The Kids Win One!
By A group of 16 Montanans, ranging in age from 5 to 22 years, have won a lawsuit against the state.
The court determined that a provision in the Montana Environmental Policy Act has harmed the state’s environment and the young plaintiffs, by preventing Montana from considering the climate impacts of energy projects. The provision is accordingly unconstitutional, the court said.
Apparently the issue was a lack of consideration of climate change when the state evaluated new projects.
In her ruling, Kathy Seeley, a district court judge, found that the state’s emissions “have been proven to be a substantial factor” in affecting the climate. Laws that limited the ability of regulators to consider climate effects were unconstitutional, she ruled.
The state will probably appeal, but this looks like a good start!