The Department of the Interior closed the coal royalty loophole in late June after years of study and public comments. On June 30, the agency issued a new rule to calculate royalties for federal coal and other minerals. Companies pay royalties … Continued
As part of an agreement with the Department of Interior and other U.S. regulatory agencies, Alpha Natural Resources will replace its controversial self-bonds for the company’s Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr Mines in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. On … Continued
The following is a guest blog from Plains Speaking, Northern Plains Resource Council’s blog, by Ed Gulick. On Saturday, June 25, we celebrated the culmination of a lot of hard work by Northern Plains and Western Organization of Resource Councils members … Continued
In Casper, in Salt Lake City, in Knoxville, in Seattle, in Grand Junction, and in Billings, WORC members made a strong case to reform federal coal leasing and detailed issues that need to be addressed. Scoping hearings around the country drew big … Continued
Dakota Resource Council (DRC) members and allies celebrated a victory on June 14 after North Dakotans overwhelmingly rejected a haphazard law passed by the state legislature to open the floodgates to corporate farming. More than 75% of voters rejected the ballot measure. … Continued
On June 13, 2016, the Energy Information Administration blogged about North Dakota’s successful effort at reducing flaring from 36 percent to 10 percent in five years. Though North Dakota’s success should be applauded, it likely would not have happened as … Continued
Western Colorado Congress (WCC) members have turned to a new state rule aimed at protecting communities from residential drilling by oil and gas companies in a push to protect Battlement Mesa. The rule was passed following the Governor’s Blue Ribbon … Continued
This month, Powder River Basin Resource Council members teamed up with the Sheridan County Extension to open a new Seed Library in Sheridan County, Wyoming. According to the Sheridan Press: “The Sheridan County Seed Library is a collection of open-pollinated … Continued
On May 16, WORC and member groups Dakota Resource Council, Powder River Basin Resource Council, and Northern Plains Resource Council, submitted comments to the Federal Railroad Administration urging the agency to adopt rules requiring railroad companies to have at a … Continued
Federal coal leasing is a broken program stuck in the 20th century. For over a generation, a U.S. government program has sold publicly owned coal to private companies at fire-sale prices, losing out on billions of dollars of public funds and leaving … Continued