Author: Press Room

Montana Infrastructure Ranks Poorly

23 January 2025
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A report compiled by the Montana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Montana relatively poor grades in the state of its infrastructure. They ranked Montana in 14 categories ranging from bridges and roads to schools to airports to wastewater systems.

Montana received a C grade in 11 categories: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, public parks, rail roads, solid waste and waste water. C means mediocre and requires attention.

Montana received a D grade in two categories, schools and stormwater, which indicated they are poor and at risk. The final category, broadband, received an incomplete grade.

The state’s highest ranking, a C+, went to the rails category.

The state’s schools earned a D in the report due primarily to aging buildings and facilities.

“The challenges are further compounded by rising energy costs and declining student enrollment, placing additional strain on already tight school budgets. As a result, Montana’s schools are struggling to meet the demands of their aging infrastructure while providing a safe and healthy learning environment for students,” the report stated.

Montana Highlights January 15, 2025

23 January 2025
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Pusuit has acquired the Montana House in Apgar Village in Glacier National Park. The  Montana House has celebrated and showcased over 500 local and indigenous artisans for nearly 65 years. The company said it will continue to showcase local artists under Pursuit ownership. 

A recent study provides reassurance that Yellowstone Park’s famous supervolcano will unlikely erupt anytime soon. The journal Nature states that while a significant amount of magma is beneath the Yellowstone Caldera, it is stored in small, separate pockets rather than a flowing reservoir, reducing the likelihood of a major eruption.

Guns N Things in Glendive will close. A recent sale opportunity did not pan out so Ernie and Karel Huether decided to close.

River City Brews Rafting Tours, a Missoula company that offers guided raft trips along with local craft beverages, has been bought by Sara and Jared Forsythe.

Applications for a permit to float the Smith River began on Jan. 2, and will be accepted through Feb. 15. The permit drawing will be held on Feb. 19. Applicants can apply for a Smith River float permit online at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Automated Licensing System. Successful Smith River applicants will be notified via email shortly after the permit drawing is conducted.

Zero to Five Montana, in partnership with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Bright Futures Birth to Five program, is offering a one-time grant opportunity for Montana employers through the Family Forward Montana initiative to develop an employer-sponsored child care program. Grants will range from $10,000 to $100,000 depending on the size and scope of the employers project plan.

The permit issued by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to Tintina Montana Incorporated (now Sandfire Resources) to manipulate approximately 250 million gallons of groundwater in pursuit of a 14 million-ton copper deposit in Meagher County has cleared its second and final legal challenge before the Montana Supreme Court.

Acropolis Gyros, a Greek food restaurant at 117 South Avenue W. in Missoula, has announced it is closing. The final day will be when supplies run out. The business has been listed for sale since July.

A new oven weighing 84,000 pound oven has arrived at Tech Woods USA in Ronan. This Moldrup thermal modification oven is used by Tech Woods USA to produce hardwood gunstock blanks, as well as flooring and other wood products. The oven was designed in Denmark and Singapore and manufactured in Vietnam.

Several transportation projects are in underway in the Flathead. Glacier Park International Airport is moving ahead with the next phase of its expansion project, West Reserve Drive in Kalispell is being rebuilt with additional traffic lanes and Columbia Falls is in the first stages of a multi-million-dollar road reconstruction project.  

The Sibanye-Stillwater mine vice president Heather McDowell grew up in Bridger, near the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. McDowell has become the face of the company over the last two months. McDowell has been the vice president for legal and external affairs for Sibanye-Stillwater,  for seven years. She has served as the spokesperson for the mine, communicating news of the layoffs to local communities.

Big Sky Resort is opening the new year with a new gondola and the longest eight-person lift in the world. This is part of the expansion of  Montana’s biggest ski area. The Madison 8 replaces the older Six Shooter lift, offering a high-speed eight-person option with heated seats and weather shields, which has become a resort standard.

First Interstate Bank has donated their former branch building, located at 402 N. Center, to One Health in Hardin. One Health provides in-person and virtual healthcare services to anyone in need.

The owner of the Dakota Access Pipeline recently became the latest party to join the defense in the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s new lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Dakota Access LLC asked to join the lawsuit to protect its private business interests in the pipeline’s operation. Dakota Access spent billions developing the pipeline and has standing contracts requiring DAPL to continue transporting oil.

Youth Dynamics Inc., a statewide children’s mental healthcare provider merged with Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch last fall. Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is a statewide agency founded in 1957 and headquartered on a 410-acre campus west of Billings.

Josh O’Connor, who currently serves as a senior vice president and regional publisher of Carpenter Media, has been named the next CEO of Wick Communications, owner of the Williston Herald and Sidney Herald.

The Williston Basin International Airport has seen a steady increase in boardings so far in 2024. XWA recorded 10,239 boardings in October 2024, a 14.63% increase from 8,932 boardings from the same month in 2023.

Choteau’s Magon Miller is purchasing Meraki Coffee from Mary Shore. She is renaming the drive-up coffee shop “Latte Lane”

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Workers in Montana’s manufacturing sector saw their wages increase by nearly $8,000 on average over the past year, according to a report by the Montana Manufacturing Extension Center at Montana State University.

The Red Lodge Area Community Foundation and Roosevelt Center will Red Lodge Summer Fest 2025 on Aug. 1-2, 2025. Headliners and additional acts will be announced in January with ticket sales. Red Lodge Summer Fest will be held at the Roosevelt Center and adjacent property at 519 S Broadway.

The Montana Department of Commerce has issued grants more than $350,000 to agricultural operations to support and promote agritourism. Montana Moments, LLC, an agritourism business based on the Mahlstedt Ranch east of Circle, was one of 17 recipients of the grant. Montana Moments’ grant will be used to permanently expand attendance capacity at Montana Moments by funding the purchase of tables, chairs and tents, a utility trailer and riding helmets. Montana Moments offers branding weekends, women and girls’ cattle handling retreats on foot and on horseback, a family ranch and rodeo package, children camps, homestead homemaking retreats plus a variety of other

Logan Health in Kalispell is closing its inpatient rehabilitation facility in February with plans to turn the facility into a surgical unit.

Jacksons Food Stores, a convenience store chain based in Idaho, has taken over the operation of three Noon’s convenience stores in Missoula.

Montana Court Oversteps And Makes a Mess

23 January 2025
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By Chris Cargill, Mountain States Policy Center

Typically, courts provide clarity. They do not exist to make or enforce law but rather interpret what the law says. Nothing more, nothing less.

But a week of tumultuous rulings in Montana has, in many ways, upended the state’s legislative authority and made an overall mess of the policy-making process. It’s an unwanted Christmas gift that’ll just keep giving – and taking – for years to come.

The Montana Supreme Court’s questionable decision in Held v. Montana reads more like a policy argument than a finding of law.

The case was brought by a group of young people seeking to put the state on trial for its climate regulations. The young people claimed the state policy on climate change threatened their “physical and mental health.”

Recent legislative actions have barred state bureaucrats from considering world climate impact in analysis of large energy projects in Montana. The state law says it “may not include a review of actual or potential impacts beyond Montana’s borders. It may not include actual or potential impacts that are regional, national, or global in nature.” In other words, consider the impact on Montana – period.

Greenhouse gases are, of course, not confined by state lines. It is difficult, if not impossible, to know the exact worldwide impact of any one project in any one state. And even if you could, the impact of any Montana project is likely dwarfed by massive greenhouse gas emissions coming from other parts of the world.Still, the majority of the court ruled with the teenagers, reading a new right into the Montana Constitution of a “stable climate system,” and ordering legislative action.

It should be noted that the words “clean and healthful environment” appear in the state constitution, but “climate” is not found in the document. The justices claimed that didn’t matter, because the constitution was “a living thing designed to meet the needs of a progressive society” – a contention that is often used by courts that feel the need to legislate.The court’s ruling will undoubtedly have an impact on Montana’s economy and its future energy needs, opening the door for projects to be stymied.

While the court may feel strongly about the role of climate change in the environment, it has no constitutional authority to decide what the state should do about it. That is supposed to be left to the policymakers in the legislative branch, and to the executive branch charged with enforcing the law.

