I’m a coal miner from Nucla, Colorado, where I work for Elk Ridge Mining and Reclamation. We are currently reclaiming New Horizon North Mine. In August of 2016, my coworkers and I were informed by Tri-State Generation and Transmission that … Continued
Last month, WORC members from three states joined advocates from across the country in Washington, D.C., to lobby Congress in support of the RECLAIM Act, HR 1731. Gene Wirtz from Underwood, N.D., Kate French from Bozeman, Mont., and Roger and … Continued
Proposed coal export terminals received more bad news today. The Washington Department of Ecology denied a crucial water quality permit sought by Millennium Bulk Terminals to build and operate a 48.5 million tons per year coal export facility in Longview, … Continued
The federal coal leasing program has been broken for years. But that isn’t stopping Secretary Ryan Zinke’s Interior Department from considering selling a tract of hundreds of millions of tons of publicly-owned coal. Cloud Peak Energy is proposing to expand … Continued
On August 1, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council (EQC) ruled 4-to-1 in favor of Powder River Basin Resource Council and Tongue River landowners when they rejected the approval of the proposed Ramaco Brook Coal mine permit. The hearing before the … Continued
Congress is on recess this month, which means that many of your legislators are home – attending fairs, festivals and rodeos, and, in some cases, holding town hall meetings. These events are great opportunities for members of Congress to hear … Continued
As the nation marks the 40th anniversary of the federal strip mine law, coal field residents are urging the federal government to make good on promises to reclaim mined land. Today marks 40 years since the signing of the Surface … Continued
by Emily Hornback, WCC Organizer People living with the impacts of oil and gas development around the country had reason to cheer on May 10. In a nail-biter decision, the U.S. Senate voted 51-49 to uphold a key rule that … Continued
Washington isn’t all healthcare debates and Russia investigations. On Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced the bipartisan RECLAIM Act to provide an economic boost to struggling coalfield communities by putting people to work cleaning up legacy coal mine pollution. … Continued
Market forces have battered the coal industry for years. When the country’s three largest coal mining companies entered bankruptcy over the past 18 months, no one was sure they would emerge. WORC leaders and staff engaged in all three bankruptcy … Continued