BP Pulls Plug On Coal-Bed Methane Plan For Flathead Basin, But Runoff Threat Remains

[hatrack]

A forum on potential development in the Canadian Flathead drainage opened with a bang Thursday, with Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., announcing that energy giant BP is withdrawing plans for coal-bed methane development in the basin. Just several hours ago, I got a call from the head of BP ... and he told me they’ve made a final decision: They’re not going to develop coal-bed methane in the Flathead,” Baucus said, getting a rousing cheer from an audience of about 200 at Flathead Valley Community College.

Baucus said he further pressed BP America President Bob Malone in the conversation, asking if the decision was indeed final, “and he said yes.” In a parallel action on Wednesday, the British Columbia Ministry of Energy issued BP “tenure referral” — an exclusive right to pursue permits for methane development in the Crowsnest coal field northeast of the Flathead River drainage.

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The company’s initial proposal involved up to 1,500 coal-bed methane wells over 200 square miles of undeveloped and mostly pristine landscape. The tenure area now encompasses about 148,000 acres. Excluding the Flathead substantially reduced the scope of the project, but not necessarily to the satisfaction of Montana’s elected leadership.

Pollution from coal-bed methane wastewater would continue to pose a threat to the Elk River and downstream into Lake Koocanusa and Montana’s Kootenai basin. “Today we got some action,” Schweitzer told the crowd. “But we’re not done. My guess is that if we win this battle, we’re not going to sell out on the Kootenai.”

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http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2008/02/22/news/news01.txt