NEWS RELEASE: Businesses, Conservation Groups Urge Independent Oversight of Massive Coal Mine Expansion in Polluted Kootenai Watershed
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Contacts:
Derf Johnson, MEIC | djohnson@meic.org | 406-581-4634
Jennifer Ekstrom, Idaho Conservation League | jeksrom@idahoconservation.org | 208-318-5812
Businesses, Conservation Groups Urge Independent Oversight of Massive Coal Mine Expansion in Polluted Kootenai Watershed
Groups say expansion could damage a waterway already impacted by decades of coal mining
MONTANA AND IDAHO – Today, a coalition of businesses and conservation organizations formally requested that the Canadian government require a more rigorous review of a proposed coal mine expansion in British Columbia that threatens downstream waters in Montana and Idaho.
In a letter to Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change Julie Dabrusin, 34 businesses and organizations called for an independent review panel to evaluate Glencore’s proposed expansion of its Fording River Mine in B.C.’s Elk Valley. The Fording River Extension (FRX) would expand the existing mountaintop removal coal mine by approximately 5,000 acres, which would exacerbate the damaging selenium pollution in Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai watershed.
Under Canadian law, the Minister has the authority to designate an independent review panel when projects pose risks to waters shared with the United States. An independent review panel could examine the proposed expansion and its implications for both Canada and the United States, and potentially recommend alternatives or mitigation measures to reduce the risk of further pollution.
“The coal mines in the Elk Valley of B.C. are causing possibly the worst case of selenium pollution in the world—right here in Montana,” said Derf Johnson, Deputy Director of the Montana Environmental Information Center. “We’re asking the Canadian government to take a harder look at the largest proposed expansion currently being considered, and to evaluate its impacts to the water quality and the fishery of our shared watershed. We hope Canada will do the right thing and appoint a review panel, because the consequences of allowing more pollution are significant for Montana.”
For decades, massive open-pit coal mines in British Columbia’s Elk Valley have released toxic levels of selenium into the Elk River, which flows downstream into Lake Koocanusa and the Kootenai River in Montana and Idaho. Selenium levels in Lake Koocanusa already exceed legal limits, threatening fish populations and aquatic life. In Idaho, the Kootenai River has been formally designated as impaired for selenium under the Clean Water Act. The request highlights concerns about impacts to regional economies, outdoor recreation, and the way of life in both states.
The ongoing pollution has already drawn international attention. At the request of the transboundary Ktunaxa Nation, the governments of Canada and the United States reached agreement and referred the matter to the International Joint Commission (IJC) under the Boundary Waters Treaty. The referral recognizes that the current regulatory oversight in British Columbia has been insufficient to protect international waters and reflects a shared responsibility to study water pollution impacts and mitigation methods. An independent review panel could take the IJC reference into account as it evaluates the mine expansion.
“With Idaho’s water already designated as impaired under the Clean Water Act, and with the Boundary Waters Treaty activated to find solutions, it makes no sense to permit a major mine expansion before that work is complete,” said Jennifer Ekstrom, North Idaho director for the Idaho Conservation League. “At a minimum, an independent review panel is needed to ensure a transparent, science-based process that isn’t currently guaranteed.”
A recent U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study found that selenium concentrations in the International Elk-Kootenai/y watershed have more than quadrupled over the past four decades, with levels regularly exceeding those considered safe for aquatic life and human health. Researchers noted the increase may be the largest ever recorded in a peer-reviewed study. These findings are supported by monitoring data from the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Province of British Columbia, which has led to major enforcement actions against the mine.
In 2020, the State of Montana finalized science-based standards meant to protect the environmental and economic well-being of the state following a multi-year stakeholder process. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) later approved the standards, affirming they were “based on sound scientific rationale and … contain sufficient parameters or constituents to protect the designated use” as required by 40 C.F.R. § 131.11.
Clean water is a significant economic driver for both states. In Montana, recreation-related activities generated more than $3.4 billion in economic output and provided over 30,000 jobs across the state, according to a 2024 report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In Idaho, the report shows $3.9 billion in economic output and 37,000 jobs related to outdoor recreation. Outfitters in Montana are already reporting potential selenium-caused deformities in our fishery, such as missing gill plates.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change has until April 23 to determine if the expansion will be referred to an independent review panel.
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