Montana’s share of the $26 billion national opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson and its distributors is starting to flow to communities. Montana will receive $75 million over 18 years as part of the national settlement.

The Montana Opioid Abatement Trust has been receiving payments for over a year. It currently has $25 million, but that money has been untouched until now.

Groups of counties, and individual counties with larger populations have submitted nearly 40 grant applications, so far. The first two grants approved will serve Lake County.

One program pairs adults with children experiencing trauma that can make them prone to substance use later in life. The adults work with kids on-on-one over several years in school, the community and at home. The program will receive $180,000.

Another $78,000 grant will fund a peer-support program that helps people struggling with addiction and homelessness.

BILLINGS — Representatives of the Crow tribes and other native groups are expressing their displeasure following the release of audio recordings of Montana U.S. Senate Republican candidate Tim Sheehy making racially insensitive comments about Crow tribe members involving alcohol.

“I know that Crows are our community, we’re no stranger to some good-natured ribbing, but I think this is a, I think that it’s a perpetuating old racist stereotypes, that of the outdated idea of the (makes air quotes with his hands) drunken Indian,” the Crow tribe’s secretary for the executive branch, Levi Black Eagle, in Wednesday interview with MTN News.

“I know that all the cattle and ranching families that I know, Crow and ranching families, they’re an upstanding character, they’re strong workers. I know that they don’t start their day with a can of beer,” Black Eagle said.

In the audio clips, taken in 2023 at different fundraising events, Sheehy can be heard saying, “I’m pretty involved down there, rode through their Crow Rez, their annual Crow Fair parade this year. I rope and brand with them every year down there, so it’s a great way to bond with all the Indians being out there while they’re drunk at 8 a.m., and you’re roping together. Every heel shot you miss, you get a Coors Light can upside your head.”

Just days later, Sheehy was heard again at another event, accusing tribal members of throwing beer cans at him during the annual Crow Fair Parade.

“Six weeks after I launched the first thing I did was I strapped a Sheehy sign to a horse and rode through the Crow Rez parade and if you want to know a tough crowd, go to the Crow Rez. They let you know whether they like you or not, there’s Coors Light cans flying by your head,” Sheehy said.

MTN News

The Crow tribe has a ban on alcohol sales on the reservation.

“It’s really disheartening, especially from an individual, a candidate running for such a high office, you would expect more from those individuals,” Black Eagle said. “I think it’s a majority of the community that fights hard to negate those stereotypes and to have them perpetuate in such a way is just, it’s really disgusting. And we don’t stand for it.”

Black Eagle said the parade is a time to honor and appreciate their culture and tribal members’ accomplishments.

MTN News

“I don’t think that there’s ever been an instance where one of the spectators threw anything, especially at one of our guests. We treat our guests better than that,” Black Eagle said. “It’s a time for us to show our best versions of ourselves and definitely to have it smeared in such a way is just, it’s really shady.”

Sheehy is seeking to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester in a race that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. The race has garnered national attention, with millions of dollars flowing into the race that will be decided Nov. 5.

On Wednesday morning, Sheehy held a campaign event in Billings, where the senate hopeful spoke alongside U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas. His campaign team was aware that MTN News asked for an interview with Sheehy, but at the immediate conclusion of the event, Sheehy was taken out of the room and interview requests were denied.

Other prominent members of the Native American community in Montana were also upset to hear Sheehy’s words.

Montana state Sen. Shane Morigeau, a Missoula Democrat, said the comments, which he learned about on Tuesday, misrepresent tribal members, and he fears what it could do to the younger generations hearing those words.

“When you’re making jokes about, you know, native people being, you know, alcoholics and violent, well, what does that tell the young native kid that lives in my community or on the Crow reservation?” Morigeau said. “When I was listening to it, what I started thinking about was like, ‘Wow, this is exactly one of the reasons I brought legislation forward last session to essentially have an Indian education for all type of bill for legislators.”

MTN News

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Morigeau’s bill failed in 2023, but he still hopes this can be a learning moment for everyone.

