methane flaring, methane waste prevention rule

Drilling in NE CO up despite methane rules & low prices

  The Denver Post recently wrote a story detailing how oil drilling in northeast Colorado is up 22 percent this year. This is interesting because oil faces low prices, and Colorado just passed the nation’s strictest methane standards affecting oil … Continued

Congress, Don’t Block Stream Protection Rule!

WORC helped lead an effort urging members of Congress this week to refrain from weakening the proposed Stream Protection Rule pending before the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement. Coal-state members of Congress are trying to halt the long awaited … Continued

independent ranchers

WORC statement on WTO decision on U.S. meat labels

Yesterday, the World Trade Organization ruled that Mexico and Canada can impose $1.01 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products because of country-of-origin labeling rules on meat. WTO said the rules discriminate against Mexico and Canada. Mabel Dobbs, a rancher … Continued

Rancher deals with radioactive oil & gas waste

Many of the waste byproducts produced during oil and gas extraction are radioactive. They contain varying concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM), or technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials (TENORM), which originate deep in the earth and can be … Continued

IORC members “Put Water First” at 2nd Annual Membership Meeting

Keynote speaker Richard Manning told Idaho Organization of Resource Councils members at the second annual Membership Banquet Nov. 14 in Boise that human activity, especially industrial agriculture and energy exploration, have threatened the environment and clean water. Manning is an author and reporter … Continued

Positive reception for WORC members in Washington D.C.

A troupe of WORC members and staff attended two packed days of meetings in Washington, D.C., on November 18 and 19. The meetings brought participants face-to-face with federal decision makers to hear their demands on coal leasing, mining, and reclamation policy. Unlike … Continued

Solar-powered interview with DRA member on Solarize SD

Dakota Midday on South Dakota Public Media conducted an extensive interview with Dakota Rural Action member, Don Kelley, at his off-grid solar home, about DRA’s Solarize South Dakota campaign. In this segment SDPB’s Charles Michael Ray speaks with Don Kelley … Continued

Bozeman resident elected Chair of Northern Plains

The Northern Plains Resource Council elected officers during its 44th Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-14, in Billings. Kate French, a Bozeman resident and graduate student at Montana State University, was elected Chair of the Billings-based conservation and family agriculture group. She … Continued

EPA moves to cut oil and gas air pollution

On August 18, the Environmental Protection Agency released its much anticipated methane pollution reduction rule. The EPA methane rule is part of suite of rules that will come out to reduce methane pollution from the oil and gas sector by … Continued

Cottage food sales expanded in three states

More entrepreneurs and food producers will be able to produce a variety of home-made food to sell direct-to-consumers after legislative victories by WORC member groups in Colorado, Montana, and Idaho. Cottage food laws allow producers to prepare and sell non-hazardous, … Continued