A growing industry for environmental remediation needs a local workforce with the right training.
Mining
Posted inArticles
The dizzying scope of abandoned mine hazards on public lands
As many as 500,000 abandoned mine features litter federal land, many posing environmental or physical safety hazards that especially threaten Native communities.
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Conservation groups should be able to lease land to protect it
‘Use it or lose it’ rules can bias public-land management in favor of extraction.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2022: Essential
Electric vehicles drive up demand for ‘green metals’
The need for energy-transition metals breathes life into new mines in the West.
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Biden’s ‘herky-jerky’ first year on Western issues
The new president sacrificed bold executive action to try to win over Congress.
Posted inFebruary 1, 2022: Essential
Cultural extraction at the edge of the abyss
Butte, Montana, doesn’t have a major art museum. Instead, it has a gigantic toxic pit.
Posted inJanuary 1, 2022: Water Rights and Responsibilities
Gold country: A precious metal, a mining mega-corp and a captive workforce
In 2019, two gold-mining giants joined forces, with huge consequences for the Northern Nevada community and economy.
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40 years after its closure, the Jackpile Mine’s toxic legacy continues
‘They have to look at it every day and wonder if that’s the reason why they’re dying.’
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Two Democrats kill chances of reforming outdated hardrock mining law
The nearly 150-year old law allows mining companies to extract resources like copper and lithium royalty-free.
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The Westiest programs in Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The act is the New Deal redux, with a splash of ecosystem restoration.
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The hunt for critical minerals in Colorado raises critical questions
When Earth MRI began surveying, residents grew concerned about the prospect of mining.
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Nevada’s Thacker Pass highlights how federal courts routinely dismiss Indigenous concerns
‘These legal systems are not set up for Indigenous people at all.’
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Climate change increases rare earth elements in Colorado’s Snake River
A new study suggests lower stream flows as a primary culprit.
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Federal judge allows excavation work on Native massacre site
The decision could shape the way electric vehicles are powered.
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Anxiety and hope in wildfire-prone Oregon
How might we live in the reality of our climate?
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How yellowcake shaped the West
The ghosts of the uranium boom continue to haunt the land, water and people.
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Still wild: A mining project divides a community
In Haines, Alaska, concern for a fragile ecosystem confronts the prospect of well-paying jobs.
Posted inJuly 1, 2021: An Urban Greenspace Revolution
Mining for lithium, at a cost to Indigenous religions
In western Arizona, the push for EVs threatens the Hualapai Tribe’s religious practices.
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Captured methane can address climate change and offset electricity costs
As coal mines continue to close, there’s a use for the greenhouse gas that continues seeping from operations.
Posted inApril 1, 2021: Holding Fast
Idaho state lands could end up in private hands
How a developer’s proposed large land swap ignited a fight in small but growing McCall.