In the Rockies today, J.R. Simplot Co. announced plans to lay off miners at a phosphate mine in eastern Idaho.
Simplot officials say lawsuits filed by environmental groups blocked expansion of the mine and forced the company to furlough employees.
A spokesman for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, which fought the mine's expansion, said the slumping economy and low demand for fertilizer caused the layoffs, not environmental protests.
In Montana, Stillwater Mining Co. officials are waiting to see how General Motors' bankruptcy will affect operations at its mine near Nye, as GM holds contracts for much of the palladium and platinum produced at the mine.
Also in the news, Wyoming agencies and groups seek federal stimulus funds for projects designed to capture, store or limit carbon dioxide; the Nevada Legislature ends its session within the mandated 120 days for the first time in 10 years; and a federal judge signs off on the sale of the Yellowstone Club in Montana.
Rockies today
Montana mine officials monitor GM bankruptcy proceedings
All of the palladium and 70 percent of the platinum produced by Stillwater Mining Co.'s mine in Montana is committed by contract to General Motors Corp. and Ford, and Stillwater executives are monitoring GM's bankruptcy proceedings to see if those contracts will be honored.
SFGate.com (AP); June 2
Simplot to lay off mine, plant workers in Idaho
J.R. Simplot Co. officials said environmental challenges that halted plans to expand its phosphate mine near the Idaho-Wyoming border forced them to lay off 36 workers at its Smoky Canyon mine in Idaho as of Saturday, and 78 workers at its Don fertilizer plant near Pocatello on July 11.
Idaho Statesman (AP); June 2
Wyoming groups seek stimulus funds for CO2 research
The Department of Energy has a bucket of federal stimulus money designated for research and development and Wyoming scientists and groups submitted applications for three projects in the state, all of which are related somehow to either the storage, capture or limiting of carbon dioxide emissions.
Casper Star-Tribune (AP); June 2
Judge approves sale of Montana's bankrupt Yellowstone Club
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved a plan to reorganize the bankrupt Yellowstone Club after securing an agreement for Boston-based CrossHarbor Capital Partners to purchase the Montana development.
NewWest.net; June 2
Navajo Nation woman named to SBA post
Clara Pratte, an Arizona woman who formerly worked as a policy analyst and legislative liaison for the Navajo Nation, has been named to the post of national director of the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Native American Affairs.
Farmington Daily Times; June 2
Nevada Legislature adjourns on time for the first time in a decade
Nevada lawmakers ended a tumultuous legislative session early Tuesday morning, with Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons setting records for vetoing bills and for having those vetoes overridden by lawmakers.
Las Vegas Review-Journal; June 2
Montana tribe celebrates launch of bus system
Residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana have the option of taking the bus to work, doctor's appointments, school and other commitments now that the tribe has a transit system in place.
Billings Gazette; June 2
Opinion
Region should listen to Idaho senator on salmon, dam breaching
U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo knows a lot about compromise and collaboration, and his acknowledgment last week that breaching--or not breaching--the dams on the lower Snake River must be part of the debate on saving wild salmon injects some common sense into the debate, and the other folks at the table should pay attention to the Idaho senator.
Idaho Statesman; June 2
Kudos to Boston firm for going it alone on Colorado oilshale project
Boston-based General Synfuels International says that it has the technology to pull oil from oilshale resources under 500 acres of private land in Colorado that will make the process "energy self-sustainable," a claim that yet to be proven, but if the company can actually pull oil out of its rocky bed and not cost the region too dearly in environmental and water impacts, more power to it.
Grand Junction Sentinel; June 2
Congress needs to restore clarity to nation's Clean Water Act
Since 2001, U.S. Supreme Court decisions have whittled away at the Clean Water Act, creating loopholes and leaving important areas like seasonal streams and wetlands unprotected, but recently the Obama administration called on House and Senate committees to restore federal jurisdiction over all water within the nation, a move that could benefit both the environment and the economy.
New York Times; June 2
Beyond the Region
Oregon DEQ wants Boardman coal plant to limit emissions
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has recommended that Portland General Electric install $470 million worth of filters and scrubbers on the state's only coal-fired power plant, which could reduce toxic emissions by 80 percent.
The Oregonian; June 1
Oil, gas prices begin their summer march to higher climes
Oil prices hit $68.28 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Monday, the highest since early November, and gasoline prices went along for the climb, averaging $2.50 a gallon for the first time since October.
Deseret News; June 2
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Oil prices, profit on the rise for oil sands projects
Alberta's oilsands may be headed toward profitability again as oil prices approach $70 per barrel, and lower costs of steel and labor allow projects, some of which have been on hold for months, to move forward.
Globe and Mail; June 2
International panel begins revamping Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol, which has acted as a 15-year road map to mitigating climate change expires in 2012, and representatives from 182 countries are gathering in Bonn, Germany for the next two weeks to hammer out a draft pact in preparation for December's UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen.
Christian Science Monitor; June 2
Economists review effect of more efficient cars on miles driven
The Environmental Protection Agency now estimates that improved fuel efficiency for vehicles will result in a 5 percent increase in miles driven, a figure with which most economists agree, despite the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's estimate earlier this year that fuel efficiencies would boost miles driven by 15 percent.
Wall Street Journal; June 2
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