Montana Environmental Information Center v. Montana Department of Environmental Quality

Two environmental organizations filed a lawsuit in Montana District Court challenging the supplemental final environmental assessment (Final EA) issued by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) related to the Yellowstone County Generating Station, a 175-megawatt gas-fired power plant. The complaint alleged that the Final EA failed to adequately evaluate the environmental impacts of the plant’s greenhouse gas emissions, as required by the Montana Supreme Court in an <a href="https://www.climatecasechart.com/collections/montana-environmental-information-center-v-montana-department-of-environmental-quality_9322f4">earlier case</a>. The plaintiffs asked the court to set aside the Final EA and to order DEQ to complete an analysis of the power plant’s direct, secondary, and cumulative impacts, in addition to no-action alternatives and potential mitigation measures in compliance with the Montana Environmental Policy Act, the Montana Supreme Court’s earlier decision, and the Montana Constitution’s environmental rights.