#centerforbiologicaldiversity — Public Fediverse posts

#EastportME Council unanimously adopts moratorium on #DeepGreen #UnderwaterDatacenter proposal

By Melissa S. Razdrih, August 13, 2026

EASTPORT — "The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to enact a 180‑day moratorium that halts all progress on a proposed underwater artificial intelligence data center planned for waters off Eastport.

"Councilors said the move gives them time to consult with the Eastport Planning Board on the zoning impacts of two citizen-initiated ordinances designed to prevent data center projects in the city by amending the city’s Zoning and Shoreland Zoning ordinances.

"At the heart of the controversy is a project proposed by #LouisWolfson, a #LuxuryRealEstateDeveloper from Needham, Massachusetts, and the managing member of #DeepGreenHoldingsLLC.

"The company formed in Delaware one month before applying for Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or #FERC, preliminary permits to build tidal‑powered, underwater artificial intelligence data centers for both #DeepGreenWesternPassageSPV in #Maine and a second project in the #UpperCookInlet in #Alaska.

"The Alaska proposal has also faced #resistance from the local community.

"In February, DeepGreen filed a 48‑month preliminary permit application with FERC to begin engineering and environmental tests in Maine, a required first step toward developing an underwater #AIDatacenter in the #BayOfFundy .

"The application drew an almost immediate response from residents and #Passamaquoddy tribal officials, who strongly oppose the development. Among the most vocal opponents is the #EastportCoalitionForHealthyOceans, or #ECHO, which submitted two citizen petitions for ordinances intended to prevent the project and protect what the group describes as 'the character of the city.'

"FERC found multiple deficiencies in DeepGreen’s application, including failure to identify all Tribes affected by the project, failure to specify all physical dimensions and configurations required by statute, inclusion of maps that extended beyond the required project boundaries, and a lack of detailed technical explanation for a 400‑acre 'operational envelope' despite a much smaller active infrastructure footprint.

"In its response to FERC, DeepGreen supplied the requested names and contact information for Tribal leaders. The company also provided an updated map and revised technical specifications showing a significantly smaller proposal, reducing the original 400‑acre operational envelope in the Western Passage to an active infrastructure footprint of 27.1 acres.

"The company also told FERC that the 'total proposed project operational capacity has been scaled down to a maximum of 15 MW (megawatts) to align with revised commercial modeling,' compared to an earlier proposal that envisioned up to 51 MW. In the revised Phase I, DeepGreen projects installing 16 marine hydrokinetic turbines, increasing to 34 in Phase II. The original proposal called for 170 turbines.

"The permit application for the Alaska project received a similar letter of deficiencies from FERC, but the company has not indicated that the Alaska proposal is being scaled down."

Read more:
themainemonitor.org/eastport-adopts-moratorium-underwater-data-center-proposal/

#UnderwaterDatacenters #NoAI
#NoAIDatacenters #WaterIsLife
#OceansAreLife #BigTech #MainePol #PassamaquoddyNation #CenterForBiologicalDiversity
#Whales #EndangeredWhales #EndangeredSpecies

#Greenwashing at its finest! No mention of the harm that will be caused to #MarineLife by the #NoisePollution !

#Underwater AIDataCenter proposed off #EastportME

Project would rely on tidal power
BY EDWARD FRENCH

"Of the AI data center, Wolfson says, 'There’s a real need for it.' [BULLSHIT!] Noting that #datacenters utilize a great deal of energy, he wants to harness the energy of the tides to power the server racks, which would be underwater, with the surrounding water cooling them. Data centers generate massive amounts of heat and require intense cooling. Wolfson says other parts of the world are working on developing similar projects, with China having launched commercial‑scale undersea data centers to use seawater cooling for high‑performance computing.

"Along with the #WesternPassage site, the company has filed for a preliminary permit from FERC for a site at #CookInlet in #Alaska, which happens to be the location of another #ORPC tidal energy project."

https://www.islandinstitute.org/working-waterfront/underwater-ai-data-center-proposed-off-eastport/

#DeepGreenWesternPassageSPV #UnderwaterDatacenters #NoAI #NoAIDatacenters #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #BigTech #MainePol #PassamaquoddyNation #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #Whales #EndangeredWhales #EndangeredSpecies

I just learned about the proposed underwater #Datacenter off the coast of #EastportME, which is opposed by both the town and the #PassamaquoddyNation ! It looks like the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity is getting involved in the fight as well!

Legal Intervention Seeks to Protect #Whales From Proposed Underwater Data Center in #Maine

September 24, 2026

EASTPORT, Maine — "The Center for Biological Diversity filed a motion today to intervene in the federal permitting process for an underwater data center proposed off the coast of Maine. The proposed project could harm endangered North Atlantic right whales and fin whales, along with other marine wildlife.

" 'Experimenting with an underwater data center in the habitat of one of the world’s most endangered whale populations is a truly terrible idea,' said Kristen Monsell, oceans legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'Whales already face too many human-caused threats. Noise from the surveys and vessels could stress and disturb wildlife. If it’s built, this underwater data center could make the bay even more dangerous. The project needs to be stopped in its tracks.'

"The data center would be on about 27 acres near Eastport, Maine, in the #BayOfFundy, where #EndangeredWhales, #sturgeon and other #CoastalWildlife live and feed.

"On Aug. 25 the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission accepted an application from #DeepGreenWesternPassageSPV LLC to study feasibility for the project. The preliminary surveys and monitoring the company is proposing may increase vessel traffic and #NoisePollution , which could disrupt the behavior of #RightWhales, #FinWhales and other wildlife and interfere with their communication and foraging. These activities could also affect prey, increase pollution, impair #habitat and create collision or displacement risks.

