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Wednesday,
Aug. 20 10 a.m. edition |
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2 More news from the Rockies |
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DOE's application for Nevada n-waste repository under review The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said if the Department of Energy's 8,600-page application to build a national nuclear-waste repository in Nevada's Yucca Mountain is deemed complete, the matter could be placed on the NRC's docket in September, which would set the clock ticking on the agency's three-year review. Denver Post; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Idaho DEQ releases new data on nitrate levels in groundwater The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality released new data on nitrate levels in groundwater, and while levels in the Cassia and Minidoka county areas haven't changed much from the 2002 levels, their standing in the state rankings dropped from third highest to eighth, and from ninth to 13th, respectively. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Fire marshal says uncleared brush fueled fire's path into Nevada city The Reno fire marshall said the loss of six homes to Monday's wildfire on the same block where four homes burned in 2004 was extremely frustrating, and said the lack of defensible space that allowed the fire to spread into the Nevada city's neighborhood was to blame for this year's loss of homes, too. Reno Gazette-Journal; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Housing official says out-of-staters driving up home prices in Montana Missoula ADAPT Inc. (Missoula Area Development and Preservation Team) is a new group of developers working together to find a way to build affordable housing as the price of land, infrastructure and construction rise. NewWest.net; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Idaho city approves plan to replace hotel with condos The Boise City Council approved the demolition of the 20-year-old Shilo Inn along the Main/Fairview corridor to clear the way for a five-story, 48-unit riverside condominium complex, overturning the Idaho city's planning board's rejection of the project because of its 72-foot height. Idaho Statesman; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story EPA finds 7 Utah counties in violation of clean air standards Utah is one of 25 states with counties that are in violation of new Environmental Protection Agency standards of fine particulate matter in the air, with Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber, Cache, Box Elder and Tooele counties all exceeding the federal limit. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Tribes
Wyoming tribe says alcohol, drugs to blame for teens' deaths Northern Arapaho tribal leaders said the deaths of three teen-aged girls on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming in June highlight drug and alcohol problems on the reservation and said more youth programs, as well as programs designed to deal with addictions are needed. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(1) Email Story Environment
Groups sue USFWS to put pika on endangered species list A lawsuit filed in federal court in California alleges the pika, a tiny rabbitlike animal that lives high above the treeline on some of the West's highest mountain peaks, is threatened by climate change, and that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service should stop dragging its feet and put the pika on the federal endangered species list. Santa Fe New Mexican (McClatchy Newspapers); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Colorado oil, gas commission begins debate on new regulations The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission opened debate Tuesday on new proposed rules that would require companies to list chemicals used at well sites and prohibit drilling in buffer zones around drinking water supplies; discussions are set to continue today with a final vote set on the rules in September. Aspen Times (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Crews get a handle on Idaho wildfires Firefighters expect to have the 32,000-acre North Minidoka fire in south-central Idaho fully contained today, and full containment is also expected on the 674-acre Pagari Bridge fire and the 120-acre Paymaster fire, while the 4,700-acre South Barker fire was being allowed to burn in the Sawtooth National Forest, although crews are actively working to keep it out of the Boise National Forest. Twin Falls Times-News; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Gusty winds help spread wildfire in Montana The Bear Gulch fire, burning 12 miles east of Townsend, grew by 150 acres on Tuesday afternoon as thunderstorms with gusty winds moved through Montana. Helena Independent Record; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Regional wildfires dirty up Montana air Smoke from fires in Idaho and other areas southwest of Montana pushed particulate levels in the air in Missoula and Kalispell to "very unhealthy" levels on Tuesday, before rain moved in and cleared the air. Missoulian; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Montana says quarter-mile setback will protect Yellowstone from drilling Energy leases to be auctioned off on Montana state school lands along the Yellowstone and other rivers in central Montana will carry a quarter-mile setback from the waterways to protect water quality and fish, but Montana Trout Unlimited and the Greater Yellowstone Coalition want the state to defer its Sept. 9 auction where 16 leases will be sold, as well as eight more. Billings Gazette; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Coal mine seeks permit to expand into sage grouse habitat in Montana The Decker mine in south-central Montana has filed an application to expand its coal-mining operations by 500 acres in the Powder River Basin in an area of important sage grouse habitat. Billings Gazette; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Politics
