Citizen Efforts Force Public Hearings over Wastewater Dumping into Boysen Reservoir. Above: Wind River flows toward Boysen Lake, one of the most scenic lakes in Wyoming. Image by James St. John. Article adapted from Powder River Breaks. Aethon Energy, the … Continued
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
One by one, our critical coal mining assets are being acquired by people with disreputable histories in Appalachia. Our miners, communities and lands are in danger of being impoverished by these operators and their schemes.
As coal mines begin filing for bankruptcy, Powder River’s push for new self-bonding rules may save Wyoming taxpayers billions. On Tuesday, February 19, the Wyoming Environmental Quality Council voted unanimously to reform the state’s coal mine reclamation self-bonding program, a … Continued
Wyoming residents have long found themselves in the cross-hairs of energy extraction. The recent drilling boom has brought drilling rigs right into residential developments. Powder River Basin Resource Council has released a new series of videos featuring Wyoming residents whose lives have been upended by nearby oil and gas development. From living with the legacy of contaminated groundwater in Pavillion to addressing booming oil and gas development in Laramie and Converse Counties, the videos examine the human cost of development.
As demand for coal continues to fall, new rules reduce the threat that Wyoming taxpayers will be stuck with cleanup costs when coal mines go bankrupt. On September 19, the Wyoming Dept. of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Land Quality Advisory Board … Continued
So why are Wyoming’s coal mines falling so far behind on their reclamation targets? A new report published by Powder River Basin Resource Council shows that of the approximately 206 square miles of land strip-mined or otherwise disturbed by coal … Continued
Wyoming farmer Theresa Shaw lays out why the 2018 Farm Bill is a bad deal for local farmers. This letter-to-the-editor by Theresa Shaw ran in the Sheridan Press on May 15th, 2018. Farmers and ranchers are a diverse group of … Continued
Following the Crimes Against Critical Infrastructure Bill, which threatens 1st Amendment and property-owners’ rights, through the winding halls of the Wyoming Legislature. Legislation drafted by a consortium of the most powerful fossil fuel industries and corporate interests in the country … Continued
New WORC report shows that self-bonding for coal mines can end now. While most states have long since ended self-bonding, a few hold-outs remain across the west, including Wyoming, North Dakota, New Mexico, and Colorado. WORC’s new report, Now is … Continued