Big Oil Roy
Big Oil Gives Big Cash to Roy Brown
State finance report reveals that oil industry insiders and their families are pumping tens of thousands of dollars into Roy Brown’s campaign coffers.
Helena, MT – With oil prices hovering at around $100 a barrel and oil companies reeling in record profits, token candidate for governor Roy Brown didn’t waste any time before hitting up the oil and gas industry for some quick campaign cash. According to his first campaign finance report in the 2008 race for Governor, Brown raked in close to $30,000 from individuals connected with the oil and gas industry – as well as a personal loan of $20,000 from Brown, himself a former oil executive.
“Big oil companies are gouging Montana consumers left and right, and Roy Brown is at the trough collecting their campaign cash,” Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald said. “Just over three years ago Montana had a Republican governor who pledged to be a lap dog for industry, and now it looks like Roy Brown is gunning to be a lap dog for oil companies."
The oil industry’s commitment to Roy Brown should come as no surprise to people who have followed Brown’s voting record in the State Legislature. In both the State House and State Senate, Brown has consistently sided with big oil and gas companies in opposing the development of new alternative energy sources in Montana.
In 2007, Brown voted against the “Clean and Green Act” which offered a long overdue blueprint for alternative energy development and conservation in the state, as well as giving incentives and tax breaks to companies that work to generate renewable energy here in Montana [HB 3, SSSJ p37, 5/14/07]. Two years earlier, Brown sided with the fringe minority in the House to vote against tax breaks for wind energy development in Montana [SB 115, HJ p2, 4/14/05]. In addition, Brown opposed a renewable energy standard for Montana [SB 415, HJ p10, 4/16/05], and was a “reluctant supporter” of the industry backed scheme that deregulated Montana Power in 1997 [AP, 12/3/01].
On top of all this, Brown’s former employer, Marathon Oil, joined three other energy companies in 2006 to sue Montana in an attempt to overturn the state’s federally approved water quality standards for the Tongue and Powder Rivers. Robert Nance of Nance Petroleum, one of the compaines joining Marathon Oil in the case against Montana, has made the maximum $1,000 donation to Brown’s campaign.
“The last thing Montana needs is a governor who’s in bed with the oil and gas industry,” McDonald said. “If we’re going to get energy prices under control, we need a Governor who is committed to new and alternative energy. That Governor is Brian Schweitzer.”
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Roy Brown’s backers and oil industry buddies fight to gut Montana’s water quality standards
Brown’s former employer is among those leading the charge to overturn Montana’s federally approved water quality standards in the Powder River Basin
(Helena, Mont.) - Backers of an ongoing effort to overturn Montana's federally approved water quality standards along the Powder River Basin are placing their bets on former oil executive Roy Brown.
Both Marathon Oil and Nance Petroleum are among the oil and gas companies suing to invalidate water quality standards that protect Montana farmers and ranchers from high levels of coal bed methane waste water pollution discharged along the Tongue and Powder Rivers. Not only was Brown an employee of Marathon Oil for 8 years, but executives with Nance Petroleum have donated to Brown's campaign coffers.
On March 20th, when Brown officially filed to run for Governor, he used the occasion to send a wink and a nod to those supporters aiming to overturn the state's water quality laws:
"At his campaign filing, Brown said he would look for ways to increase development of coal-bed methane while reducing regulatory hurdles for traditional energy sources."
-AP, 3/21/08
"From the Flathead Valley to the Powder River Basin, waste water from coal bed methane drilling is a major issue in the state of Montana," Montana Democratic Party Chairman Dennis McDonald said. "When we protect our water, we're protecting our way of life here in Montana. And we deserve a Governor who'll fight to protect our water. Unfortunately, Roy Brown's record on this issue is troubling, to say the least."
McDonald called on Roy Brown come clean about his position regarding Montana's water quality laws and the discharge of coal bed methane waste water.
"Roy Brown's coziness with folks who want to pollute Montana's rivers and poison our drinking water should concern all Montanans," McDonald added. "Our water quality standards were put in place to protect our citizens, especially farmers and ranchers. And while those rules may not sit well with the fat-cat oil and gas companies, they mean a world of difference for thousands of Montanans who depend on clean irrigation water to make a living."
During the 2007 legislative session, Brown supported a coal bed methane industry bill that would order the state to issue a general permit to CBM producers operating in Montana to bypass the state's water quality laws and dispose salt-laden water that cannot meet Montana's water quality standards. [SB 407, 2/27/2007] While good for oil and gas executives, this "Pump and Dump" scenario would have been disastrous for Montanans. The bill was vetoed by Governor Schweitzer.