This is not the first time the Montana Supreme Court has overstepped its authority and likely won’t be the last. Judicial reform was already likely to be a high priority in the upcoming legislative session, but with this ruling, it likely goes into overdrive.

The tug of war between our branches of government continues.

Chris Cargill is the President of Mountain States Policy Center, an independent free market think tank based in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Eastern Washington. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.

In Europe, sales of electric-only cars fell 5.8% in January-September from a year earlier, while their market share fell to 13% from 14%. Pure EVs accounted for 8% of overall U.S. vehicle sales in October. So, the market is growing, but sales have slowed.

Methane Emissions Down 44%

23 January 2025
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Methane emissions from the largest oil- and natural gas-producing basins fell 44% between 2011 and 2013, according to newly published data from the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, methane emissions dropped in seven oil- and natural gas-producing basins by up to 87% from 2019-2023.

The drop occurred as U.S. domestic producers, led by Texas, broke records over the past few years, producing “more crude oil than any country, ever,” according to the US Energy Information Agency, The Center Square reported.

“Burning natural gas for energy results in fewer emissions of nearly all types of air pollutants and carbon dioxide (CO2) than burning coal or petroleum products to produce an equal amount of energy,” the EIA reports. “About 117 pounds of CO2 are produced per million British thermal units (MMBtu) equivalent of natural gas compared with more than 200 pounds of CO2 per MMBtu of coal and more than 160 pounds per MMBtu of distillate fuel oil.”

Facilities operating in two basins reported methane intensity emissions drops of more than 50% from 2019-2023: the Williston Basin (located in Montana, North and South Dakota), and the Appalachian Basin (spanning across Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York).

This is after methane emissions dropped by more than 75% and production increased by more than 345% over a 10-year period, The Center Square reported.

Groundworks Acquires Yellowstone Structural Systems

23 January 2025
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Groundworks, a foundation and water management solutions company, has announced its acquisition of Yellowstone Structural Systems in Bozeman. The acquisition marks its first office in Montana.

“Groundworks continues to expand our western footprint to build the first national foundation services business. Montana is an exciting, growing market with unique soil conditions, and Groundworks understands the importance of providing homeowners in this region with reputable foundation services,” said Matt Malone, founder & CEO of Groundworks. “Today, we extend our industry-leading solutions and world class customer service into Montana and Wyoming..”

For nearly 15 years, Yellowstone Structural Systems has delivered solutions to Montana homeowners and businesses for all their foundation, basement waterproofing, crawl space encapsulation and structural repair needs. They also provide geo-technical solutions to commercial customers. The team at Yellowstone Structural Systems will continue to serve customers with their local knowledge and expertise under the Groundworks name.

“Yellowstone Structural Systems was born out of a need for a high-quality customer experience in the home services industry,” said Jesse Scott, founder of Yellowstone Structural Systems. “Partnering with Groundworks enables us to continue delivering expert services to homeowners across Montana, while providing the added benefit of expanded resources for customers and the power of employee ownership for our team.”

Groundworks is headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va. Founded in 2016, Groundworks companies provide foundation and water management solutions, including foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, plumbing, gutter installation, and concrete lifting services, as well as offer soil stabilizing solutions for residential and commercial projects. Groundworks operates over 74 offices across 36 states as well as in Canada. It is an eight-time recipient of Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies and was named to the Inc. 2023 Best in Business list.

Since 2016, Groundworks has been disrupting and evolving the foundation solutions industry through its combination of aligning with industry-leading local brands and opening new locations across the U.S. and Canada – making it the first international foundation solutions company. This marks Groundworks’ 12th acquisition this year, and its 44th acquisition in company history.

Florida Company Considers $1.05 billion Wind , Solar Projects in Eastern Montana

23 January 2025
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NextEra, a utility company based in Florida with wind, solar, electricity and nuclear energy infrastructure across North America, is working to install more than $1.05 billion in subsidized wind and solar projects in eastern Montana, specifically Dawson, McCone and Prairie counties. Citizens of Eastern Montana are appealing to county commissioners to enact interim zoning regulations to help protect nonparticipating landowners, while efforts are made to demonstrate the need for zoning regulations on industrial developments like the Glendive Wind Project, according to a report in Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Turbines should be considered a public health hazard, claimed the citizens in a meeting with Dawson County Commissioners, about the effects of sound frequencies — both audible and inaudible — produced by them may have on people and animals.

