Support Montana’s Selenium Standards for Lake Koocanusa & the Kootenai River
The Kootenai River flows on the northern border of Montana and Idaho. © Tess McEnroe for IRU
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently published draft written findings, supporting its selenium water quality standard for Lake Koocanusa, a reservoir on the Kootenai River. The public has an opportunity to comment on this draft and support the selenium standard that is protective of the Kootenai River and its fisheries.
Selenium is a toxic mineral that has been leaching into the Kootenai system as a result of mountaintop removal coal mining operations at the river’s headwaters in British Columbia. What is happening in Canada has pollution implications downstream in Montana and into Idaho. Once in the system, selenium moves up the food chain, resulting in lethal impacts to many important native fish species, such as Kootenai River White Sturgeon, westslope cutthroat, bull trout, and burbot fish species.
The DEQ’s written findings outline how the selenium standard is protective of public health and the environment, and also point towards the rigorous, peer-reviewed science that was involved in setting the standard.
In December 2020, the Board of Environmental Review (BER) voted to adopt the selenium standard into state law and determined that it was no more stringent than federal guidelines. The standard was approved by the EPA several months afterwards. Teck Coal (the Canadian mining company responsible for selenium leaching into the Kootenai) petitioned for a stringency review of the standard. This February, after pressure from Teck, the BER reversed its decision and determined that the selenium standard is in fact more stringent than federal guidelines.
The public now has a chance to provide support for the selenium standard, which was created with the input of stakeholders and selenium experts from the U.S. and Canada, and is necessary to protect the health of the Kootenai River ecosystem and the many people that rely on its fisheries and water quality.
Let decision makers know that Montanans and Idahoans care about the health of the Kootenai River. Montana pollution standards must protect this incredible resource from selenium pollution caused by Canadian coal mining.
To provide comment on the draft findings, click here. The comment period is open through May 4th. There will be a public hearing in Helena (in-person and virtual) on April 26th.
For more background information read an IRU blog and this excellent article from the Montana Free Press.