Student urges Montana committee to keep numeric nutrient standards, says narrative approach risks long-term harm

Ryder Ferguson, a Montana State University undergraduate, told the Water Policy Interim Committee he opposes a shift from numeric nutrient standards to a narrative approach under House Bill 664. Ferguson said narrative standards are reactive rather than proactive and risk creating long-term "nutrient legacies" that can leach into groundwater and disproportionately affect well owners and tribal communities.

"This new policy brought by House Bill 664...introduced narrative standards that are reactive rather than proactive," Ferguson said. He asked the committee to consider adopting a numeric watershed verification policy, require downstream scientific surveys, and include tribal and local scientists in monitoring and implementation.

Committee members thanked Ferguson for the testimony and several suggested routing the concerns to the Environmental Quality Council or to DEQ for technical follow-up. DEQ later described the agency's plans to train permit writers and implement the narrative standard where directed by statute.

The committee did not vote on nutrient policy at the hearing; members asked staff and DEQ for follow-up materials and potential briefings on the interaction between statutory changes and permit implementation.