EPA’s Delay on Weighing Montana Water Standards Draws Suit (1)

The EPA’s failure to approve or reject Montana’s revised water quality standards violated federal law, an environmental group told a federal court in the state Thursday.

The state repealed EPA-approved standards for nutrient pollution and replaced them with less protective standards in 2021, according to the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana. The state also exempted nutrient pollution releases more broadly than allowed under federal requirements, the lawsuit says.

Nutrient pollution contributes to harmful algal blooms, according to Upper Missouri Waterkeeper. This pollution impairs fishing, wildlife, and human health, the group told the court. ...