The Trump Administration is “using the COVID-19 crisis as an excuse to let polluters off the hook”, allowing for unchecked pollution and putting vulnerable populations at even higher risk. On March 26th, 2020, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an … Continued
A new report published by WORC finds that more than a third of all land mined for coal in the Western United States awaits cleanup after a half-century of intensive strip-mining, but a weakening coal industry may be incapable of … Continued
A look back at our top ten 2019 blog features on coal, oil and gas, food and agriculture, and the West. Philosopher George Santayana famously said, “those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” In 2019 we … Continued
Above: Coal plants like the one above dispose of thousands of tons of toxic coal ash in unlined pits that leak contaminants, polluting vital groundwater. WORC network fighting to stop utilities from abandoning their cleanup obligations. Coal ash, the waste … Continued
Regional cooperation is the key for western coal communities weathering the coal market contraction. This post originally appeared on Dakota Resource Council’s blog. The Beulah public forum “Building Resilience in Coal Country”, hosted by Dakota Resource Council, was planned to … Continued
WORC set out to investigate what the western coal industry’s continued decline means for cleanup of the hundreds of square miles of coal mines that stretch from North Dakota to Navajo Nation. As long-time coal companies are replaced by unknown firms without track records in the region, what has happened to the companies guaranteeing mine cleanup?
The Trump Administration is accelerating its efforts to dismantle the few regulatory barriers that protect the public from toxic coal ash waste. Minerals in coal ash (the ash left over after burning coal) including arsenic, mercury, thallium, lead, and many other elements make coal ash one of the most dangerous pollutants in America, causing respiratory illness, neurological damage, and cancer.
As coal markets decline, it’s time for rural communities to take control of their futures and create back-up plans. Reprinted from the Dakota Resource Council blog. Another company has left its coal workers hung out to dry. Coal companies in … Continued
Northern Plains member Steve Charter testifies before the US House on the impacts of a mining program built for another era. On July 11th, the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on “The Future of the … Continued
The time has come for Wyoming to rise to the occasion and address the truth about the declining coal industry. Wyoming must step up to help Wyoming’s coal communities transition to a new future. The devastating impact to coal miners and the community of Gillette with the abandonment and hollowing out of the Belle Ayr and Eagle Butte coal mines by an unscrupulous operator must be addressed.