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Representative seeks two-year study and temporary pause on large permits for Fox Hills/Hell Creek aquifer
Summary
Rep. Teal introduced a bill asking for a two-year study of the Fox Hills/Hell Creek aquifer and, as drafted, a temporary pause on new large groundwater permits over the exempt-well threshold while the study proceeds; supporters cited artesian wells losing pressure and high replacement costs.
Representative (sponsor identified in the hearing as the sponsor and referred to by witnesses as Representative Teal) opened the hearing on House Bill 935 to raise concerns about declining water levels in the Fox Hills/Hell Creek aquifer across eastern Montana. The sponsor said the aquifer spans large parts of eastern Montana and has shown long-term water-level declines; some landowners reported artesian wells losing pressure and said re-drilling to deeper zones can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The measure as presented included two elements: (1) a directive to the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology to study aquifer characteristics and update water-level data, and (2) a temporary two-year…
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