self-bonding Arch Coal coal royalty loophole

Groups release statement on new self-bonding policy

On August 9, the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (“OSMRE”) published a Policy Advisory that directs state regulatory agencies to restrict the use and approval of self-bonding. The Policy Advisory outlines three policy suggestions for states to … Continued

Congressional recess capitol

Issues to stress during Congressional recess

The Congressional recess means members of Congress are in their home state to hold town hall meetings, visit fairs and rodeos, and reconnect with constituents. These events are an opportunity to let your Representative and Senators know what you care … Continued

Landsat Reveals Industrial Growth in Powder River Basin

New images released earlier this summer by the U.S. Geological Survey illustrate the impact of industrial development on the high plains of Wyoming. Images from the Landsat satellite taken in 1984 and 2016 reveal before-and-after views of a landscape riven by the three … Continued

Keystone XL

DRA asks PUC To Reconsider Keystone XL Certification

Dakota Rural Action (DRA) along with the Yankton Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes, and Intertribal Council on Utility Policy filed a motion with the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reconsider its certification (approval) of the Keystone XL … Continued

BLM methane rules

GAO Report Finds BLM Allows Too Much Flaring

A recent study by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) does not have consistent policies to regulate the venting and flaring of natural gas at thousands of oil and natural gas wells. The … Continued

minimum wage increase WCC

Minimum wage increase headed to Colorado ballot

On July 25, Families for a Fair Wage turned in 200,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State, more than double what is needed to place a minimum wage increase initiative on the November ballot. Western Colorado Congress members gathered over 1,000 of those signatures … Continued

radioactive waste

Persistence Key To DRC’s Radioactive Waste Campaign

Since 2013, Dakota Resource Council (DRC) has campaigned against efforts by North Dakota state government to raise the level of radioactive waste that can be disposed of in the state. The state set a radioactivity limit at 5 picocuries per … Continued

Western Native Voice Votepath 2016

Western Native Voice’s voter registration tour hits the road

In July, Western Native Voice launched the Natives on the Votepath tour throughout Montana’s Native American communities to register voters for this year’s upcoming election. The crew is going door-to-door for a month, starting in Fort Peck, and traveling through … Continued