Montana Supreme Court
Meic v. Montana Deq
January 3, 20252025 MT 3
Summary
The court affirmed the determination that DEQ adequately analyzed noise, but affirmed that DEQ’s lighting analysis was arbitrary and capricious and that the 2021 MEPA scheme required analysis of the facility’s greenhouse-gas emissions. It held that the district court improperly vacated the permit without making the specific statutory findings required for equitable relief, reinstated the permit, and remanded for further MEPA analysis. The court also held that the 2021 statutory framework governs the remand because the later amendment was not retroactive and was declared unconstitutional.