States

Standing Up for Our Western Lands and Heritage
2011-09-25
Third generation Wyoming rancher and former director of the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming Bill Eikenberry is on Huffington Post with a unique perspective on the dangers caused by abusing categorical exclusions to create shorcuts to development. Check out the piece.
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Andrew Morriss: Bought and Biased Pundit on MSNBC
2011-09-21
On Monday, Andrew Morriss of the Mercatus Institute was a guest on the Dylan Ratigan Show. In a recent profile of the Industrial Wind Action Group, the Checks and Balances Project highlighted Mr. Morriss one of the many “experts” using disinformation to attack renewable energy. The Mercatus Institute has received millions of dollars from the… Read more »
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ThinkProgress blogs on Tipton’s field hearing
2011-09-19
The team over at ThinkProgress posted a well researched, thoughtful article on Rep. Tipton’s field hearing today to review drilling standards. It turns out there is evidence that drilling near groundwater supplies can have negative effects on people’s health. Click to read the full story.
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Coal reality vs. rhetoric and the money behind the lies.
2011-09-16
A utility report reveals that without coal the lights stay on For years the rhetoric from coal country is that the United States doesn’t have enough energy to replace its coal plants, but recent events debunk these claims. In reality coal power plants are being shut down and utility insiders say there’s plenty of energy… Read more »
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Tip Sheet: Industry and House members push for drilling shortcuts despite legacy of pollution
2011-09-9
**BREAKING NEWS** While testifying at Rep. Lamborn’s hearing BLM deputy director Mike Poole announces a rulemaking plan to, “set guidelines for use of categorical exclusions from detailed National Environmental Policy Act analysis for drilling certain wells.” Ben Geman at The Hill has the story  **BREAKING NEWS** Industry groups and Washington politicians including Western Energy Alliance,… Read more »
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Is Rep. Lamborn promoting unsafe CX?
2011-09-7
On Friday, Rep. Doug Lamborn’s Energy & Minerals Subcommittee is holding a hearing to examine categorical exclusions, or CX. During the Bush years, BLM officials used CX to avoid conducting comprehensive environmental impact studies prior to green lighting drilling permits. In May of 2010, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reformed the use of CX in drilling… Read more »
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Protesters highlight Clinton’s connection to Keystone XL
2011-09-2
The connection between Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the proposed Keystone XL pipeline was not missed by the thousands of protesters who staked out territory in front of the White House over the last two weeks. On Thursday several protesters brought up the connection between lobbyists with TransCanada, which owns the Keystone, and the… Read more »
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Video outlines industry influence over State Department and Keystone XL
2011-09-1
As protestors continue to make their voices heard outside the White House, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s connections to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline have become a hot button issue with those opposing the project. Clinton’s State Department gave the okay for President Barack Obama to rubberstamp the proposed pipeline, which would connect refineries in… Read more »
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The threat to air quality in the West
2011-08-31
Don Hooper, Interim Executive Director of the American Lung Association in Utah, and Curt Huber, Executive Director of the American Lung Association in Colorado, wrote an interesting opinion piece for the Salt Lake Tribune. While the West is home to beautiful, open-air landscape, it is be threatened by oil, gas and coal refineries. “For the… Read more »
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