This page will be updated as information becomes available. (Last update: Oct. 29, 2020)
DEQ COVID-19 Resources & Updates
Dear valued partners and stakeholders, we understand that you may have questions about public meetings and other DEQ services during the COVID-19 public health response. Though we are making modifications to our business practices, including increased remote working, DEQ remains committed to continuing to meet our regulatory obligations. This page is intended to provide resources, updates, and special information pertinent to DEQ stakeholders and the interested public during disruptions to regular working hours or business as usual.
Links to other important resources, including the State of Montana COVID-19 Updates website, are included in the navigation menu on the left.
General Policies & Notices
Requests for Compliance and Enforcement Discretion
DEQ is tracking requests for flexibility and discretion for current or anticipated challenges that are a direct result of the COVID-19 public health response. As set forth in our March 31, 2020, Compliance and Enforcement Discretion Memo (linked above), we will consider and respond to such requests on a case-by-case basis. In an effort to be transparent during these exceptional times, all requests for regulatory relief due to COVID-19 impacts, and the DEQ responses to such requests, will be posted on this website.
Any information, data, or other materials submitted to DEQ is subject to potential release pursuant to the Montana Public Records Act (Montana Code 2-6-101 et seq.). It is the duty of the submitter to notify DEQ, at the time of submittal, of any information it considers to be entitled to protection as “confidential information” as defined in § 2-6-1002(1), MCA. Please contact DEQ if you have questions.
| Requestor
|
Date of Request
|
Date of Response
|
Documents
|
Status
|
| Stillwater Mining Company - East Boulder Mine and Nye Mine
|
September 21, 2020
|
October 20, 2020
|
Request
Nye Response
East Boulder Response
|
In effect
|
| Montana Resources, LLP
|
September 21, 2020
|
October 6, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Commonwealth Resources, LLC
|
August 24, 2020
|
September 25, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| GCC - Trident
|
July 22, 2020
|
September 16, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Blackfoot Post Yard
|
July 16, 2020
|
July 20, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
|
Sector-wide response: Transient and seasonal public water systems
Note: See documents for details
|
See spreadsheets for updates
|
See spreadsheets for updates
|
DEQ Notice on Sampling Discretion
6/19 Seasonal System Requests & Approvals (Download spreadsheet)
6/19 Transient System Requests & Approvals (Download spreadsheet)
DEQ Guidance on Flushing Faucets after Non-Use
|
In effect
|
| Huttig Building Products - Missoula White Pine Sash Site
|
May 21, 2020
|
June 15, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Weyerhaeuser
|
May 8, 2020
|
June 10, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Malteurop
|
May 5, 2020
|
June 10, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Denbury Onshore
|
March 31, 2020
|
May 15, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Troy Mine Inc.
|
April 7, 2020
|
May 14, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
Work resumed
|
| ExxonMobil - Bozeman Marketing Terminal
|
April 10, 2020
|
April 24, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
Work resumed
|
| City of Missoula
|
April 15, 2020
|
April 23, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Valley Farmers Supply Company
|
April 14, 2020
|
April 23, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Roseburg Forest Products
|
April 13, 2020
|
April 23, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
In effect
|
| Calumet Montana Refining
|
April 2, 2020
|
April 23, 2020
|
Request
Response
Calumet Update
6/17 Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Signal Peak Energy - Bull Mountain Mine
|
April 13, 2020
|
April 14, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Decker Coal Company - East Decker