“I think these sorts of things are, there’s an underbelly of this kind of stuff in the state of Montana. And it’s unfortunate,” Morigeau said. “I really wish it could be a learning opportunity for the candidate, as well. You know, we expect our elected officials to be people of integrity. And when you do something that’s wrong or hurtful, you own up to it and you apologize.”

Morigeau is a member of the Montana American Indian Caucus, which released a letter to Sheehy Wednesday afternoon saying how “let down” they were by his remarks.

“As a candidate for office in Montana, you have a responsibility to know and respect the Indian communities you are running to represent. You are also responsible for using your platform to advocate for that respect to your political supporters,” a portion of the letter states. “Instead, you have chosen to disrespect the original Montanans as a strategy to pander to the non-Indian vote and political funders. Your remarks have only further alienated the tribal people from your party.”

RONAN, Mont., Sept. 04, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Montana Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: AIRJ) (“Montana Technologies” or the “Company”), the developer of the transformational AirJoule^® technology for atmospheric water generation, is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Clairity Technology (“Clairity”) to deploy AirJoule^® units in support of Clairity’s direct air capture (“DAC”) carbon dioxide removal operations.

Montana Technologies and Clairity agreed to explore ways that AirJoule^® can enhance the performance of Clairity’s DAC reactor. The proprietary process developed by Clairity captures carbon dioxide (“CO2”) molecules in the air, while AirJoule^®’s advanced dehumidification technology can be used to regulate humidity and ensure optimal operations of the DAC reactors across a wide range of operating conditions.

“I am delighted to embark on this project with the Clairity team,” said Matt Jore, CEO of Montana Technologies. “The deployment of AirJoule^® to manage humidity in a carbon dioxide removal process demonstrates yet another innovative application of our transformational technology for water harvesting.”

Bryan Barton, Chief Commercialization Officer of Montana Technologies, added, “Clairity’s vision of advancing cost-effective carbon dioxide removal through direct air capture aligns with our strategy of deploying AirJoule^® in support of projects that can have a meaningful impact on mitigating climate change.”

Clairity’s innovative DAC process, which utilizes an alkali carbonate sorbent coated on a ceramic honeycomb substrate to captures CO2 molecules in the air, produces a mixed stream of CO2 and air. Clairity expects this process to require far less upfront capital than conventional DAC systems while still removing significant amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere. The CO2 stream can be sequestered into concrete, injected underground, turned into rocks, or utilized in products such as sustainable aviation fuel.

In February 2024, Clairity announced a $6.75 million seed round led by Lowercarbon Capital and Initialized Capital, which it has used to develop its first commercial pilot project. Clairity expects to deploy its first reactor capable of removing 100 metric tons of CO2 per year by the end of 2024 in the southwestern United States, with additional reactor modules deployed in 2025 to increase the CO2 removal capacity to 2,500 metric tons per year.

Glen Meyerowitz, Founder and CEO of Clairity, said, “Our groundbreaking approach to direct air capture of CO2 has the potential to advance this critical tool for addressing climate change by making it more cost effective to deploy at scale. With Montana Technologies’ participation in this endeavor through the deployment of AirJoule^® alongside our reactors, we are leading the charge towards a more sustainable future.”

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About Montana Technologies Corporation

Montana Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: AIRJ) is the developer of AirJoule^®, an atmospheric thermal energy and water harvesting technology that provides efficient and sustainable air dehumidification and pure water from air. Designed to reduce energy consumption and generate material cost efficiencies, AirJoule^® is being commercialized through a joint venture with GE Vernova and through partnerships with Carrier Global Corporation and BASF. For more information, visit www.mt.energy.

About Clairity Technology

Clairity Technology is a leading developer of novel technology for carbon dioxide removal of atmospheric CO2. Clairity’s process leverages readily available sorbents and simple process design to create systems that are low-cost and inherently scalable. This technology has been validated at the pilot scale and will be commercialized and scaled to enable the removal and durable storage of millions of tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. For more information, visit www.clairitytech.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of present or historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Company assumes no obligation and, except as required by law, does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contacts

Montana Technologies Corporation
Tom Divine – Vice President, Investor Relations and Finance
investors@mt.energy

Clairity Technology
Glen Meyerowitz – Founder and CEO
media@clairitytech.com