"If the data center is eventually built, it would amplify those risks and raise additional concerns for #MarineLife, including entrapment, #thermal discharges, #contaminants, noise and construction impacts. #DeepGreen has also identified a potential second phase that would expand the project to as much as 400 acres.

"Fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remain, including only about 70 breeding females. The primary threats to right whales are fishing gear entanglements and vessel strikes. Fin whales, which are the second largest whale species on Earth, are also endangered throughout their range."

Source:
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/legal-intervention-seeks-to-protect-whales-from-proposed-underwater-data-center-in-maine-2026-09-24/

#Maine #MainePol #NoDatacenters #UnderwaterDatacenters #NoisePollution #EndangeredSpecies

Colorado coal mine leaks nearly four times the cap

The West Elk coal mine in Gunnison County is violating methane release limits at nearly four times the…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #Airpollution #AirPollutionControlDivision #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #coalmining #methaneleaks #Science #WestElk
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/863747/

EPA let Bayer pick dicamba safeguards, then folded them into a proposed US rule

The Environmental Protection Agency is facing renewed scrutiny after internal records showed it asked Bayer to choose among…
#Germany #DE #Europe #EU #Europa #Bayer #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #dicamba #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency #EPA
https://www.europesays.com/germany/95819/

Hundreds of Groups and Lawmakers Demand Trump Not Give Private Developer Part of Yosemite

Hundreds of advocacy groups and members of Congress on Tuesday called on President Donald Trump’s administration to reject…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #California #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #DougBurgum #NationalParkService #PublicLands #us-department-of-the-interior #World
https://www.newsbeep.com/734269/

‘Not a serious investigation’; U.S. Rep. Huffman slams Republican probe into environmental groups https://www.byteseu.com/2366149/ #BruceWesterman #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #Democrat #Earthjustice #environment #JaredHuffman #NaturalResourcesCommittee #Politics #Republican #SierraClub #USHouseOfRepresentatives #USHouseOfRepresentativesCommitteeOnNaturalResources #WesternWatershedsProject

#Bipartisan Outcry Forces #Trump to Pause Border Security Project in #BigBend National Park in #Texas

@DemocracyNow_Headlines_rss , August 19, 2026

The Trump administration has paused construction of border infrastructure in Big Bend National Park in Texas following public criticism of the controversial project. Crews were filmed bulldozing pristine desert wilderness earlier this month, sparking rare bipartisan pushback. The construction is part of a larger plan for the Big Bend region to build hundreds of miles of walls, vehicle barriers and other border infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security waived requirements that federal contractors comply with a broad slate of environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act, to proceed with construction in the national park.

“I think the administration made such a massive miscalculation when they sicced their bulldozers on this great American national park,” says Laiken Jordahl, a national public lands advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity. Laiken says the movement to protect Big Bend cuts across partisan and ideological lines and is “a force to be reckoned with.”

Read / watch / listen:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/8/19/big_bend_border_wall

#DemocracyNow #BorderWall #NoBorderWall #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #USPol

BREAKING NEWS🚨 - Press release from the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity

#Trump Moves to Kill #RoadlessRule in Biggest Assault on #ForestProtections in U.S. History

For Immediate Release, August 18, 2026

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration today proposed scrapping the country’s most significant tool for protecting national forests, a move that would open nearly 45 million acres of wild, unfragmented forest across 37 states to road construction, logging and other development.

“Trump is pushing for the largest evisceration of public lands protection in American history and against what Americans want,” said Randi Spivak, public lands policy director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “These are some of the last truly wild forests left in the country, places that shelter endangered wildlife and protect our drinking water. Once you start bulldozing roads for commercial logging and industrial development, there’s no getting them back. Americans love their public lands and want them protected. We’re going to fight like hell to safeguard these wild places for future generations.”

Today’s announcement from the U.S. Agriculture Department will be followed by Wednesday’s release of the draft environmental analysis, giving the public until Sept. 21 to comment on the proposed Roadless Rule recission.

Here are statements from the Center’s regional experts on risks to roadless forests and wildlife across the country:

Northern #Rockies

“Roadless forests are lifelines for grizzly bears and Canada lynx across the northern Rockies,” said Kristine Akland, Northern Rockies director. “Grizzlies need these areas to den and raise cubs and lynx populations are already declining as mature forest habitat disappears. Building roads and allowing logging in these wild areas would make an already difficult situation for these species even worse. People across the region know how vital these intact forests are for wildlife, clean water and recreation, and they overwhelmingly oppose dismantling the Roadless Rule.”

#Alaska

“We’ll fight Trump’s monstrous proposal to gut the Roadless Rule, which would be disastrous for the Tongass,” said Cooper Freeman, Alaska program director. “Punching roads through 9 million acres of intact temperate rainforest would destroy world-class salmon streams. It would open the door for corporations to clearcut irreplaceable, centuries-old Sitka spruce for export overseas. Alaska’s wild places deserve better.”

Southwest

“Roadless forests are where wildlife live,” said Taylor McKinnon, Southwest director. “They’re home to jaguars, Mexican spotted owls, and ocelots, some of the most iconic animals on the continent. Plowing roads into their habitat will bring human-caused wildfires and disturbances that they don’t need and can’t afford. We’ve fought for years to protect the forests and animals of the Southwest and there’s no way we’re giving up now.”