Colorado senator's bill would allow Army to buy land for Pinon expansion Colorado Republican Sen. Wayne Allard said he'll sponsor legislation that would allow the U.S. Army to buy the land it needs to expand its Fort Carson's Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site in southeast Colorado, calling the legislation a win-win for both the Army and landowners willing to sell their land. Denver Post; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(1) Email Story Colorado AG makes claim for $39.8M for holding illegal immigrants Colorado Attorney General John Suthers sent a letter to the state's congressional delegation detailing $39.8 million the state spent incarcerating illegal immigrants last fiscal year, for which the state received only $3.3 million in reimbursement from the federal government, and asking them to seek additional reimbursement. Denver Post; Aug. 19 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Obama campaign says Western states' key to November win With little more than two months to go before November's general election, Democratic presidential hopeful in campaigning hard in Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Democrats hit fund-raising goal for Denver convention The committee charged with raising the cash to host the Democratic National Convention in Denver raised the $40.6 million in private cash needed for the August convention. Denver Post; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Former Wyoming state treasurer wins GOP primary for Congress Cynthia Lummis won 46 percent of the vote in the four-way Republican primary Tuesday to run against Democrat Gary Trauner in November for Wyoming's lone congressional seat. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Democratic primary vote in Wyoming U.S. Senate race too close to call With 99 percent of the precincts reporting, Nick Carter had 51 percent of the vote, while his opponent, Keith Goodenough had 49 percent, in the Democratic primary to determine who would run against Republican Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barasso in November. Billings Gazette (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Wyoming Sen. Enzi will face Rothfuss in November University of Wyoming instructor Chris Rothfuss held a large lead in the Democratic primary to determine who will run against Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi in November. Casper Star-Tribune (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Legislature
Colorado lawmakers says Ritter should hang tough on roadless issue Colorado state Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, applauded Gov. Bill Ritter's decision to stick with his predecessor's proposed management plan for the 4.1 million acres of federal roadless forest lands in the state, although environmental and conservation groups said it opens the door to mining, logging and other development on those lands. Grand Junction Sentinel; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story N.M. lawmakers end special session, say it was a waste of time, money Lawmakers reluctantly passed scaled-down versions of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's taxpayer rebate and children's health insurance plans during a five-day special session that ended Tuesday. Santa Fe New Mexican; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Utah lawmakers say time will tell on governor's 4-day workweek plan Utah lawmakers are about equally divided on Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s decision to move the state to a 4-day workweek, with a third approving, a third disapproving and a third ambivalent about it, but most were united in their criticism about the governor's method of pushing the initiative through with little consultation with them. Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Economy
Another case of mad cow disease in Alberta prompts call for new tests Montana-based Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, or R-CALF, said the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy in a 6-year-old beef cow in Alberta is of particular concern because the animal was born well after Canada banned animal parts in feed and the animal could have been exported to the United States, and the group called for new tests to keep the disease out of the food supply. Billings Gazette; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Montana counties press governor on transmission-line permit Although the proposed Montana-Alberta Tie Line will pass through just some of the nine northcentral Montana counties in the Montana Association of Counties' district 4 and 5, commissioners from all nine were united in the effort to speed up the state's review of the proposed 200-mile transmission line between Great Falls and Lethbridge, Alberta. Great Falls Tribune; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Work begins on rail line to tie Montana coal mine to BNSF track A little more than a month after contracts were signed on the 35-mile rail spur to link a coal mine near Roundup to Burlington Northern Santa Fe's main line in Montana, round-the-clock construction work on the line has begun. Billings Gazette; Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story Montana bank to buy community bank in Colorado city Glacier Bancorp Inc.'s purchase of the Bank of the San Juans, a community bank based in Durango, is the Montana bank-holding company's first foray into Colorado. Denver Post (AP); Aug. 20 Add Comment View Comments(0) Email Story |
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News is a project of the Center for the Rocky Mountain West
at the University of Montana. |
