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BAUCUS CRUSHES BC COAL-BED METHANE PROJECT
After
Baucus’ Objections, BP Canada Halts Efforts
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(Kalispell, Mont.)
–U.S. Senator Max Baucus declared victory last week when he announced
that the Flathead Valley is safe from a proposed coal-bed methane project
in British Columbia.
On Thursday, Baucus
said the British Petroleum company is scrapping its plans for a massive
coal-bed methane project on the North Fork Flathead River, which runs
into Montana’s famed Flathead Lake.
Senator Jon Tester and
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer joined Baucus in hailing the decision
as a win for all Montanans.
Protecting
Montana’s Outdoor Heritage
“It’s a big step in the
right direction,” said Baucus. “This project could have had
devastating impacts to Montana’s water quality, fish and wildlife and
jobs from tourism. We have a long way to go before the Flathead is
truly safe from these threats, but this is great news.”
Holding
Officials to Task
Baucus’ pressure on BP
and government officials, including the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S.,
helped stem the development. “I made it really clear to those guys,”
Baucus said. “I told BP, ‘there’s no way this is going to happen. It’s
not negotiable. Period.’”
Baucus has been involved in this issue since the late 1970s. In
1988, Baucus stopped a similar coal mining proposal, when a bi-national
group of scientists determined coal mining there would result in
unacceptable impacts to downstream.
Winning the War
Baucus is working to
make sure coal-bed methane is never developed in the North Fork. However,
right now BP is still moving forward with a coal-bed methane development
in the Elk River Valley, which drains into Montana’s Lake Koocanusa. In
addition Cline Mining Corporation is still looking into efforts to
develop a coal mine in the region.
"We're fighting
the coal mine just as much as we're fighting coal-bed methane,” said
Baucus. “We’ve won an important battle, but we haven’t won the war yet. I
won’t rest until the Flathead is completely protected.”
To protect the Elk
River Valley from increased pollution, Baucus is urging the Canadian
Federal government to do a full federal level environmental assessment of
the project before the first test well is drilled.
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