|
April 13, 2020
|
April 13, 2020
|
Request
Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Navajo Transitional Energy Company - Spring Creek Mine
|
April 9, 2020
|
April 13, 2020
|
Bond Update Request
Bond Update Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Navajo Transitional Energy Company - Spring Creek Mine
|
April 9, 2020
|
April 10, 2020
|
Bond Calculation Request
Bond Calculation Response
|
Work resumed
|
| NorthWestern Energy Helena
|
April 7, 2020
|
April 8, 2020
|
Request & Response Summary
|
In effect
|
| Montana Environmental Trust Group - Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex
|
April 3, 2020
|
April 8, 2020
|
Request
Email Response
5/21 Approval to Delay Until June 1
|
Work resumed
|
| Omimex Compressor Stations 002 & 015
|
April 2, 2020
|
April 2, 2020
|
Request & Response Summary
Phone Log
|
In effect
|
| Westmoreland Rosebud Mining - Rosebud Mine
|
April 1, 2020
|
April 2, 2020
April 3, 2020
|
Request
Vegetation Response
Wildlife Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Sidney Red-E-Mix
|
March 31, 2020
|
March 31, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
April 23 Email Follow-Up
|
Work resumed
|
| BNSF Livingston
|
March 30, 2020
|
March 30, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
| Montana Department of Transportation - Plains
|
March 25, 2020
|
March 25, 2020
|
Request & Response Summary
|
In effect
|
| BNSF Whitefish
|
March 23, 2020
|
March 24, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
| BNSF KRY (Kalispell Area)
|
March 20, 2020
|
March 22, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
| BNSF Havre
|
March 19, 2020
|
March 19, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
| BNSF Missoula
|
March 18, 2020
|
March 19, 2020
|
Email Request & Response
|
Work resumed
|
Public Event Cancellations & Resources
The table below shows meeting and event cancellations and associated resources. As events are rescheduled, that information will be added to the table. Please check back periodically for updates.
| Event
|
Date & Location
|
Status
|
Rescheduled For / Notes
|
| Mine Design, Operations & Closure Conference
|
May 2020
Fairmont Hot Springs
|
Postponed
|
Rescheduled for August 16-20, 2020
Website for more info: https://www.mtech.edu/mwtp/
|
| Water Sector Emergency Response Exercise
|
April 21
Great Falls
|
Cancelled
|
|
| Nevada Creek Watershed Harmful Algae Bloom Public Meeting
|
April 16 at 5:30pm
Helmville
|
In-person portion
cancelled
|
Click to Join Zoom Meeting
Or join by phone at 646-558-8656
Meeting ID: 856 834 478
|
| DEQ & US Forest Service Meeting
|
April 15
Missoula
|
Cancelled
|
|
| Public Hearing on Water Quality Standards Triennial Review
|
April 6
Helena
|
Postponed
|
June 10, 2020, at 1:00 PM in Room 45 of the Metcalf Building (1520 E 6th Ave, Helena)
Link to page with instructions on how to comment
|
| Butte-Silver Bow Commission Meeting on Butte Priority Soils
|
April 1
Butte
|
Postponed
|
|
| Quarterly Petroleum Tank Compensation Board Meeting
|
March 30
Helena
|
Postponed
|
April 20
|
| EPA Region 8 Radon Conference
|
March 26-27
Helena
|
Cancelled
|
|
| Solid Waste Advisory Committee
|
March 26
Helena
|
Cancelled
|
Next meeting July 9
|
| DEQ Clean Air Act Advisory Committee Meeting
|
March 25
Helena
|
Cancelled
|
|
| EPA Meeting RE: Libby Asbestos Superfund Transition
|
March 25
Libby
|
Postponed
|
|
| Butte-Silver Bow Commission Meeting on Butte Priority Soils
|
March 25
Butte
|
Postponed
|
|
| Public Hearing on Asbestos Rulemaking
|
March 24
Helena
|
Postponed
|
Public hearing will be held via remote conferencing on April 29 at 10 a.m.
Join by telephone by dialing 1 (866) 906-9888, meeting ID: 5969240
Link to Public Notice Page
|
| Water Pollution Control Advisory Committee
|
March 20
Helena
|
Cancelled
|
|
| Smith River Algae Study Public Meeting
|
March 19
White Sulphur Springs
|
Cancelled
|
Link to video recording on DEQ YouTube Channel
|
| Libby Asbestos Superfund Oversight Committee
|
March 18
Libby
|
Postponed
|
Rescheduled for May 26. More details at http://deq.mt.gov/DEQAdmin/dir/libby/SATeam
|