#Southeast

"Roadless areas protect the most beloved and endangered species in the Southeast,” said Will Harlan, Southeast program director. “The South Mills River harbors the country’s strongest hellbender population. Snowbird and Tusquitee Bald shelter endangered Carolina northern flying squirrels, gray bats and longsolid mussel. These forests sustain local economies, protect iconic recreation spots like the Appalachian Trail and safeguard drinking water for millions of people in Charlotte, Atlanta and beyond. Handing them over to loggers and construction crews isn’t sound policy, it’s a tragedy."

Why we need the Roadless Rule:

- Forests free of roads and logging provide crucial and connected habitat for animals and plants, protecting them from noise, pollution and other human-caused harms.

- The forests at risk — from Oregon to North Carolina — are home to scores of threatened and endangered species, including American wolverines, Canada lynx, grizzly bears and northern spotted owls. Rescinding the Roadless Rule would not only push these species closer to extinction but threaten countless others, including Alexander Archipelago wolves and Queen Charlotte goshawks.

- More than 370,000 miles of roads already fragment U.S. national forests, with a maintenance backlog in the billions of dollars. Most wildfires are human caused and occur near roads, with a decades-long, nationwide study finding human-caused wildfires are four times more likely in areas with roads than in roadless forests.

- National forests are the headwaters of many of the country’s major rivers and the largest source of municipal water supplies, serving more than 60 million people in 33 states. The Roadless Rule protects rivers and streams from roads, a major source of water pollution because of erosion and sediment.

Source:
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/trump-moves-to-kill-roadless-rule-in-biggest-assault-on-forest-protections-in-us-history-2026-08-18/

#USPol #ProtectTheForest #NationalForests #WildlifeCorridors #WildlifeHabitat #EndangeredSpecies #Greed #CorporateColonialism #StolenLand #LandBack #ForestsAreLife #WaterIsLife

Breaking News! 🚨 Border Security Construction Paused at #BigBend National Park

Excerpt: "Laiken Jordahl, an advocate with the Center for Biological Diversity and a former wilderness fellow for the National Park, said the pause came after a weekend of “irreversible” damage to parts of the desert ecosystem, particularly around Mariscal Mountain. The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the work."

Read more:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08/17/us/trump-news#275fea82-9350-5fdb-a0e9-d98777a69ca8

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/HBHpp

#NoBorderWall #USPol #TrumpsBorderWall
#RioGrande #EnvironmentalLaws #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #EnvironmentalProtectionAct
#EndangeredSpecies #AbolishICE #DefundDHS #MurderPatrol
#BorderPatrol #NationalParks
#DepartmentOfHomelandInsecurity

“Wasting taxpayer money turning the reflecting pool into a giant duck death trap just in time for America’s 250th birthday party is as Trump as it gets,” said #TaraZuardo, a senior campaigner at the #CenterforBiologicalDiversity. “Cruel, stupid and selfish.”
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Trump under pressure to back u...

Trump administration waives environmental laws for Big Bend border wall construction https://www.byteseu.com/2093077/ #BigBendBorderWall #BigBendNationalPark #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #CustomsAndBorderProtection #DepartmentOfHomelandSecurity #environment #NationalParkServiceOrganicAct #RioGrande #ScenicRiversAct #TexasParkland #TheEndangeredSpeciesAct #trump #WestTexas

Trump Admin Waives Environmental Laws for Border Barrier Construction in National Park

The Trump administration’s revised waiver of dozens of environmental laws to expedite the construction of border roads and…
#Environment #BigBendNationalPark #centerforbiologicaldiversity #Immigration #Indigenous #Texas #TrumpAdministration #us-department-of-homeland-securi
https://www.europesays.com/3049325/

https://www.europesays.com/3049325/ Trump Admin Waives Environmental Laws for Border Barrier Construction in National Park #BigBendNationalPark #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #Environment #Immigration #Indigenous #Texas #TrumpAdministration #UsDepartmentOfHomelandSecuri

E.P.A. Clears a Weedkiller, Saying It Won’t Push Species to Extinction

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/climate/epa-atrazine-endangered-species-maha.html

E.P.A. Clears a Weedkiller, Saying It Won’t Push Species to Extinction

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/climate/epa-atrazine-endangered-species-maha.html

Environmental groups seek court order blocking feds’ WNC forest plan | Regional https://www.byteseu.com/1981575/ #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #DeclaratoryJudgment #EndangeredSpeciesActOf1973 #environment #justice #LAW #lawsuit #NaturalEnvironment

Bill banning publlc land beaver kills heats up legislature

Wildlife advocates are backing a bill to ban the killing of beavers on Colorado public lands, while hunters…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #Animalrights #beavers #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #Coloradolegislature #hunting #Science #wildfiremitigation
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/517554/

"About 12 percent of Monterey County’s oil and gas wells are located within 200 feet of a river or creek. This includes the Salinas River, which runs through the San Ardo oil field, and is a critical source of the county’s groundwater.

