Waterkeeper to EPA: Enforce Montana’s water quality standards

Laura Lundquist

(Missoula Current) For the second time, the Montana Legislature passed a bill to eliminate numerical standards for nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in Montana’s waters, so a water watchdog is once again asking the federal government to enforce the existing standards.

On Wednesday, the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper sent a petition asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to review and reject changes to Montana’s water quality standards mandated by bills passed by the 2025 Legislature and signed by Governor Greg Gianforte.

Three bills - House bills 664, 685 and 736 - eliminated Montana’s numerical water quality standards for nutrients and weakened the state’s nondegradation policy, which upholds the requirements of the U.S. Clean Water Act. With no standards to ju