News

Western Native Voice Community Spotlight: Summer Flores June 3, 2019

Summer Flores is an entrepreneur, a model, a recording artist, and a visionary with a passion for her Northern Cheyenne people. Summer recently moved back to Lame Deer to establish her salon, About Face Beauty, and looks to expand the business and it’s outreach. Summer’s vision is to empower women, cultivate youth, and provide jobs within the community. This month, Western Native Voice Community Spotlight visited with Summer about her upcoming fashion show and much more .

Federal Court Reinstates Obama Royalty Rules May 29, 2019

The Trump Administration’s attempt to cheat western communities out of their share of energy royalties fails A federal court in California dealt a big blow to the deregulatory energy agenda of the Interior Department on Friday, April 12. Two years … Continued

Illegal Permit a Sign of White House Desperate for a KXL Win May 23, 2019

Trump’s new Keystone XL permit isn’t just an attack on our clean air, water, and property rights, but also the American democratic system. Reprinted from Northern Plains‘ newsletter. President Trump made news on March 29 by issuing a new Presidential … Continued

Federal and State Governments Under-Regulate and Under-Enforce Oil and Gas Protections with Dire Consequences May 16, 2019

Dakota Resource Council member Daryl Peterson and others brief Congress on how produced water can harm farmland and freshwater aquifers.

Cloud Peak Energy Files Bankruptcy May 14, 2019

As the coal market contracts, lives and livelihoods hang in the balance. On Friday, May 10, Cloud Peak Energy filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware federal court. Unfavorable market pressures have brought low another of the country’s top coal mining … Continued

Hardrock Mining Reform Seeks to Level the Playing Field May 11, 2019

Legislation Introduced in both House and Senate aims to collect royalties from minerals mined on public land and ensure that hard rock mines are cleaned up. During a May 9th press conference, Congressman Grijalva (D-AZ) and Lowenthal (D-CA), along with … Continued

Mining New Opportunities: Creating Resilient, Self-Reliant Communities in Coal Country May 8, 2019

Coal has been a source of pride in North Dakota for decades. During its reign, coal brought to the region some great economic benefits, but new technologies and social pressures have pushed the market in a different direction. Thus far, North Dakota has been fairly insulated from coal’s decline because our coal is in the form of lignite. Historically, we had to be innovative to make our lignite coal cost-effective and usable. Our system, known as “mine mouth” plants, has kept coal viable longer even as it has become uneconomical around the country. With the recent closure of Beulah mine, demolition of Stanton Station, and the announcement of the closure of Heskett Station, we find ourselves wondering what is next for Coal Country?

Energy Companies and State Legislators Conspire to Limit Free Speech in the West April 30, 2019

Critical Infrastructure Bills written by corporate lobbyists to chill the Constitutional Right to protest plague the West during the 2019 legislative season. With the quick stroke of a pen, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed two bills into law creating … Continued

“Doing It Right” Means More Jobs for Colstrip and Around the United States April 22, 2019

Northern Plains’ landmark study “Doing it Right II: Job Creation Through Colstrip Cleanup” shows how many good-paying jobs will continue if high-quality reclamation is done on its coal ash ponds.

It’s Time to Call Out Oil and Gas Companies’ Dishonesty on Methane Reductions April 12, 2019

It’s en vogue for energy companies to say they’re against methane pollution, but their membership in trade groups lobbying for looser regulations says it all. In the past month, several major oil and gas companies including Shell and ExxonMobil have … Continued

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