Prairie County Commissioners claimed that representatives from NextEra attempted to meet privately at the commissioners’ homes.

Any meetings with a quorum of a public body are required under state law to be posted in advance and open to the public.

Citizens of Dawson County complained that there hasn’t been anything on record of conversations with Dawson County commissioners and representatives of the wind company.

Among the issues of concern is the impact the sound of wind turbines on residents near them. It was claimed that a wind project in Rosebud County has forced residents on a nearby farm to move into town.

Another concern about wind developments is the potential for landowners to be held responsible for cleaning up wind turbines on their property, should they fail to establish a bond for decommissioning. Most other industrial projects in Montana are required by law to put up a decommissioning bond to cover potential cleanup costs. Alternative energy projects are not required to acquire a bond until the 15th year of operation.

NextEra claims they will have a bond right away.

Dawson County citizens voiced concern that if landowners were to be left with the responsibility of cleaning up a wind turbine on their property, they would not be able to do it and would face the risk of losing their property.

Citizens pushed back against claims about the economic and community benefits that could materialize because of the investment of alternatives energy projects. They pointed out that such benefits have not happened in Eastern Montana communities where such projects are already located.

Most alternative energy products are not economically justified in the market without considerable subsidies. For example, according to researchers Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling, writing in “Energy Bad Boys,” solar developers receive $56,000 per acre for solar facilities, or $2,253 per acre for each year of the solar facility’s useful life.

Fueled by the taxpayer-funded Investment Tax Credit (ITC), a subsidy allows developers to claim at least 30 percent of a project’s costs as a tax credit.

They report that initial estimates are that $369 billion in subsidies are available over the first ten years of the program. Another report from Travis Fisher and Joshua Loucks argues the true cost of the IRA could reach more than $1 trillion in the first ten years of the policy and between $2 trillion to $4 trillion by 2050. Other reports claim that the massive sums of taxpayer funded subsidies place some 2.4 million acres of American farmland out of production.

Finding Employees Still Businesses Biggest Problem

23 January 2025
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The latest monthly Jobs Report released by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) showed – once again – finding employees remains a big problem for Main Street entrepreneurs.

“The economic picture has always been a bit brighter in Montana than in the rest of the nation because of the state policies we put in place, policies it would be wise for this session of the Legislature to resist adding needless regulations or diminish the success of existing policy,” said Ronda Wiggers, state director for NFIB in Montana.

The Jobs Report is a national snapshot of NFIB-member, small-business owners not broken down by state. The typical NFIB member employs 10 people and reports gross sales of about $500,000 a year.

“Finding qualified workers remained a major headwind for stronger job growth on Main Street in December. In the meantime, compensation increases have softened among small businesses, but remained solid as the year came to an end.”

Highlights from Latest NFIB Jobs Report

* 35% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in December, down one point from November.

* Seasonally adjusted, a net 29% of small business owners reported raising compensation in December, down three points from November and the lowest reading since March 2021.

* A seasonally adjusted net 19% of owners plan to create new jobs in the next three months, up one point from November. 

* Job openings were the highest in the transportation, construction, and manufacturing sectors, and the lowest in the agriculture and finance sectors.

* Job openings in construction were down 13 points from last month and down 17 points from the prior year, with 41% reporting an open position they can’t fill.

Court Decision Allows Copper Mine to Operate

23 January 2025
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The Montana Supreme Court issued a decision that will allow the opening of the Black Butte Copper mine in Meagher County. The court declared that the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) properly issued a permit to Tintina Montana Incorporated (now Sandfire Resources) in how it will use groundwater in mining 14 million tons of copper.

The court’s decision is the final legal barrier that stood in the way of the mine becoming operational.

The DNRC’s work and permit approval was challenged in a suit brought Trout Unlimited, Montana Environmental Information Center, Earthworks and American Rivers.  The water at issue is 250 million gallons of groundwater that the mining company is not actually using but is moving to a different location.

