Montana News

Wildfire Risk Creeping Higher in Montana Parks

The risk of wildfires is growing with more warm, dry weather in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. The fire danger in Yellowstone is rated as “high” and in Grand Teton it’s “very high.” The scale tops out with “extreme” …

Montana Virus Liability Bill Advancing Through Legislature

A bill that would protect businesses and health care providers from coronavirus-related lawsuits is advancing quickly through the Montana Legislature, after the state’s Republican governor said the measure was necessary to remove a statewide mask mandate put in place by …

Montana Requires $285M Cleanup Bond from Coal Company

Montana environmental regulators have forced the owners of a power plant to provide a $285 million cleanup bond, a move some local organizations hailed as a victory for conservation. But Talen Energy, the owner of the Colstrip Power Plant, filed …

Montana Nursing Home Lawsuit Adding More Claims

A lawsuit against a long-term care facility in Whitefish, Mont., has been amended to add claims that it was part of a multi-state network of facilities that enriched corporate owners while residents received negligent care. The lawsuit was initially filed …

Montana Officials Drop Proposed Ban on Flavored Vaping Products

The Montana health department has decided to withdraw a proposed rule that would ban flavored vaping products in the state. The decision came after 13 state senators and seven representatives, all Republicans, signed letters last month opposing the rule and …

Care for Montana Towns Polluted with Asbestos Transferred to State

State regulators are taking over maintenance of a decades-long environmental cleanup in two northwestern Montana towns where lung-damaging asbestos contamination has been blamed in hundreds of deaths. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on last week transferred responsibility for protecting the …

Supreme Court Sides with BP Unit to Curtail Montana Superfund Cleanup Suits

The U.S. Supreme Court handed BP Plc unit Atlantic Richfield Co. a victory on Monday, making it harder for Montana landowners to seek a more extensive cleanup of a hazardous waste site than the federal government had ordered. In a …

Montana Sues Drug Distributors Over Opioid Shipments

Montana has filed a lawsuit against the two leading drug distributors in the state, saying they failed to monitor and report excessive opioid shipments to Montana pharmacies, worsening the opioid epidemic. Attorney General Tim Fox announced Monday the state was …

Montana Man Injured in Shooting Files Lawsuit

A Montana man wounded in an officer-involved shooting has filed a lawsuit against the Yellowstone County sheriff’s department. Travis Tolan of Lockwood is alleging negligence, assault and battery and a broader claim that the sheriff’s office has a pattern of …

R&Q Acquires Montana Captive Insurer Vigneron

R&Q is pleased to announce it has acquired the Montana captive insurer, Vigneron Insurance Company Inc. from a wholly owned private investment holding company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. VICI underwrote deductible reimbursement policies to cover the obligations …