Group protests oil firm

By JIM MANN

Flathead Coalitionexpresses concerns over coal-bed development

The Daily Inter Lake

Former Flathead County Attorney Tom Esch recently acted as an envoy for the Flathead Coalition, hand-delivering a letter expressing "grave concerns" over coal-bed methane development to a top British Petroleum executive in London.

Esch, a member of the coalition, was in London with his family last week.

British Petroleum recently announced plans to explore coal-bed methane development potential in the Canadian headwaters of Montana's North Fork

Flathead River.

Esch delivered the letter to Tony Hayward, BP's chief group executive, at the corporation's headwaters.

"Tom was able to deliver a really important message to the top man at BP," said Dave Hadden, president of the Flathead Coalition, a conservation organization made up of businesses, individuals and groups in British Columbia and Northwest Montana.

The letter cites "inevitable and irreversible harm" that coal-bed methane development in the Crowsnest coal field would cause in the Flathead and Elk rivers.

The letter suggests that BP withdraw its development plans for a region of "international conservation importance."

"The Crowsnest coal field lies in direct proximity to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first peace park established in the world," Hadden said. "It's also an internationally recognized Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site."

Coalition members attended a meeting in Fernie, B.C., last week, where BP officials said plans for coal-bed methane exploration have been in the works for the last year.

"BP is well-organized and ahead of the curve on this project," Hadden said.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com