In the Rockies today, fossil fuels are in the news.
The drop in production of oil and natural gas in Alberta presents some significant consequences for the Canadian province.
While drilling for natural gas is ramping up in the United States and production levels are climbing there, production is dropping in Alberta.
Natural gas is the largest driver of the Canadian province's economy, provides 60 percent of its oil and gas revenue; and accounts for 90 percent of Canada's output.
In Montana, the new owners of the state's only underground coal mine toured their new property south of Roundup and laid out their expansion plans for Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
Rockies today
Natural gas, oil production down in Alberta
Natural gas production is the single largest driver in the Alberta economy, providing 60 percent of the provincial royalty revenue, which makes the news that natural gas production is down sharply of concern, and a drop in oil production in the province has made the energy sector in Canada the weakest performer in the national economy.
Calgary Herald; Aug. 22
Montana coal mine has new owners, name, production goals
The new owners of the Bull Mountain Mine south of Roundup, Montana's only underground coal mine, took a tour of the mine that they've renamed the Signal Peak Energy mine with Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Thursday where they discussed their plans to expand the mine and increase production.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 22
French firm to add uranium recovery to Washington state plant
Areva and the University of Idaho teamed up to create a process to remove enriched uranium from ashes of materials incinerated at the French company's plant in Richland, Wash.
Tri-City Herald; Aug. 22
Idaho tribe withdraws from salmon negotiations
Nez Perce tribal officials said they would no longer participate in negotiations with the United States government over its plan to keep hydroelectric dams in operation during ongoing efforts to restore imperiled salmon and steelhead populations, but that the tribe would remain involved in litigation challenging the government's plan.
Twin Falls Times-News (AP); Aug. 22
EPA grants more time to appeal decision on Desert Rock air permit
The Environmental Protection Agency extended the deadline to appeal its decision to grant an air-quality to the proposed coal-fired Desert Rock power plant in the Four Corners region to Oct. 2; the EPA's decision also allows Desert Rock representatives to participate in the appeals process but declined opponents' request to stay its decision on the plant's carbon-dioxide emissions.
Durango Herald; Aug. 22
Candidates walk a fine line on energy issues this election year
High fuel costs, renewable energy and transmission capacity are all on the mind of one Colorado wheat farmer who disparages candidates who say what voters want to hear but lack the political will to move forward, a scenario repeated across the nation as energy is at the top of nearly every campaign agenda.
New York Times; Aug. 22
Poll: Nevada voters nearly equally divided for Obama, McCain
A poll conducted Monday in Nevada for the Reno Gazette-Journal and Channel 2-KTVN News found that 44 percent of the 600 registered voters surveyed supported Democrat Barack Obama; 43 percent supported Republican John McCain and 2 percent would vote for Independent Ralph Nader.
Reno Gazette-Journal; Aug. 22
Opinion
Alt-energy projects in Wyoming, Montana deserve support, scrutiny
As the nation's rush to ethanol has proven, all energy sources have some sort of drawback, but alternative resources must be found and the proposed coal-to-diesel plant in Wyoming, the Crow Tribe's partnership with an Australian company to build a coal-to-liquid plant on its land in Montana and the cellulosic ethanol plant in Butte deserve not only the public's support, but its scrutiny to ensure the drawbacks don't outweigh the benefits.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 22
Utahns need to get over their obsession with green lawns
Utahns need to grasp the reality that they live in a desert and stop using two-thirds of the state's culinary water supply to keep their lawns green.
Salt Lake Tribune; Aug. 22
Colorado district's Farm to School program a real palate pleaser
Durango School District 9-R's program to buy locally produced foods for school lunches is in its fourth year, providing students with foods from area ranchers and farmers while cutting shipping and fuel costs to get the food from producer to plate, and it's a program that deserves imitation across the state and indeed the nation.
Durango Herald; Aug. 22
Beyond the region
NTSB report says rotor failed in California copter crash that killed 9
The initial findings of the National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter ferrying wildfire fighters from a remote California site on Aug. 5 lost power to its main rotor, causing the helicopter to hit trees and burst into flames, killing nine of the 13 aboard.
Portland Oregonian; Aug. 22
Oregon, tribes push for higher water standards
Oregon's current water quality standard considers residents eat just more than a half an ounce of fish each day, but tribal officials, along with state and federal authorities, want to raise that standard to a more realistic 6.2 ounces, a decision that would make Oregon's waters much cleaner; Washington's standard is about twice Oregon's current standard but state officials there said they'll review that standard when Oregon is done.
Portland Oregonian; Aug. 22
Cops pull illicit cash crop from vineyards in Washington state
Vineyard busts in Washington state's Yakima Valley have blossomed since July, with 165,670 marijuana plants pulled from 13 vineyards; 10,000 weeded out of a cornfield and another 10,000 plucked from an apple orchard.
Seattle Times; Aug. 22
Company puts out bid requests on Canadian 'clean-coal' plant
Canada's first effort to build a coal-fired power plant that will capture and sequester carbon dioxide is different from the United States' now-scuttled FutureGen plant, in that the Saskatchewan project refurbishes an existing plant, rather than building one from the ground up, and the Canadian project also incorporates oil recovery, which will help to offset costs.
Bloomberg.com; Aug. 22
In depth
Change in primary schedule on Republican Party's agenda
When Republicans gather in Minnesota early next month to nominate Arizona Sen. John McCain as their party's presidential candidate, they will also consider a new primary schedule for the 2012 presidential race, one that will pack a number of state primaries on three successive Tuesdays late in the primary season, which would rotate every four years.
Washington Post; Aug. 22
Obama's Wednesday visit to Montana will be his fifth
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama will make a stop in Billings on Wednesday, his fifth campaign appearance in the state; his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, has not yet traveled to Montana during his campaign.
Billings Gazette; Aug. 22
Colorado Hispanic leaders endorse McCain for president
Citing Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's stance on abortion and free trade, a dozen Hispanic leaders in Colorado, including Fort Collins Mayor Ray Martinez, endorsed Republican John McCain for president on Thursday.
Vail Daily News (AP); Aug. 22
Obama's ad in Nevada attacks McCain's stance on Yucca Mountain
In his second Nevada-specific campaign ad on Yucca Mountain, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama urged Nevadans to vote against his Republican opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, because McCain favors creating a national nuclear waste repository there.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; Aug. 22
|
