FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 14, 2007

Cascade County to Invalidate Zoning for Highwood Generating Station

GREAT FALLS – At a status conference today before a state district court judge, counsel for Cascade County announced that the County intends to invalidate the rezoning of property which would have allowed for the construction of the Highwood Generating Station. The action is subject to formal action by the Cascade County Commissioners following a formal public hearing that will be held in the near future.

On November 29, 2006 the Commissioners voted 2-1 to approve a rezoning petition to change 840 acres of farmland in Cascade County from Agricultural (A-2) to Heavy Industrial (I-2). The stated purpose of the zone change was to allow the construction of the Highwood Generating Station, a 250-megawatt coal-fired power plant.

On December 22, 2006, 48 area farmers, ranchers, homeowners, and the Montana Environmental Information Center, filed suit against the Board of County Commissioners of Cascade County over the Commissioners’ decision to rezone an agricultural area that contains productive farmland to heavy industrial. Plaintiffs believed that the rezoning would radically change the agricultural and rural character of the area. The site is near the Missouri River and is located on a portion of Lewis and Clark’s Great Falls Portage National Historic Landmark.

“We are happy that the County has agreed to go back to the drawing board. We look forward to a more thorough analysis of whether a large coal plant should be allowed in the middle of some of Montana’s best farmland. The landowners in the area certainly don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Robert Lassila, who owns an organic farm adjacent to the rezoned property.

“It is great news that the county has decided to stop spending tax dollars on defending a poor zoning decision and instead has decided to start over. We hope this time around the county will be more inclusive of local landowners. We have the most to lose from this zone change and our concerns should be given serious consideration,” said J.C. Kantorowicz, a nearby dryland wheat farmer who, together with his wife, own Meadowlark Farms.

“This is a tremendous success for area farmers and those interested in historic preservation. We now have the opportunity to work with Cascade County in developing new procedures for zoning decisions that are in compliance with state law. We are confident that once these procedures are in place the important concerns of agriculture, historic preservation and public health will be more adequately considered,” said Anne Hedges of the Montana Environmental Information Center, a member-supported nonprofit organization concerned about the health and economic impacts of the proposed coal plant.

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