"In December 2025, over 4,000 gallons of oil and toxic wastewater spilled in the San Ardo oil field, just over a mile from where the Sargent Creek feeds the Salinas River. It is unconfirmed whether that spill was connected to an active or idle well.”
—Katie Rodriguez, #MontereyCountyNow
#BigOil #Chevron #AeraEnergy #CaliforniaResourcesCorporation #MontereyCounty #Water #Air #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #AirQuality #WaterQuality #Groundwater #Oil #DesertedOilWells #SalinasValley #SanArdo

https://www.montereycountynow.com/news/local_news/hundreds-of-unplugged-oil-wells-sit-on-top-of-groundwater-sources-in-monterey-county-a/article_d333e7d2-3a6a-49e1-ac63-b452049ca8ee.html

HT @rmblaber1956

#EnvironmentalGroups sue #Trump’s #EPA over repeal of landmark #climate finding

Lawsuit from #health and #EnvironmentalJustice groups challenges the EPA’s rollback of the ‘endangerment finding’

Dharna Noor
Wed 18 Feb 2026 07.10 EST

"More than a dozen health and environmental justice non-profits have sued the Environmental Protection Agency over its revocation of the legal determination that underpins US federal climate regulations.

"Filed in Washington DC circuit court, the lawsuit challenges the EPA’s rollback of the '#EndangermentFinding', which states that the buildup of heat-trapping #pollution in the atmosphere endangers #PublicHealth and welfare and has allowed the EPA to limit those emissions from #vehicles, #PowerPlants and other #industrial sources since 2009. The rollback was widely seen as a major setback to US efforts to combat the #ClimateCrisis.

"The suit was brought by the American Public Health Association [#APHA], #AmericanLungAssociation, the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, the #EnvironmentalDefenseFund, the #NaturalResourcesDefenseCouncil [#NRDC], the #SierraClub and 11 other public health and environmental organizations. The lawsuit was filed by green legal organizations #CleanAirTaskForce and #Earthjustice and it names the EPA and the agency’s administrator, #LeeZeldin, as defendants.

" 'EPA’s repeal of the endangerment finding and #safeguards to limit vehicle emissions marks a complete dereliction of the agency’s mission to protect people’s health and its legal obligation under the #CleanAirAct,' said #GretchenGoldman, president and CEO at the #UnionOfConcernedScientists, another one of the groups behind the lawsuit. 'This shameful and dangerous action by the Trump administration and EPA Administrator Zeldin is rooted in falsehoods not facts and is at complete odds with the public interest and the best available science.' "

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/18/trump-epa-environment-climate-lawsuit

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/kp4pY

#USPol #ClimateChange #EPAFail #ClimateCrisis #GreenhouseGas #FossilFools #FossilFuelIndustry #BigOilAndGas #CorporateColonialism #Oiligarchy #Oligarchy #CorporatePolluters

https://www.europesays.com/2786947/ Lawsuits challenge renewed push for oil drilling in Alaska petroleum reserve and upcoming lease sale #Alaska #AlaskaNatives #BureauOfLandManagement #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #CrudeOil #CrudeOilPrice #Earthjustice #juneau #LeaseSales #NorthSlope #OilPrice #Petroleum #TeshekpukLake #TheNationalPetroleumReserveAlaska #TheWildernessSociety

#GrayWolf appears in Los Angeles county for first time in more than 100 years

Three-year-old black coat female, known as BEY03F, crossed into LA county around 6am on 7 February

Cecilia Nowell
Tue 10 Feb 2026 18.43 EST

"A gray wolf wandered into Los Angeles county for the first time in more than a century on Saturday morning.

" 'This is the most southern verified record of a gray wolf in modern times,' Axel Hunnicutt, gray wolf coordinator for the California department of fish and wildlife, said.

"The three-year-old black coat female, known as BEY03F, crossed into LA county around 6am on 7 February. Born in 2023 in Plumas county in the Beyem Seyo pack, she 'traversed nearly the entire range of the Sierra Nevada mountains', probably in search of a mate, said Hunnicutt. Wildlife officials have been able to track her location because BEY03F was fitted with a GPS collar in May 2025 while passing through Tulare county. To date, California fish and wildlife has not received any reports or sightings from the Los Angeles county public.

"On Tuesday, she was traveling further north, 'likely deterred by the Interstate 5', said Hunnicutt. Vehicle strikes are a leading cause of death for wolves.

" 'It’s possible she may continue to travel hundreds of miles in search of a mate or she may come across a male tomorrow.' "

Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/10/gray-wolf-los-angeles-county

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/aN1S2

#SolarPunkSunday #Wildlife #LosAngelesCounty #Rewilding #GrayWolves #CenterForBiologicalDiversity
More #WildlifeCrossings are needed!

https://www.europesays.com/2746857/ New Analysis Warns Trump Offshore Drilling Plan Could Trigger Thousands of Oil Spills #11thNationalOuterContinentalShelfOilAndGasLeasingProgram #Alaska #BureauOfOceanEnergyManagement #California #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #congress #CrudeOil #CrudeOilPrice #DeepwaterHorizonDisaster #DonaldTrump #GulfOfMexico #HealthyGulf #NationalOceanicAndAtmosphericAdministration #OffshoreDrilling #OilPrice #Petroleum #Rice’sWhales #TrumpAdministration

https://act.biologicaldiversity.org/_M_d3tlOQ0G4T2Doik-Tug2

#CenterForBiologicalDiversity #SaveWoolyBats #Conservation

Southwest US impacted as Trump administration rolls back species protections from first term – St. George News

Southwest US impacted as Trump administration rolls back species protections from first term  St. George NewsTrump moves to …
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Wildlife #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #endangeredspeciesactof1973 #Manatee #monarchbutterflies #PresidentDonaldTrump #Science #USFishandWildlifeService #Wolverine
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/308974/

#Hydropower Developer No-Show Leaves #Navajos with More Questions than Answers

Chapter officials table hydropower resolution, ask for more community info sessions as FERC seeks to end a policy blocking permits on Tribal land absent Tribal support

by #HerbYazzie, Coal-Lease Area Resident; #AdrianHerder, #TóNizhóníÁní; #TaylorMcKinnon, #CenterForBiologicalDiversity
via #CensoredNews, Nov. 21, 2025

Excerpts: #KayentaAZ— "On a cloudy, rainy Wednesday afternoon, the Kayenta Chapter held its monthly meeting where a resolution by #NatureAndPeopleFirst was first on the agenda. Impacted community members from the coal-lease area on Black Mesa (#DziłYíjiin) filled the chapter house to voice concern about the resolution. But before discussions could begin, Chapter officials tabled the resolution because the developers didn’t show up.

