High Country News

The latest: Mixed messages about nuclear power safety

Ex-nuclear regulatory commission chief says no U.S. nuclear plants are safe, while California's San Onofre plant plans to restart

by Sarah Jane Keller, Apr 29, 2013
Redefining "renewable" to get a clean energy bill through Congress

As his retirement looms, Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., pushes a "clean energy" bill, one that broadens the energy mix beyond traditional "renewable" sources.

by Judith Lewis Mernit, Apr 15, 2012
Congress touts 'green energy,' but bill is black and blue

The House of Representatives passes an energy bill with even more industrial pork than the Bush administration requested.

by Laura Paskus, May 16, 2005
Waste disposal the industry's Achilles' heel

The French have dealt with their radioactive waste for decades by reprocessing it, but the process is more problematic than it sounds, particularly in an age of terrorism

by Judith Lewis, Sep 04, 2006
HCN's secret past

High Country News reveals its odd historical connection with the West’s uranium obsession of the 1950s

by Paul Larmer, Sep 04, 2006
A uranium mill makes no sense in western Colorado

The uranium mill proposed for western Colorado will have harmful effects on the health and environment of the entire region.

by Emily Shoff, Mar 02, 2011
Nuclear crossroads

Even as the federal government pushes for more nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons, cleanup lags far behind on the West’s most contaminated nuclear sites.

by Marty Durlin, Apr 28, 2008
Let's not forget the hidden costs of uranium mining

Uranium mining hasn't caused any massive cave-ins or oil spills, but it has resulted in a huge death toll all the same.

by Jen Jackson, Jun 15, 2010
INNOVATE, Part III

Westerners have a knack for new and innovative thinking, such as: Redefining rancher politics, A rediscovered renewable, Creating public nooks and crannies and more.

by Marty Durlin, Ray Ring, Sandra Tassel, Sarah Gilman, Terray Sylvester, Jennifer Anderson , Mar 12, 2009
Nuclear power is back with a bang

Jane Goetze says that before the U.S. embraces nuclear power again, we should finish cleaning up the last round of mistakes, remembering how many uranium miners have already died.

by Jane Goetze, Nov 12, 2007