From a Wednesday, February 22, 2006 online posting by CBC News . . .
British Columbia has invited Montana to join the environmental review of a coal mine proposed for the southeastern area of the province, a project that caused a stir in Montana because of possible effects on the transboundary Flathead River Basin.
"British Columbia and Montana are actively working together to share information on natural resource development proposals in order to build confidence and trust between our jurisdictions," John van Dongen of the province's intergovernmental relations office said Wednesday.
"This is an important step forward in our efforts to have a better understanding of transboundary issues in the Flathead watershed and work effectively with each other."
Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Montana "looks forward to working with British Columbia as we move forward with the review process."
A frequent critic of the province's handling of environmental matters, David Thomas of the City Council in Fernie, B.C., praised the idea of an environmental review involving both the province and the state. Rather than restricting the review's scope to the mine's footprint, Thomas said, British Columbia is interested in a broader approach. That is an "enlightened step," he said.
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