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Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy said to Congress Wednesday that there’s “absolutely no reason” to measure the impact of the Clean Power Plan by looking at global temperature reductions. McCarthy admitted during questions by Republican Sen. Steve Daines of Montana that her agency can’t measure the impact of its proposed Clean Power Plan on global temperatures, because it would likely be incredibly small. McCarthy specified that the plan’s influence on the environment cannot be quantified.  The Clean Power Plan would eliminate most cheap coal and natural gas power with expensive sources like solar and wind, costing America an expected $41 billion annually. Yet, the plan likely

When Congressional budget hawks look to attack, the federally subsidized Essential Air Service is usually a sitting duck. The program responsible for connecting small rural communities with airports that have commercial fight connections always seems at risk of having its funding plucked. Cheap flights to Billings from Glasgow, Glendive, Havre, Wolf Point and Sidney depend on EAS. The program also connects airports in Butte and West Yellowstone to Salt Lake City. In 2015, Montana passengers boarded Cape Air, the EAS provider for rural Eastern Montana airports, 43,663 times. The funding comes from federal general funds and fees collected from commercial

Airport officials will begin a two-year study of the Ronan airport after the Federal Aviation Administration funded a grant for the work. The $202,642 Aeronautical Survey and Airport Masterplan Update grant will be used to define whether the airport is in demand enough to expand it for use of larger firefighting aircraft that could potentially save lives. Lake County Joint Airport Board Chairman Rick Newman said that nothing will change in the Ronan area surrounding the airport. “No shovels will go into the ground in the next two years,” he said. The study is to determine if a need exists

The Armed Forces Readiness Center in Great Falls is getting a new name. Legislation passed both houses of Congress to rename the facility as the Capt. John E. Moran and Capt. William Galt Armed Forces Reserve Center to honor the Montana men who received the Medal of Honor. The bill is now awaiting President Barack Obama’s signature. Moran served in the Army’s 37th Infantry during the Philippine-American War and was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1910 and died in Great Falls in 1930. Galt of Great Falls served in the Army’s 34th Infantry during World War II and was

Senate support for permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund got the most notice on Wednesday, but passage of the Energy Policy Modernization Act has a lot of other Montana-related details. “Energy is the title of the bill, but you can see there’s a lot of moving parts,” Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., said Wednesday shortly after the measure passed the Senate. “We’re a state that loves the outdoors and fishing and hunting opportunities, and has lots of natural resources. We passed this bill so we can have jobs and economic growth and at same time protect the land

The U.S. Senate passed legislation Wednesday that includes permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Energy Policy Modernization Act garnered bipartisan support, easily passing on an 85-12 vote. The act includes myriad updates to energy and efficiency standards and regulations from appliances and vehicles to energy production. It also reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Historic Preservation Fund and creates the National Park Service Critical Maintenance and Revitalization Conservation Fund. LWCF takes a portion of offshore oil and gas royalties and offers matching grants for conservation projects. In Montana, it has funded city parks