resources Committee to speak out against HB 971--a bill introduced late Friday after lawmakers suspended the rules to admit a new bill (post transmittal). 

Register to testify for the 3 p.m. hearing this Monday via Zoom; you MUST REGISTER before 5 pm on Sunday, April 16: https://leg.mt.gov/session/have-your-say/. You do not need to register to testify in person. 

HB 971 would repeal the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) for all projects that could harm our environment and climate if the Montana Supreme Court were to ever find that Montanans’ right to a clean and healthful environment requires state agencies to consider climate impacts. If the court finds that climate change must be considered, then the state department of environment quality does not have to comply with MEPA for air pollution permits, coal mines, open cut permits, hard rock mines, and more.

TAKE ACTION

1. Register to testify for the 3 p.m. hearing this Monday via Zoom; you MUST REGISTER before 5 pm on Sunday, April 16: https://leg.mt.gov/session/have-your-say/

You do not need to register to testify in person. You will be given more time to speak if you can attend the hearing in person but if you can't make it to Helena it's still important to testify via Zoom.

2. If you can't testify, on Monday, call (406) 444-4800 to leave your comments for the House Natural Resources Committee.

TALKING POINTS: HB 971

For your written comment or spoken testimony (on Zoom or in person), use 2-3 points below that most resonate with you. Using a personal story or reason that this issue is important to you is helpful to connect lawmakers with the impact of their decisions.

  • People already experience harm due to climate change and it's going to get worse (ie., 2017 MT Climate Assessment, 2021 Climate Change and Human Health in Montana report, and the 2023 IPCC 6th Assessment report)

  • Climate change is very expensive for our economy (Fires, drought, heat, floods). For a deep dive, see Tom Power's analysis of the economic impacts on ag and recreation economy which includes impacts of fires. 

  • Polling shows Montanans are concerned about climate change*

  • It's counterproductive to eliminate MEPA altogether due to a requirement to consider climate issues when MEPA analysis covers so many other impacts as well (fish, Wildlife, cultural, social, economic, water, air, historic, etc.)

  • The right to a clean and healthful environment must include the right to a healthy climate. The climate is a part of the environment.

  • The metric exists to analyze the impacts of climate change. It's called the social cost of carbon.

  • Read Tom Lutey’s piece from Friday, April 14 on HB 971

Speak out this Monday for your kids' right to a clean and healthful environment!


*2021 Yale Climate Opinion Map data:

67% of Montanans know climate change is happening;

66% of Montanans think climate change will harm future generations

68% of Montanans think we should regulate CO2 as a pollutant