In a 5-2 opinion, the judges approved Tintina’s plan to remove water that it doesn’t need for its operation but is in the way– referred to as “remainder water.” It intends to treat the water on-site to remove nitrogen that can be problematic for aquatic ecosystems. They will then inject the water underground from where it will be gradually filtered into the water aquifer.

The company argued that the water is neither used nor wasted, only relocated. Water that the company uses in the mining process – about 100 million gallons — is treated differently.

The opposing environmental groups claimed that the company’s plan will diminish the quantity and quality of water in the Smith River. They claimed that the DNRC has created a “loophole” that circumvents a constitutional requirement that Montana’s water is to be “comprehensively regulated and protected.”

The justices noted that there are “manipulations” of water that don’t fall neatly within the beneficial use or waste categories. They further noted that it’s an area in which the Montana State Legislature could play an important role in determining if the situation can be better regulated.

Chamber to Follow Legislative Session

23 January 2025
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The Billings Chamber of Commerce has announced that they will be following the events of the 69th State Legislative Session with the assistance of Dan Brooks, Vice President of Business Advocacy, and Rebecca Meyers, contract lobbyist for the Billings Chamber. They will advance and protect business interests through official testimony and working with legislators, according to a recent release.

Key priorities of the Billings Chamber include public safety, housing supply, and workforce issues.

Brooks has been a champion for business and Chamber members since starting his career with the Billings Chamber in 2015, working through the ranks from Member and Operations Specialist to Business Advocacy Director. In 2021, he was named to the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), 40 under 40 class of chamber professionals and is currently pursuing his Institute of Organizational Management certification.

“Dan is a proven leader and champion for sound business policies and decision making on the local, state and federal level,” says President and CEO John Brewer. “During his tenure with our organization, Dan has built relationships and trust with elected officials and positioned the Chamber as a trusted source of political information.”

During the 90-day Legislative Session Brooks will split his time between Billings and Helena to directly advocate and testify for business priorities, keep Chamber members up to date with the weekly e-newsletter, and organize monthly videoconferences for Chamber members to get facetime with legislators.

Brooks recently accepted a promotion to become the Vice President of Business Advocacy for the Billings Chamber. He can be reached via email at Daniel@BillingsChamber.com or call (406) 580-8560.

Calumet Gets $1.44 billion Loan for Expansion

23 January 2025
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Calumet, Inc., Great Falls, announced getting a $1.44 billion guaranteed loan from the U.S. Department of EnergyLoan Programs Office. The loan will fund the construction and expansion of the renewable fuels facility owned by Montana Renewables, LLC, a subsidiary of Calumet.

The expansion means that Montana Renewables will be one of the largest Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) producers in the world, enabling an increase in annual production of renewable fuel capacity to approximately 300 million gallons and 330 million gallons of combined aviation fuel and renewable diesel (“RD”).

Some of the production capability is expected to be on line by 2026

The planned expansion includes several key components: a second renewable fuels reactor, debottlenecking of existing units, installation of SAF blending and logistics assets, increased renewable hydrogen production, cogeneration for renewable electricity and steam, and on-site water treatment and recycling capabilities.

“This is essentially the largest agricultural investment in Montana history and will double our purchases of seed oils and tallow from approximately 1.5 billion pounds per year … to 3 billion pounds per year post expansion. This is possible through the strong support and partnership of DOE and follows over two years of detailed due diligence,” said Bruce Fleming, CEO of Montana Renewables. “Our MaxSAF expansion drives regional economic development by creating jobs, supporting the broader agricultural industry, and positioning the State of Montana as a global leader in renewable fuels in a practical and highly economic way with technology that we have developed and derisked here in the United States.”

“This investment is a pivotal catalyst for Calumet,” said Todd Borgmann, CEO of Calumet. “Following our conversion to a C-Corporation, we emphasized the importance of the DOE loan as the next major step in Calumet’s vision, and achieving that milestone is a tremendous accomplishment.”

The MRL expansion is expected to create 450 construction jobs and up to 40 operations jobs. 

Calumet is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and operates twelve facilities throughout North America.