Montana

A western state in the United States, Montana is named after the Spanish word for mountain, as more than a third of the state is covered by mountain ranges. The expansive vistas earned the state its nickname Big Sky Country. Montana is the fourth-largest state, with 147,042 square miles and the third lowest population density in the United States, with only 989,415 residents in the 2010 Census. Helena is Montana's capital, while Billings is the largest city and metropolitan area. The state borders three Canadian provinces to the north, Idaho to the west, Wyoming to the south, and the Dakotas to the east. The Continental Divide splits the state into distinct eastern and western regions; the western region is mountainous, but although 60 percent of the state is prairie, there are island ranges in the east. The valleys between the ranges contain important agricultural land and rivers and provide recreation and tourism areas. Home to Glacier National Park, three of the five entrances to Yellowstone National Park, and rivers featuring some of the most attractive fly-fishing spots in the world, Montana's natural amenities attract both residents and tourists seeking the Last Best Place (another state nickname).

Montana's many rivers are known for trout fishing and provide most of the state's water; man-made [Page 568]reservoirs are common and include Fort Peck Resevior on the Missouri River, which is held back by the world's largest earth dam. The rivers are also a source of hydroelectric energy—six of the 10 largest power stations in the state are hydroelectric, producing a third of Montana's energy. Montana is also a massive exporter of energy to neighboring states. Coal accounts for nearly two-thirds of the state's energy, as Montana contains more than a quarter of the United States' estimated recoverable coal reserve and exports to more than 15 states. By a bill passed in 2007, Montana has a de facto ban on new coal-fired power plants; any new plants must be able to sequester 50 percent of the carbon dioxide they produce but this technology currently remains unavailable.

The Montanan economy is based mostly on services, with ranching, wheat farming, and fossil fuels in the east; and lumber, tourism, and hard rock mining in the west. Mineral resources include gold, coal, silver, talc, and vermiculite, with numerous ecotaxes imposed on extraction. Attractions such as Glacier National Park, Flathead Lake, the Little Bighorn battle site, and Yellowstone National Park draw millions of visitors annually to the state.

The 16th Nationwide Survey of MSW Management in the United States found the following: In 2006 Montana had an estimated 1,430,049-tons of (municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, placing it 41st in a survey of the 50 states and the capital district. Based on the 2006 population of 946,795, an estimated 1.51 tons of MSW were generated per person per year (ranking 11th); 1,189,539 tons were landfilled (ranking 38th) in the state's 79 landfills. The tonnage of exported and imported MSW was not reported. In 2006 Montana was increasing its 92,025,335-cubic-yard landfill capacity; it was ranked third out of 44 respondent states for number of landfills but has no waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities. Tipping fees across Montana averaged $25, the second-lowest in the United States, where the cheapest and most expensive average landfill fees were $15 and $96, respectively; 240,510 tons of MSW were recycled, placing Montana 38th in the ranking of recycled MSW tonnage.

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