MEIC 2022 Annual Report

Victory Roundup

In 2022, you helped MEIC achieve many exciting victories for our health and the environment. Here are the highlights:

• After nearly a decade of advocacy, litigation, and working with partners, the Smith River is one step closer to protection from a damaging copper mine at its headwaters due to an April 2022 decision by a Montana state judge.

• With three new staff positions, MEIC has expanded its capacity for movement building, working on land use and sustainability issues, and helping raise public awareness and engagement in addressing the climate crisis.

• Two 2022 Bull Mountain coal mine legal victories have impacted coal mining which would cause the release of more than 190 million tons of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

• With urging from MEIC’s members and supporters, the State of Montana adopted new, more energy efficient building codes in June 2022, which will reduce carbon emissions in new buildings and enable cities and counties to implement net-zero and solar-ready building zones.

• A district court decision in May 2022 requires NorthWestern Energy to pay $2.5 million in fines to Montana’s LowIncome Energy Assistance Program due to its failure to purchase energy from Community Renewable Energy Projects (CREPs).

• In December, MEIC won a lawsuit that found the Rosebud coal mine expansion was illegal due to damage to Colstrip area waters, wildlife, and the climate.

2022: A Year of Change

Three new members were added to the staff, including entirely two new positions. We also added one new member to our Board of Directors. Read more about our amazing staff and board members on our website: www.meic.org/about/our-people

Member Survey

In 2022 we conducted a survey to understand what areas of MEIC’s work our members value and prioritze.

How respondents ranked what issues should be MEIC’s principle focus in the next few years:

Government & Corporate Accountability

Holding the government, NorthWestern Energy, and other entities accountable to our right to a clean and healthful environment (32%)

Climate Action

Keeping fossil fuels in the ground, pushing for decarbonization, and “greening the grid” (26.7%)

Energy Policy

Moving toward clean, efficient, and affordable energy. Ensuring best use of Montana transmission infrastructure (16.1%)

Water Issues

Ensuring clean and healthy water, fighting nutrient pollution, and helping to protect fishery and recreational resources. (11.3%)

Hardrock Mining & Gravel Pits

Protecting clean water and clean air, and protecting neighbors’ quality of life (5.3%)

What are people saying about MEIC?

We lost our beloved business manager, Adam McLane, who retired in August and passed away on September 8, 2023.

Board President: Kathy Juedeman

Board Members: Gary Aitken

Bruce Bender

Charles Besancon

Skye Borden

Malcolm Gilbert

Diana Hammer

Madison Hebner

Zuri Moreno

Roger Sullivan

Neal Ullman

Beth Taylor Wilson

Jessie Wiles

MEIC Staff: Anne Hedges

Derf Johnson

Cari Kimball

Ian Lund

Peyton Olson

Melissa Nootz

Matthew Passini

Ann Schwend

Katy Spence

Julie Wintersteen

Matthew Passini Legislative Assistant

Peyton Olson Administrative & Development Assistant

Jessie Wiles Board Member

Ann Schwend Sustainable Communities Policy Director

MEIC is grateful for our generous donors, who provide the lion’s share of our funding! The full details of our financial standing are available online.

The Year Ahead

2023’s first and highest priority will be stopping bad legislation at the legislative session. We anticipate many attacks on clean energy and environmental protections, especially in the name of development and housing. In the past, these efforts have damaged water quality protections and expedited opencut mining and other industrial operations. We’ll do our best to stop the worst and put forward some positive legislation in this session.

We also anticipate proposed changes to our state constitution, especially to our right to a “clean and healthful environment.” MEIC will staunchly resist these changes and keep you in the loop every step of the way.

While the session is ongoing, we’re continuing work in other areas. This year, we’re particularly focusing on energy systems. We’re expanding our work on how regional transmission (“the grid”) is critical for clean energy development, a healthy climate, and affordable electricity.

We’re continuing to push for clean energy generation, and fighting against fossil fuel extraction and generation (coal and methane gas). And we’re continuing to monitor and engage in conversations about the use of overpriced and experimental nuclear technology in Montana.

Throughout the session and beyond, our new staffers will help immensely with increasing our work to create sustainable communities. With Montana’s growing population, we need affordable and sustainable housing. We also need to create an understanding of how development and particularly infill can help mitigate the climate crisis, save water, and save energy.

Finally, we’re looking forward to September 16, MEIC’s 50th anniversary celebration in Victor, MT. We hope to see many of you there to partake in food, dancing, breakout activities, reconnecting with old friends, and celebrating 50 years of a clean and healthful constitutional right.

MONTANA ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER

P.O. Box 1184

Helena, MT 59624

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED