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Resident urges Lincoln County to oppose raising selenium thresholds, points to DEQ comment deadline
Summary
A resident with tribal-affiliated representation told commissioners he has observed increased selenium and fish health problems and urged the county not to support higher selenium concentrations; commissioners said the local action was about process and site-specific standards and encouraged public comments to DEQ by the August deadline cited in the meeting.
Mike Brunie, who said he represents the Fuchi Valley Tribe Club / Montana Lana TU, raised environmental concerns during public comment, showing photos he said illustrate paratnose syndrome in fish and reporting decreased insect populations on his property. He urged commissioners not to support raising selenium concentrations in the river and encouraged residents to file comments with DEQ during the agency’s public-comment period.
"Selenium is increasing. And as you know, it's been found down in the Columbia River to be increasing," Brunie said, urging the commission to "leave [a legacy] as stopping it" and warning that higher selenium could damage fish and insect populations. A commissioner replied that recent press coverage may have mischaracterized the county's action: the county's concern, the commissioner said, was about the process and the use of site-specific standards rather than a blanket change to statewide selenium thresholds. The transcript records a DEQ comment deadline noted by the speaker as August 13 (1:00 p.m.).
Commissioners encouraged participants to submit comments to DEQ and indicated further local meetings (including one in Troy) would parse separate local concerns from the broader selenium discussion. The board did not change any regulatory standard during the meeting.
