"A highlight of being in business with Montana's Crow Nation is it afforded me the opportunity to spend time with a great man and a true friend, Chairman Carl Venne.

Carl was one of those men who, even as we were involved in sometimes arduous negotiations for our Many Stars coal-to-liquids project, always treated me as part of his family. To be in his company was a privilege and an occasion I always looked forward to.

On the morning of Feb. 15, I was anticipating our long-planned breakfast meeting with Carl when the phone rang in my Billings hotel room. Carl had passed in his sleep during the night.

His passing was personally devastating but also a tremendous loss to a lot of individuals. He was a great representative for his Crow people and a great friend to many. President Obama called Carl a man with a "fervent quest for a better life for his people."

I have been asked many times since his passing whether Carl's death changes our plans to build the Many Stars CTL project. The answer is absolutely not."

Get the Story:
T. Allan Blood: Crow leader's vision will live on in Many Stars coal-to-fuels project (The Billings Gazette 3/6)

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