MONTANA ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER
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Meet Julie Wintersteen
am incredibly honored to be a member of the MEIC team! I was born and raised in the West and am in love with the Western landscape. It’s my sanctuary and my grounding place and, as such, I am excited to be able to join the fight for the protection of the places I hold dear. I have a background in earth sciences, earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Montana State University. My focus of study was biogeography, and in particular, the climatic and land use changes over the years that affect the lower timberline in the Madison range. Historical data clearly illustrated to me how human actions lead to environmental changes and, if not recognized and addressed, lead to irreversible changes. That knowledge has been driving me ever since. More recently, I have been fostering relationships, developing strategies and working with donors and alumni for a college at MSU. I am eager to bring those skills to MEIC and do what I can to increase MEIC’s impact in Montana and the West. I have been an active member of Trout Unlimited in Livingston and have fought for clean water and healthy fisheries in the Yellowstone watershed. I’m happy to be a part of MEIC and look forward to getting to work!
Environmental Injustices (continued from page 21)
Butte’s Greeley Neighborhood
Butte is no stranger to mining nor to the serious environmental impacts associated with both historic and modern operations. Montana Resources currently operates an open-pit operation in Butte that is causing impacts to the air quality for the Greeley Neighborhood, one of Butte’s most historic and lowest income neighborhoods that is directly adjacent to the mine. Specifically, the mine generates an enormous amount of dust associated with the blasting, hauling, and crushing of the ore. The debate is ongoing as to whether the dust is a mere irritant or represents a much more substantial health threat. Residents of the Greeley neighborhood believe it is far more than a minor nuisance.
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In 2020, 60% of Greeley residents were living at the poverty level. They have brought their concerns in numerous forums and fashions to the Butte-Silver Bow government, as well as to DEQ. Responses have been largely pro forma, including the health impacts of the dust and holding community forums. What hasn’t happened? Anything at the mine in response to reasonable requests by the Greeley residents to address, abate, and mitigate the activities that are harming a vulnerable population. While Butte is a heavily industrialized area with a long history of mining, its land and its people should not be treated as a sacrifice zone and a sacrifice population.
Protecting Montana’s natural environment since 1973.
