Can U.S. pressure change a toxic legacy along this selenium-polluted river?
Mining
Posted inArticles
Inside the fight to undo BLM’s planning overhaul
In latest skirmish of land wars, Congress supports mining and ranching.
Posted inArticles
It’s wrong to blame the EPA for the Gold King spill
Without the private sector, neither the mine nor its toxic legacy would exist.
Posted inFebruary 6, 2017: River of Healing
Latest: Future mining blocked around the Kalmiopsis
The moratorium will extend for 20 years.
Posted inDecember 26, 2016: Obama and the West
Latest: Snow geese die in a toxic lake in Montana
Thousands of the birds died during a winter storm.
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‘May the flock be with you’
History repeats itself on the poisonous waters of the Berkeley Pit.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
Latest: Roadless rule loophole for Colorado coal mine
Enviromental groups had sued over the mine’s carbon impacts.
Posted inDecember 12, 2016: How the Park Service is Failing Women
Plans falter for West Coast coal terminals
Coal companies look to Asia, but face port challenges.
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How a rural town recovered after mining’s death
The disappearance of mining has hit many towns hard. But Raton, New Mexico is getting back on its feet.
Posted inNovember 14, 2016: The Long View
Revisiting Idaho’s lead-poisoning legacy
A new book documents a catastrophe in Silver Valley.
Posted inAugust 22, 2016: 100
Latest: Officials open a criminal investigation of EPA’s role in the Animas river spill
Agency contractors were excavating debris at the old mining site when the river flooded with wastewater.
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New Mexico sues EPA and others over Gold King disaster
The suit is the first blow in what is likely to be a long legal fracas.
Posted inMay 16, 2016: Grizzly Face-Off
What the U.S. can learn from European coal miners’ second act
Europe and the U.S. have taken different paths in response to climate concerns and coal declines.
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A coalition hopes to halt gold mine proposals near Yellowstone
The group of business-owners seeks help from Washington to prevent mining north of the national park.
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Why doesn’t the West report its lead data?
Lead poisoning in children is underreported nationwide, and the West’s lack of data is particularly glaring.
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Video: Coal industry downturn rocks a Colorado mountain town
Former miners watch an iconic silo crumble, and discuss what it means for their community.
Posted inMay 2, 2016: The Gold King Reckoning
Silverton’s Gold King reckoning
How the Animas River disaster forced Silverton to face its pollution problem — and its destiny.
Posted inMay 2, 2016: The Gold King Reckoning
A Gold King Mine Timeline
A tangled history of profit, tragedy and unfulfilled dreams.
Posted inArticles
Coal downturn hits railroads hard
Federal transportation board rejected a proposed Montana railroad due to coal bankruptcies.
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Can we learn from Europe’s approach to laid-off coal miners?
A more secure safety net for workers in transition means higher taxes, a tradeoff many Americans oppose.