What you can do:

You can help protect the Flathead Basin by taking one or more of the prioritized actions listed below:

Tell British Columbia not to issue Exploratory Rights to British Petroleum in the B.C. Flathead River AND the Elk Valley. Contact information:

Honourable Ross Curtis, Commissioner
Oil and Gas Commission
ross.curtis@gov.bc.ca
250-356-2691

Premier Gordon Campbell
East Annex
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C.
V8V1X4
gordon.campbell@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-660-2421

Honourable John van Dongen
Minister of State for Intergovernmental Relations
East Annex
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C.
V8V1X4
john.vandongen@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-660-2421

Honourable Richard Neufeld
Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources
East Annex
Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C.
V8V1X4
richard.neufeld@gov.bc.ca
Telephone: 604-660-2421

Tell the Canadian Federal government to invoke Section 47 of CEAA. Contact information:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa
K1A 0A2
Fax: 613-941-6900
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca

The Honourable John Baird
Minister, Environment Canada
Les Terrasses de la Chaudie're
10 Wellington St., 28th Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
KIA OH3
Telephone: 819-997-2800
Fax: 819-994-1412
Email: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca

The Honourable Peter Gordon Mackay
Minster, Foreign Affairs and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON Canada
K1A OG2
Telephone: 613-944-4000
Fax: 613-996-9709

Let your Congressional delegation and Governor know that their past support on this issue is appreciated, and that continued efforts are necessary to develop a long-term solution to effectively address the threat of coalfield development in the B.C. Flathead. Contact information:

Governor Brian Schweitzer
Office of the Governor
Montana State Capital Bldg.
P.O. Box 200801
Helena, MT 59620-0801
406-444-3111
406-444-5529 (fax)
Email: governor@mt.gov

Senator Max Baucus
511 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510
(202) 224-2651
(202) 224-0515 (Fax)
(800) 332-6106 (from MT)
(202) 224-1998 (TDD)
Electronic comment form: http://baucus.senate.gov/contact/emailform

Senator John Tester
204 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington D.C. 20510-2604
(202)224-2644
(202)224-8594 (fax)
(866)554-4403
Electronic comment form: http://tester.senate.gov/contact/

Representative Denny Rehberg
516 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC, 20515
phone: (202) 225-3211
fax: (202) 225-5687
Electronic comment form: http://www.house,gov/writerep/

British Petroleum's contact:

Robert Malone
President BP America
BP America Headquarters
501 WestLake Park Blvd.
Houston, TX 77079-2604
Tel. +1-281-366-2000

John B. Riggs, Jr.
BP America, Inc.
1660 Lincoln Street, Suite 3000
Denver, CO  80264
Telephone:  303-830-3250
Fax:  303-830-3298  

Randy McLeod
President BP Canada 
240 4th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 2H8

Christopher B. Revington
BP Mist Mountain Coalbed Gas Project
240 4th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 2H8

Write op-ed pieces and letters to the editor and distribute to local media.

Email us, the Flathead Basin Commission to let us know of your actions.

FBC POSITION ON COALFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN THE B.C. FLATHEAD

The State, Provincial and Federal governments should seek a long-term solution to protecting the Transboundary Flathead River. “A special place deserves a special plan.”

No new industrial coalfield development is acceptable in the British Columbia portion of the Flathead River

Both the proposed British Petroleum coalbed methane exploration and the Cline Mining Corporation open-pit coal mine will violate Article IV the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, based on existing scientific information

A decision by British Columbia to grant British Petroleum an Exploratory Permit for Coalbed Methane will violate the 2003 Environmental Cooperation Arrangement between British Columbia and Montana

BP coalbed methane exploration and the Cline Mine open-pit coal mine poses unacceptable threats to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, water quality and transboundary wildlife and fish populations.

The Governor and the Congressional delegation should work with the Canadian federal government to invoke Section 47 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) to ensure a comprehensive environmental review of the BP and Cline proposals is undertaken PRIOR to any coalfield development, including exploration activities. Such a review must include:

     o Cumulative Effects Analysis
     o Evaluation of impacts to transboundary large and mid-size carnivore populations
     o Evaluation of Impacts to transboundary bull trout/westslope cutthroat populations
     o Impacts to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park
     o Oversight by an International Joint Review Panel

The State and Federal Governments have committed over $1.3 million this year (with more funding to follow) to conduct studies on water quality, wildlife and the river corridor of the transboundary Flathead River. B.C. and the Canadian federal government should support this effort.

The State, Provincial and Federal governments are charged with implementing the original recommendations of the International Joint Commission (IJC) that mining proposals not move forward unless the impacts are determined and acceptable to both governments, and that the governments implement a collaborative management based on mutually acceptable uses of resources. The FBC urges the implementation of this IJC recommendation.

Tell BP that some places are “just too special” and that you oppose their efforts to seek a permit for CBM exploration. Contact information: