Montana News

Neglect Has Hastened Patient Deaths at Montana Psychiatric Hospital, Lawsuit Says

Montana’s state psychiatric hospital has been so poorly run for decades that patients are unsafe and not treated with dignity and respect, which combined with a pattern of understaffing, lack of training and neglect has hastened the deaths of two …

Climate Change Can Cause U.S. Households ‘Significant Financial Strain’

Households can experience significant financial strain through pressures to income and expenses due to climate hazards, a report from the U.S. Department of Treasury shows. The report, The Impact of Climate Change on American Household Finances, adds to the department’s …

Montana Brokerage Owner Admits to Defrauding Customers

Kileen Moria Hagadone, 57, owner of Rosebud County Insurance Inc., pleaded guilty to wire fraud and to aggravated identity theft. Hagadone faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the wire …

Judge in Montana Case Says Fire Retardant Drops Polluting Streams But Allows Use to Continue

A judge ruled that the U.S. government can keep using chemical retardant to fight wildfires, despite finding that the practice pollutes streams in western states in violation of federal law. Halting the use of the red slurry material could have …

Pollution Lawsuit Could Curb Use of Aerial Fire Retardant

A legal dispute in Montana could drastically curb the government’s use of aerial fire retardant to combat wildfires after environmentalists raised concerns about waterways that are being polluted with the potentially toxic red slurry that’s dropped from aircraft. A coalition …

Judge Cancels Montana Gas Plant Permit Over Climate Impacts

A judge canceled the air quality permit for a natural gas power plant that’s under construction along the Yellowstone River in Montana citing worries over climate change. State District Judge Michael Moses ruled that Montana officials failed to adequately consider …

W.R. Grace Offers $18.5M to Settle Montana Asbestos Claims

The owner of a former vermiculite mine in northwestern Montana that spread harmful asbestos in and around the town of Libby has offered $18.5 million to settle the last of the state’s claims for environmental damages, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced …

Montana’s Resilient Fishing Economy Tested by Climate Change

Montana’s fishing economy has proven resilient amid the impacts of drought, but a new study suggests that 35% of its cold water habitats could become unsuitable for trout by 2080, costing the state an estimated $192 million in annual revenue. …

Montana Coal Mine Hit with $1M Fine over Safety Violations

A central Montana coal mine must pay a $1 million fine for violating environmental and employee safety regulations by failing to report worker injuries and improperly disposing of mine waste, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Montana said. Signal Peak Energy, …

Former Montana Mine Official Pleads Guilty to Workplace Accident Coverups

A former official for a central Montana coal mine plead guilty to conspiring with others to not make required reports about workplace accidents that injured employees, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Montana said. Dale Lee Musgrave of Pompeys Pillar, who …