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April 28, 2009

Navajos Cheer EPA Reversal on Desert Rock

By Terry Winckler

(Update: check out the excellent editorial in the Durango Herald) A significant number of Navajos were thrilled this week at the EPA’s decision to take back the permit it issued last year—under the Bush administration–for the massive coal-fired Desert Rock power plant. The EPA said sufficient analysis had not been done to ensure protection of …

April 21, 2009

Senate Vote Heats Up Kansas Coal Fight

By Terry Winckler

It’s hard to know who’s happy and sad over the prospects of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius being plucked to become President Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services. Timing is the big issue. A Senate committee voted in favor of her today. The full Senate is expected to also vote in her favor – but …

April 3, 2009

Kansas Legislature Passes Coal Plant Bill

By Terry Winckler  /  Rocky Mountain Office

The Kansas state legislature today gave final passage to a bill authorizing massive expansion of the Sunflower coal-fired power plant — but there is unexpected good news in the vote … it’s 10 votes short of being veto-proof in the House. This means that the promised veto from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is more likely than …

March 24, 2009

Mountaintop Removal is Slowed – But Far from Stopped

By Terry Winckler

UPDATE: There was a lot of confusion and misinterpretation about Tuesday’s announcement by the Environmental Protection Agency that it was reviewing mountaintop removal mining permits to assess their potential impact on the waterways and people of Appalachia. Only two permits have been questioned. Dozens are under review. And the EPA is signalling that many of …

March 12, 2009

Lawsuit Imminent to Save Wolves

By Terry Winckler

Earthjustice is preparing to sue the Obama administration over its stunning decision to withdraw protections from northern gray wolves. Any day now, a notice of intent to sue will be filed, giving  Interior Sec. Ken Salazar just 60 days to rescind his wolf edict or face court action. Salazar last week said he will strip …

March 6, 2009

Salazar Shocker: Wolves Back in Gunsights

By Terry Winckler

Interior Sec. Ken Salazar stunned the environmental world this morning by agreeing to remove northern gray wolves from protections of the Endangered Species Act. By doing so, Salazar has endorsed one of the more infamous actions taken by Bush on his way out of office. Or, as Earthjustice Attorney Jenny Harbine put it: "The federal …

February 27, 2009

It's All About Vetoes in Kansas

By Terry Winckler  /  Rocky Mountain Office

As expected, this morning, the Kansas House passed a bill authorizing massive expansion of the Sunflower coal-fired power plant – but the tally is still five votes short of being veto-proof….and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has vowed to veto this bill as she did with three previous Sunflower bills. It seems probable that Sebelius can withstand …

February 25, 2009

Oil Shale Plan a Stinker, Says Salazar

By Terry Winckler

Interior Dept. Sec. Ken Salazar is turning his nose up at another one of Bush’s "midnight regulations." This one has to do with leases for oil shale research and development in Colorado and Utah. Salazar halted the lease sale process because it had terms that didn’t pass "the smell test," he announced this week. Instead, …

February 25, 2009

Coal a No-Go for Kansas Governor

By Terry Winckler  /  Rocky Mountain Office

On the heels of last night’s speech by President Obama, the governor of Kansas is more resolute than ever in her opposition to the proposed Sunflower coal-fired power plant expansion. She vetoed pro-Sunflower legislation three times last year and is poised to do the same with a new bill coming to a vote tomorrow in …

February 24, 2009

New Wind in Kansas

By Terry Winckler

Faith and labor community leaders are joining the chorus for clean energy in Kansas, even as that state’s legislators stubbornly stick to the dirty, coal-fired power of the past The United Steelworkers recently announced their support of the Kansas Blue Green Alliance, made up of environmental and trade groups that endorse development of wind energy …