"Nature and People First (#NPF) are developers who are pushing #PumpedStorageHydropower (#PSH) on the #NavajoNation, particularly in the #BlackMesa region. Pumped storage pumps water uphill during low electricity prices and then releases it back downhill through generators when electricity prices are high, producing electricity and revenue. Pumped storage #hydropower, which requires huge amounts of water, is different than hydrogen, which other developers wanted piped across the Nation."

[...]

"#TóNizhóníÁní (#TNA) e-filed comments objecting to #FERC’s proposed policy reversal along with the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, #AmericanRivers and more than a dozen #tribes across the US. 'For decades, #CoalMining on #BlackMesa has not only extracted coal but also billions of gallons of #groundwater to support the #mining operation,' wrote #AdrianHerder with Tó Nizhóní Ání. 'Energy projects that propose to use large amounts of water for #EnergyProduction should be vetted diligently.' Water access and reliability is crucial for our communities on Black Mesa and the southwest region of the United States.

"Tribal communities understand the resources and impacts by industry. Any project that proposes to use groundwater when it has been heavily impacted and in a state of recovery should not be considered for continued industry use."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2025/11/hydropower-developer-no-show-leaves.html

#WaterIsLife #Diné #Dineteh #Greenwashing #PeabodyCoal #ReaderSupportedNews

2 southern Oregon fish species proposed for Endangered Species Act protections

Two Oregon fish species were proposed for Endangered Species Act protection on Oct. 17 by the Center for…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Wildlife #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #endangeredspeciesact #FishandWildlifeService #NorthUmpquaRiver #Science #SouthernOregon
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/234255/

Environmental groups sue Colorado over late permits

Two environmental groups are suing the Polis administration for missing air pollution permit deadlines and allegedly giving two…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Environment #350Colorado #AirPollutionControlDivision #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #emissions #ozonepollution #Science #Suncor
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/147492/

https://www.europesays.com/2400302/ Environmental groups sue Colorado over late permits #350Colorado #AirPollutionControlDivision #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #emissions #Environment #OzonePollution #suncor

Court vacates decision to deny protections for wolves in US West

Federal wildlife officials erred in a rec…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Wildlife #CenterforBiologicalDiversity #endangeredspeciesact #graywolf #Montana #MontanaFishandWildlifeCommission #MontanaFishWildlifeandParks #Science #USDistrictCourt #USFishandWildlifeService #WesternWatershedsProject #wolf #wolfhunting #wolfmanagement #wolfregulation #wolftrapping #Wolves
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/65477/

HT @UsagiTsukino

#Indigenous and Green Groups Protest #ICE’s “#AlligatorAlcatraz” in the #Everglades

Florida’s attorney general announced that construction of the jail in the #BigCypressNationalPreserve had begun.

By Stephen Prager, June 30, 2025

"Florida’s government has said the site will have no environmental impact. Last week, Uthmeier described the area as a barren swampland. He said the site 'presents an efficient, low-cost opportunity to build a temporary detention facility because you don’t need to invest that much in the perimeter. People get out, there’s not much waiting for ’em other than alligators and pythons,' he said in the video. 'Nowhere to go, nowhere to hide.'

"But local #indigenous leaders have said that’s not true. Saturday’s protest was led by #NativeAmerican groups, who say that the site will destroy their sacred homelands. According to The Associated Press, #BigCypress is home to 15 traditional #Miccosukee and #Seminole villages, as well as ceremonial and burial grounds and other gathering sites.

" 'Rather than Miccosukee homelands being an uninhabited wasteland for alligators and pythons, as some have suggested, the Big Cypress is the Tribe’s traditional homelands. The landscape has protected the Miccosukee and Seminole people for generations,' Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress wrote in a statement on social media last week.

"#EnvironmentalGroups, meanwhile, have disputed the state’s claims that the site will have no environmental impact. On Friday, the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, #FriendsOfTheEverglades, and #Earthjustice sued the Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. They argued that the site was being constructed without any of the environmental reviews required by the #NationalEnvironmentalPolicyAct.

" 'The site is more than 96% wetlands, surrounded by Big Cypress National Preserve, and is habitat for the endangered #FloridaPanther and other iconic species. This scheme is not only cruel, it threatens the #Everglades #ecosystem that state and federal taxpayers have spent billions to protect,' said Eve Samples, executive director of Friends of the Everglades.

"Governor #RonDeSantis used emergency powers to fast track the proposal, which the Center for Biological Diversity says has left no room for #PublicInput or #EnvironmentalReview required by federal law.

" 'This reckless attack on the Everglades — the lifeblood of Florida — risks polluting sensitive waters and turning more endangered Florida panthers into roadkill. It makes no sense to build what’s essentially a new development in the Everglades for any reason, but this reason is particularly despicable,' said Elise Bennett, Florida and Caribbean director and attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity."

