Instead of paying to clean up the mess left by mining, companies are warehousing their operations indefinitely.
Magazine
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November 25, 2019
In this issue we take a dive into pollution, first with an investigation by the Center for Public Integrity, produced in collaboration with High Country News and the Ohio Valley ReSource, as mining companies have taken advantage of loopholes to get out of environmental remediation by idling their operations. We also look at aerial spraying in Oregon and how locals are working to upend the practice. Another HCN investigation finds the EPA awarded a contract to do clean up on the Navajo Reservation to an outfit with a troubled past. We look into why California’s program to help low-income residents during PG&E blackouts has nearly zero applications. We travel to Idaho, where many refugees have found success in resettlement. We also provide a perspective on the BLM chief’s fixation with wild horses as a threat to public lands, and more.
Feature
Sidebar
The John Henry Mine last produced coal in 1999 and has yet to be fully reclaimed.
Editor's Note
Two investigations reveal federal agencies are too lax on bad actors.
Current
The push for more local control upends the typical pattern of Westerners fighting against regulation.
The Twin Falls resettlement program continues to thrive in the face of recent serious challenges.
A High Country News investigation finds the EPA awarded Tetra Tech a contract despite knowing its subsidiary had likely engaged in data manipulation, false reporting and profiteering.
Outdoor industry giants stood up for Bears Ears. Why won’t they stand up for the Borderlands?
The state had a program — and $72 million — but hardly anyone applied.
Native American athletes continue to experience racism.
Book Reviews
A rancher weighs the fate of wildlife and human encroachment in his new book.
David Benjamin Sherry, Terry Tempest Williams and Bill McKibben celebrate what could be lost to Trump’s monument rollbacks.
Perspective
Species extinction, near-constant wildfire and widespread drought are a few dangers William Perry Pendley might consider instead.
Heard Around the West
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Dear Friends
New employees join our staff and heritage months make the days extra special.
Letters
Featured stories
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