A state judge ruled Monday that Montana’s oil and gas policies are infringing on young people’s constitutional rights to a safe environment, handing a big win to youth climate plaintiffs that will likely reverberate across the legal landscape.
An adjustment to the Montana Energy Policy Act (MEPA)—which limits environmental factors that must be considered for project permitting—violates rights to a safe environment enshrined in Montana’s constitution, according to Judge Kathy Seeley of the Lewis and Clark County District Court in Helena, Mont.
