MONTANA ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER
Meet Katy Spence
H
ello! It’s been my pleasure to join the MEIC team at the busiest and most stressful time: in the middle of a legislative session. In truthfulness, it’s been a wonderful crash-course in what MEIC does best: fight for your right to a clean and healthful environment. Growing up in rural Kansas, I was fascinated by tallgrass prairie remnants that thrive in unmown ditches. A high school love of plants led to college courses in biology and botany. When college chemistry became a bit too tough, I pivoted to my second love: writing. But my interest in the natural world never wavered, and I sought a way to connect these passions. In 2015, I moved to Missoula to pursue a master’s degree in environmental journalism at the University of Montana. This time was transformative for me. I learned about biogeochemical cycles (and how climate change has really messed those up), statesanctioned environmental racism, and radiation cycling through a forested landscape while on a reporting trip to Fukushima, Japan. I knew that my place was at the crossroads of communicating science and finding actionable solutions to the biggest environmental challenges of our day. That being said, my post-grad journey took a three-year detour through the technology/business world, where I picked up skills in marketing, project management, and entrepreneurship. While I’m grateful for the time I spent in this industry, working with the MEIC team and such an impassioned membership truly feels like coming home. If you’ve been getting our emails or seeing an uptick in social media lately, that’s me! Let’s connect online or by phone — I’d love to hear more about what you want to see from MEIC.
Eliminating Pollution Standards for Nutrients SB 358 (Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber) would eliminate the numeric nutrient criteria from Montana’s water quality standards. Numeric nutrient standards prevent the discharge of high levels of nutrient pollution, which can have major and adverse impacts on aquatic and human health. Sources of nutrient pollution include fertilizer, manure, sewage, detergents, and stormwater runoff. Many of Montana’s waterways are already suffering from high levels of nutrient pollution due to decades of accumulation from a variety of sources.
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This bill would inject considerable chaos and uncertainty into currently clear standards. The administrative and permitting process would become less predictable, and it would be difficult to understand the limits. Finally, the federal 9th Circuit court is currently considering an appeal regarding variances from the numeric nutrient standards. Its decision could entirely upend the process and make the repeal of numeric standards even more complex.
Protecting Montana’s natural environment since 1973 .
