A Blanket Permit to Pollute Without Public Input

Comment Deadline: Wednesday, June 22nd 

In Montana, water is life. Unfortunately, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) doesn’t seem to see it that way. DEQ is proposing to issue what is called a “general permit” that would allow all large domestic sewage treatment facilities to discharge wastewater into our aquifers:

• without consideration of the degradation to the connected streams, lakes, and rivers;

• without any opportunity for public input on any specific facility; and

• with very limited consideration of the cumulative effect of the discharge pollution on drinking water wells.

This is a rash and very ill-advised move by DEQ, and we need you to speak up. Please take one minute, and tell DEQ that you don’t want any wastewater treatment facility permitted without public comment.

As a direct result of the Montana’s constitutional “right to know,” a recent permit to discharge pollution to groundwater near drinking water wells and the pristine Bitterroot River was revoked by a State district court. In response, instead of correcting its flawed permitting process to consider the cumulative negative effects of such discharges on groundwater and nearby streams as required by the court, DEQ is proposing to issue a “general permit” for any large domestic wastewater discharge facility, and to eliminate the public’s opportunity to comment on the impacts at specific sites. Location matters! Different facilities will require different considerations to protect water quality. A general permit is inappropriate for the large variety of hydrologic circumstances in the state. We can’t let this happen.

Please let DEQ know you don’t want any new wastewater treatment facilities approved without the public’s knowledge and input. The comment deadline is Wednesday. June 22nd, so you must act TODAY!