Active and proposed mines threaten key salmon watersheds in Alaska and British Columbia.
Mining
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The Amah Mutsun tribe rallies to save sacred sites
A proposed sand and gravel mine threatens the heritage of the central California tribe.
Posted inNovember 1, 2022: The Futures of Conservation
Do bedrock conservation laws need a makeover?
Experts suggest needed upgrades in the face of modern crises.
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Idaho cobalt mine is a harbinger of what’s to come
A new venture near Salmon signals an uptick in hardrock mining across the West.
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The green metal mining boom is on
Now is not the time to loosen mining regulations.
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EXCLUSIVE: Investigation confirms Nevada Gold Mines violated safety rules, contributing to miner’s death
State investigators reveal that the company did not follow basic safety protocols.
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A Q&A with Mary Peltola, Alaska’s new House Rep
HCN caught up with the Democrat and first Alaska Native person in Congress to talk about balancing development and environmental protection.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2022: Going Under
Can ravaged economies be healed with a restoration industry?
Cleaning up the West could be as lucrative as wrecking it.
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A community sacrificed to uranium mine pollution
A mining company and government agencies repeatedly said they’d clean up waste in Homestake, New Mexico. Instead, they’re buying out homeowners.
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The climate bill’s blind spot
A closer look at the good and the bad of specific provisions in the historic climate bill, the Inflation Reduction Act.
Posted inOctober 1, 2022: Making Refuge
Workers report feeling unsafe at Nevada’s largest gold-mining corporation
After a controversial merger put the company in the hands of Barrick Gold Corp, employees say the shift has incentivized production over worker safety.
Posted inAugust 1, 2022: Our Fiery Future
The fires below
The world’s least understood ignition source is causing devastating wildfires across Montana’s Powder River Basin.
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At Oak Flat, courts and politicians fail tribes
Chi’chil Biłdagoteel exemplifies the larger struggle tribes face over protecting off-reservation, culturally important lands.
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The rise of the restoration economy
Filling the economic void left by the extraction economy by healing the land.
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Deep-sea mining creates a ‘cylinder of sound’ risking impacts on marine life
A new report shows that noise from just one mine could travel more than 300 miles across the ocean.
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Copper Mine near Tucson dealt a blow
But the Canadian company gets a win for its other, nearby operation at Copper World.
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Worrying about the dust next door in this Montana mining town
Residents of a Butte neighborhood are concerned about what’s wafting from a nearby open-pit mine that can coat their homes and vehicles.
Posted inJune 1, 2022: A Legacy of Weapons and War
Who’s after rare metals in the Klamath Mountains?
While the region has a small cache of tellurium, politics and economics are in the way.
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Two Southwest tribes raise concerns over uranium storage
Tribal communities in Arizona and Utah face environmental problems connected to the same radioactive resource: uranium.
Posted inMay 1, 2022: New Ways of Seeing the West
A terrible lighthouse, swift treasure hunters, and a paranormal ghost town
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.