Jim Coefield News Today

Heres a roundup of local stories that ran this week.

Attorneys for nonprofit Friends of the Jocko and resident Jim Coefield argued in court that the Department of Environmental Qualitys environmental assessment during the permitting process of the projects possible impacts to groundwater, wildlife and human health was woefully inadequate and fell far short of the agencys requirements under the Montana Environmental Policy Act.

An Arlee community group is one of the first in Montana to challenge the state’s stripped-down approval of gravel pits in court.

A GoFundMe campaign was created to raise money for litigation against the Marvin Rehbein Asphalt Plant and Gravel Pit pending on land less than 3 miles north of Arlee on the Flathead Reservation.

A proposed gravel pit and asphalt plant planned for Arlee is unifying community members through controversy.

The law used to require better public notice of gravel pit proposals and citizens used to have greater powers to stop a project.

Citizens blast the Montana DEQ, the Gianforte administration and the Legislature for House Bill 599 which radically reshapes how open-cut mining operates in the Treasure State.