Read more:
https://truthout.org/articles/indigenous-and-green-groups-protest-ices-alligator-alcatraz-in-the-everglades/

#ACAB #ICESucks #ICEKidnapping #GatorGitmo #Fascism #Authoritarianism #DeSantisSucks

#Florida: Donations wanted for #OrlandoFL and #JacksonvilleFL #LibraryOfThings!

"The #CenterForBiologicalDiversity fights not only to protect wildlife and wild lands in Florida but also to address the underlying causes of the extinction crisis, including the excessive production and consumption of new products.

"That’s why we’re excited to announce that we’re working with #Shareable and other partners to establish Library of Things pilot projects in Orlando and Jacksonville.

"A Library of Things is a shared community resource where useful items can be borrowed just like books that are in circulation for years, reducing the demand to produce new goods that destroy habitat, generate greenhouse gases, create pollution, and harm wildlife.

"Sharing also disrupts the current U.S. economic model that demands endless growth through the constant purchasing of new things. It challenges the traditional consumerist mindset that drives overproduction and leads to items getting thrown away after only a few uses.

"You can support this effort by donating items from the library’s wish lists. Whether it's a bicycle repair kit for someone who bikes for transportation, kitchen items for a new university student, or a generator for emergency preparedness, every item counts. By donating, you’ll help neighbors save money and push back against the culture of consumerism.

Here's how it works

"The Jacksonville Library of Things pilot, located at University of North Florida dormitories, is looking for donations of board games, kitchen items, phone chargers and tools to be used by students living in the dorms, based on a needs assessment conducted with students in partnership with the University.

"The Central Florida Tool Library (serving Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties) is seeking donations related to disaster preparation and response, as well as home repair and maintenance. These items were identified based on conversations between community members and our partner, #CentralFloridaMutualAid.

"Each wish list notes whether the item can be gently used or refurbished or must be new. (Certain products must be new for the libraries to ensure they meet safety and fire code standards. But purchasing these items once to be shared among the community prevents each future borrower from buying more.)

"Links to secondhand and refurbished sites are included where possible. The wish lists also provide a desired quantity of each item. Once the maximum number of items is claimed, you’ll see the request has been fulfilled. The mailing address to send the products for inclusion in the Library of Things can be found in the wish list."

Original article:
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/library_of_things

#CentralFlorida #ToolLibrary Wishlist:
https://sokindregistry.org/registry/CFLToolLibrary

Jacksonville Library of Things Wishlist:
https://sokindregistry.org/registry/JaxFLLOT

#LibrariesRule #Libraries #LibrariesOfThings #SharingEconomy #SolarPunkSunday #BorrowDontBuy #Degrowth #CircularEconomy #LibraryOfThings

#Trump #EPA’s Next Move: Making It Harder to Sue for Getting Cancer from #Roundup

The corporation behind Roundup #herbicide has paid out nearly $11 billion in lawsuits. Now it's backing an EPA rule that would stop the bleeding.

by Schuyler Mitchell, March 21 2025

"Last August, 11 industry-friendly red states, led by Nebraska and Iowa, submitted a 436-page petition asking the agency to amend its labeling rules under the Federal #Insecticide, #Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act, or #FIFRA. The proposed rule change would explicitly prohibit states from labeling #pesticides and #herbicides with warnings about cancer, #BirthDefects, and reproductive harm if those notices contradict the EPA’s risk assessment.

"The states made clear that their ultimate goal is to thwart future lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers. Their petition argued that recent court rulings have created a 'gap in FIFRA’s regulatory framework' that the proposed rule change would plug.

"In January, in a move initiated by the Biden administration, the EPA took a first step of accepting public comment on the rule-making petition, with a deadline of March 24 — though this step is exploratory and does not mean a new rule will be issued. Still, the EPA’s decision could have disastrous consequences if Donald Trump’s second administration is as friendly to the #ChemicalIndustry as it was in his first.

"'It’s telling of the lengths that pesticide manufacturers will go to make sure that nothing interferes with their profit margins,' said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'There’s a reality that the industry itself generates much of the data, and they say it’s safe, and then EPA approves that determination.”

Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2025/03/21/trump-epa-monsanto-roundup-bayer-cancer-chemicals/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/VsfWE

Link for public comment:
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0562
#KillThePoor #Ecocide #GlyphosateKills #MonsantoKills #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #Pollution #RunOff #Cancer #EnvironmentalPollution #USPol #BigChemical #BigAg #RoundupReady #Microbiota #BeeKilling #BayerKills #CenterForBiologicalDiversity

Um, so it's blowing my mind that toots from the @centerforbiodiv aren't getting boosts. Do the planet a favor and like and boost their account (yes, I know, it's a bot from the Bird Site). The work they do is so important! Support their work if you can!
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
#CenterForBiologicalDiversity #Extinction #ClimateCrisis #ClimateThreats #HelpSaveLifeOnEarth

$20,000 reward for help catching the person or persons killing #endangered #grey wolves in #Washington State. Three are now dead. These animals need protection. The killings threaten the survival of this species. And it's a great way to pay off those student loans President Joe Biden couldn’t cancel.

Got info on the killers? WDFW wants to hear from you
https://www.kuow.org/stories/20000-dollar-reward-offered-after-third-endangered-gray-wolf-killed-in-washington-state

#Wolves #Greywolves #CenterforBiologicalDiversity
#KlickitatCounty #TroutLake #BigMuddyPack #WDFW

#Nevada #LithiumMine approved despite possible harm to #endangered #wildflower

Advocates vow to sue, saying plan, crucial to #Biden’s clean energy agenda, will drive #TiehmsBuckwheat to extinction

Thu 24 Oct 2024 16.36 EDT

"Environmentalists said Thursday that the mine’s final approval was a politically motivated violation of multiple US laws. The Center for Biological Diversity said in a statement: 'Litigation is now the only way [to] stop the Rhyolite Ridge Mine.'

[...]

"Opponents of the project say it’s the latest example of Biden’s administration running roughshod over US protections for native #wildlife, rare species and #SacredTribalLands in the name of slowing the #ClimateCrisis by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and bolstering national security by easing reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals.

"'We’ve been fighting to save Tiehm’s buckwheat for six years and we’re not giving up now,' Donnelly said.

"Nevada is home to the only existing lithium mine in the US. Another is currently under construction near the Oregon line 220 miles (354km) north of Reno. That #LithiumAmericas mine at #ThackerPass, which was approved in the final days of Donald #Trump’s administration, survived numerous legal challenges from #environmentalists and #NativeAmerican tribes who said it would destroy lands they considered sacred where their ancestors were massacred by US troops in 1865."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/24/nevada-lithium-mine-endangered-wildflower-tiehms-buckwheat

#SaveRhyoliteRidge
#SaveThackerPass #IoneerLtd #NoLithiumMining #RecycleLithium #BiodiversityNecessityDefense #CenterForBiologicalDiversity #ProtectTheSacred #TiehmsBuckwheat #EndangeredSpecies

Lakota Horseback Riders Lead the Demand 'Haul No! Shut Down Uranium Mine in Grand Canyon'

"'#HaulNo! #UraniumMining has got to go!' was the protest cry as #Lakota horseback riders led the demand to shut down #PinyonPlain #UraniumMine in the #GrandCanyon on Saturday, continuing the demand to shut down the uranium mine endangering #Havasupai drinking #water and their #aquifer. "

Photos by Taylor McKinnon, #CenterForBiologicalDiversity near sacred Red Butte on Saturday.

By Brenda Norrell, Censored News, August 24, 2024

"The legacy of death from uranium mining already spreads across the Southwest. Scattered #radioactive tailings are spread across the #NavajoNation from #ColdWar #uranium mines, which the U.S. has not cleaned up. The dangerous processing mill in southeastern #Utah is now bringing in radioactive waste from Europe.

"The genocide continues -- from the genocide in #Palestine that the United States is producing weapons for, to the slow and toxic genocide in the Southwest -- where the U.S. allows uranium mining to continue.

"Nearby, lithium mining in Hualapai's Ceremonial Place has been halted.
Federal Judge Diane Humetewa, Hopi, granted a temporary restraining order this week and halted the Interior Department's permit for an Australian company, #HawkstoneEnergy aka #ArizonaLithium, to mine for lithium at Hualapai's Ceremonial Sacred Spring.

"Attorneys for the #BidenAdministration and Interior Sec. #DebHaaland told the federal court in Phoenix that the #LithiumMining at Hualapai's #CeremonialSpring was necessary for the 'transition to #GreenEnergy.'"

Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/08/lakota-horseback-riders-lead-demand.html

#WaterIsLife #NuclearColonialism #DefendTheSacred #LithiuMining #NoCopperMiningWithoutConsent #NoLithiumMining #CorporateColonialism #NoMiningWithoutConsent #LithiumMining #CopperMining #Greenwasing#PinyonPlainUraniumMine

#Protests Against #GrandCanyon #UraniumMine Continue

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Coalition statement, via #CensoredNews

GRAND CANYON, #Arizona — "#Conservation advocates will join Tribal leaders and members Saturday, Aug. 24, to demand the closure of the #PinyonPlain uranium mine that threatens the waters of the Grand Canyon and the #Havasupai Tribe.

What: Protest near #RedButte and the Pinyon Plain Uranium Mine calling on #GovHobbs and federal officials to close the mine.

When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 24.

Where: Junction of Highway 64 and Forest Service Road 320, 10.5 miles north of Grand Canyon Junction (Valle, Arizona). Here is a map.

Who: Staff and members of the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, #SierraClub, #ChispaArizona, #WildArizona, National Parks Conservation Association [#NPCA] and other groups will join Havasupai Tribal leaders and members of other Tribes in solidarity and will be available for interviews.

"The mine, which began extracting uranium ore on Jan. 8, is 7 miles south of Grand Canyon National Park, at the foot of sacred Red Butte (Wii'i Gdwiisa in Havasupai), and inside the newly designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument.

"Saturday’s protest will come after weeks of recent actions opposing the mine and the hauling of radioactive #UraniumOre across the #NavajoNation, which has called the transportation of uranium across its land an infringement on Tribal sovereignty.

"Earlier this month Navajo Nation President #BuuNygren issued an executive order banning shipments of uranium from the mine across the Nation; hauling is now paused. Soon after Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes called for an updated environmental study on the mine, warning of potential risks of allowing the mine to proceed under the authority of a nearly 40-year-old Environmental Impact Statement.

"In June, Tribal members and conservation groups delivered a petition with more than 17,000 signatures urging Gov. Hobbs to use her authority to close the mine. In January, 80 groups and scientists called on her to do the same. New research indicates that the best way to protect the waters of the region is to shut down the mine."

https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/08/protests-against-grand-canyon-uranium.html

#HaulNo #NoMiningWithoutConsent #NavajoNation #PinyonPlainUraniumMine #ReaderSupportedNews #WaterIsLife #BlackMesa #NoUraniumMining #Navajo #InformedConsent
#EnvironmentalRacism #ShutDownPinyonPlain #ProtectTheSacred #Diné #Dinébikeyah #dinetah #NoUraniumMiningWithoutConsent

#Pesticides may contain an alarming amount of ‘#ForeverChemicals’: Study

by Sharon Udasin - 07/24/24 2:01 PM ET

"Toxic 'forever chemicals' are increasingly appearing in U.S. pesticides — contaminating waterways and posing a possible threat to human health, a new study has found.

