Montana's major environmental concerns are management of mineral and water resources and reclamation of strip-mined land. The 1973 Montana Resource Indemnity Trust Act, by 1975 amendment, imposes a coal severance tax of 30% on the contract sales price, with the proceeds placed in a permanent tax trust fund. This tax, in conjunction with the Montana Environmental Policy Act (1971) and the Major Facilities Siting Act (1973) reflects the determination of Montanans to protect the beauty of the Big Sky Country while maintaining economic momentum.
In 2003, Montana had 71 hazardous waste sites listed in the Environmental Protection Agency's database, 14 of which were on the National Priorities List. Only a tiny fraction of the state's lands are wetlands. The Water Quality Bureau of the Montana Department of Health and Environmental Sciences is responsible for managing wetlands. In 2001, Montana received $46,753,000 in federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency; EPA expenditures for procurement contracts in Montana that year amounted to $140,000.