Congressman Denny Rehberg

COLUMBIA FALLS, MT – Montana’s Congressman Denny Rehberg today participated in the start-up of the worlds largest biofilter at Plum Creek’s Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) plant.

“This Montana-built and financed project is a great example of how the latest technology can be used to improve the environment, reduce energy consumption and create good jobs in Montana,” said Rehberg, a member of the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee.  “It says a lot for Montana that the world’s largest biofilter was built right here by Plum Creek.  I am proud to have been a part of this exciting day.”

Also known as a “bug farm”, the biofilter recently installed at Plum Creek’s MDF facility cleans 98 percent of materials found in air exhaust from the plant’s manufacturing Line 1.  It is the third, and largest, biofilter operating at Plum Creek manufacturing facilities in the Flathead Valley.

“I’m proud of our company’s commitment to investing in new technologies that will enable us to continue to produce wood products in a way that reduces our environmental footprint,” said Hank Ricklefs, vice president, Northern Resources and Manufacturing. “I’m also proud of our Montana team who worked to design and build this equipment.”

Plum Creek chose to invest in biofiltration technology to meet new EPA clean air regulations rather than more conventional approaches because it has less impact on the environment and is also energy-efficient.   Ricklefs referred to it as a “$10 million investment in protecting forest sector jobs and enhancing the local environment.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has issued the following statement regarding his “no” vote today on the Wall Street Bailout.  On Monday, Congressman Rehberg voted against the initial House version of this bill.

“Congress needed to get this right the second time, and get it right quickly.  Instead, we faced resistance to any alternatives at every level.  This plan was presented by the President and House Leadership as take-it-or-leave-it and as a result we got a crisis management response instead of a comprehensive, workable long-and short-term solution.

We needed a solution that created stability, liquidity and confidence, and we needed a framework for reform.  That was not done in this legislation.

The relaxation in lending standards was the cause of the housing price bubble in the first place.  The blame should be placed squarely on the doorstep of the federal government and the political activists working with it.  Unless these lending standards are changed, today’s bailout crisis will only be the first with more to come.”

The House of Representatives passed the measure 263 to 171.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Montana’s Congressman, Denny Rehberg, has issued the following statement regarding his work today on the Financial Rescue Plan.  On Monday, Congressman Rehberg voted against the initial House-version of this bill.

“This is one of the most important and complex issues I’ve worked on in Congress.  While we need to act quickly, it’s more important to get it done correctly.  The House didn’t get it right on Monday, and I voted against that bill.  The clock is ticking but we still have time to make improvements to the Senate bill.  I’m working with my colleagues from both parties to ensure taxpayer protections are included in the bill we’ll be voting on later tonight or tomorrow morning.  The stakes are just too high to get this wrong.”