U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., will hold a public meeting Tuesday in Billings to ensure that the Department of Interior hears Montana voices regarding review of a federal coal program.
The meeting is 11:45 a.m. at Montana State University – Billings, library room 148, 1500 University Drive, Billings.
Montana cities are not among the locations selected by the DOI for public meetings on the new coal program, even though the state has more than one-fourth of the nation’s estimated recoverable coal reserves, Daines said.
The DOI has public meetings planned during May and June in Casper, Wyo.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Salt Lake City; and Seattle, Daines said.
Montanans are encouraged to share their thoughts and bring written comments to the June 21 event in Billings.
Daines will attend the Billings event through video conference as he will be in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday on Senate business. A livestream will be available onwww.daines.senate.gov.
Speakers will need to sign in prior to 12:30 pm at the location in order to submit written or verbal comments.
They will be called upon on a first-come, first-served basis and allowed a maximum of three minutes to present their comments.