(Casper Star Tribune, July 16) – For Chet Skilbred, standing outside the small dark office of the former Glenrock Coal Company, Tuesday’s visit from Gov. Matt Mead signaled the end of decades of work. As more than 100 wind turbines churned against a powder-blue sky, Skilbred and his wife, Carolee, took pride in a job well […]

(SNL, July 15) – U.S. Republican senators are demanding that Interior Secretary Sally Jewell end the moratorium and government review process on the federal coal-leasing program, calling the process “compromised” and “prejudiced.” Republican Sens. John Barrasso, Wyo.; Roy Blunt, Mo.; Shelley Moore Capito, W.Va.; Steve Daines, Mont.; Michael Enzi, Wyo.; Cory Gardner, Colo.; Orrin Hatch, Utah; […]

(Casper Star Tribune, July 8) – A federal bankruptcy judge approved Alpha Natural Resources’ restructuring plan Wednesday, confirming a proposal that will split the mining firm into two companies and replace all its unsecured reclamation obligations in Wyoming. The approval represents a victory both for the bankrupt coal company and environmentalists, who had long warned […]

(The Mining Claim, June 2016) – Bentonite producer Wyo-Ben is the 2016 winner of the Interstate Mining Compact Commission (IMCC), the Kenes C. Bowling National Mine Reclamation Award in the non-coal category. Named after the late charter executive director of IMCC, the awards were established to recognize outstanding achievements in reclamation and to promote reclamation on a […]

(New York Times, July 5) – Technology holds the promise of enabling coal power plants, which produce much of the world’s electricity, to run more cleanly, emitting far less of the pollution that causes climate change. But these projects have been difficult to make a reality because they are complicated and expensive. Here is a quick […]

(Casper Star Tribune, July 3) – Coal faces myriad challenges these days. Competition from natural gas, reduced demand and government regulation are the most popular reasons cited for the industry’s decline. But there’s one challenge that rarely gets mentioned in the litany of long-term issues facing the industry: shipping costs. Transportation costs have increased in recent […]

(The Hill, July 1) – A coalition of conservative states is again suing to stop President Obama’s carbon dioxide rule for newly built power plants. The 23-state group filed a lawsuit Friday in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. They’re challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision in May to reject […]

(Rock Springs Rocket Miner, July 2) – In an effort to increase access to quality health care for their employees, Tata Chemicals North America recently signed an agreement with Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County for occupational medical services. Memorial Hospital has committed Dr. Jake Johnson, who is trained in occupational medicine, 20 hours a week to […]

(Wyoming Business Report, July 1) – Rare earth elements are a vital resource in industrialized societies and are necessary for energy generation, transportation, data transmission and national defense. In everyday life, they are found in everything from cell phones to wind turbines. A new report from the Wyoming State Geological Survey looks at the occurrence and […]

(Wyo4News.com, June 30) – The United Steelworkers voted today to enter into a labor agreement with Tronox.  Airport Union members voted today on a three-year contract. T. Jay Kelso, president of the local union, said today that it was a relatively close vote, but not too close to call. “We have no apprehension in saying that […]