"Pesticides containing these compounds, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (#PFAS), are used widely nationwide on staple foods, such as #corn, #wheat, #kale, #spinach, #apples and #strawberries, according to the study, published Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives.

"Known for their ability to linger in the human body and the environment, PFAS have been linked to many illnesses, such as thyroid disease, kidney cancer and testicular cancer.

"PFAS-laden pesticides are also used inside homes, for flea treatments on pets and in insect-killing sprays, noted the authors, who represent several environmental organizations.

"The researchers — from the Center for Biological Diversity, the Environmental Working Group and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility — said they drew their conclusions by compiling data on sources of PFAS in pesticide products.

Read more:

https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/4790651-toxic-forever-chemicals-pesticides-study/

#PFOA #WaterIsLife #PFOS #PFASContamination #WaterPollution #PFASPollution #PTFE #Wildlife #Cancer #Contamination #Chemicals #Environment#GenXChemicals
#Toxic #CenterforBiologicalDiversity

Thousands of dead horseshoe crabs are washing up on Maryland shores after having their ‘blue blood’ harvested, suit says | The Independent
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/horseshoe-crabs-maryland-lawsuit-extinction-b2553334.html

#HorseshoeCrabs
#BlueBlood
#BloodHarvesting
#Maryland
#MarylandDeptOfNaturalResources
#Fishermen
#PharmaceuticalCompanies
#Pharma
#CenterForBiologicalDiversity
#Toxins
#Drugs
#TestingForToxinsInDrugs
#MedicalDevices
#CovidVaccine
#SyntheticAlternatives

Proposed #LithiumMine in western #Maine clears key hurdle

New rules recommended by the Board of Environmental Protection [#MaineDEP] would allow the testing needed to build an open-pit mine over a large lithium-rich deposit at #PlumbagoMountain in #Newry.

by Penelope Overton
February 29, 2024

"The provisional amendment – the result of a state law adopted last July intended to overhaul the mining law to allow for the extraction of non-reactive minerals like spodumene, the hard rock source of lithium – now heads back to the Legislature for final consideration.

"If adopted, these rules would allow Mary and Gary Freeman, retired rock hounds who split the time between Maine and Florida, to begin the rigorous testing needed to build an open-pit mi over a large lithium-rich mineral deposit they discovered while hunting for gemstones in New 2018.

"'This has been a big lift,' board Chair Susan Lessard, the town manager of Bucksport, said of regulation change. 'I think the department has done a very good job of trying to enact some rules to go along with what the Legislature adopted in the most protective way that they were able.”

"The Newry deposit is a potential piece in the global ramp-up of lithium production to make batteries for storing clean wind and solar energy and powering electric cars. Alternative lithiu batteries are being tested, but for now, lithium is still used in most electric vehicles and grid batteries.

"Despite government and industry interest in building up a domestic lithium market, #Nevada currently has the country’s only operational lithium mine. The #SilverPeaMine, which began operating in the 1960s, pumps lithium-rich brine from underground into large evaporation pools.

"But the United States has at least a hundred domestic #LithiuMines that are hoping to get the permits needed to compete with the likes of Australia, #Chile, #China and #Argentina, which cur dominate the world market, according to conservation biologist Patrick Donnelly of the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity.

"Unlike most U.S. deposits, however, the Freeman find is a hard rock deposit of lithium, similar those in #Australia. They form when hot magma intrudes into the crust and then cools into met rich crystals. Hard-rock lithium is costlier to mine, quicker to market and yields a more valuable form of lithium than brining.

"In a 2020 paper detailing the discovery, the Freemans claimed the 10 million metric-ton #PlumagoMountain deposit had the highest average lithium content of any known spodumene deposit, including gigantic 36-foot-long crystals embedded deep inside the coarse brown and white rock face.

"Initially, the Freemans said they wanted to sell to the battery market, something that would lik require chemical processing on-site or nearby. Later, they said they wanted to sell raw spodum ore with the highest levels of lithium to scientific glass manufacturers, which could eliminate t need for processing.

"Neither the Freemans nor their attorney responded to emails and telephone requests for an interview.

"The provisional rule requires applicants seeking an open-pit mining exemption to prove the operation does not have the potential to violate state water quality standards or expose radioactive materials that would endanger human health or the environment.

"The applicant would have to conduct extensive testing and sampling to show the deposit would react when exposed to the air or water of an open-pit mine. Spodumene is non-reactive, but other metals like copper and silver will create a harmful acid discharge when exposed.

"For example, the Newry spodumene deposit is believed to contain some galena, the blue-black mineral that contains lead sulfide, which has the potential to leach lead and often occurs in combination with iron sulfide, the major culprit in causing acidic mine drainage.

"'We are uncertain if galena is present at levels that are dangerous, but the only way to know w be through detailed characterization of the deposit in the manner that these rule amendments propose,' said Nick Bennett, a staff scientist at Natural Resources Council of Maine.

“#NRCM supported the provisional rule in part because the Board of Environmental Protection decided to add back in requirements that an applicant would have to conduct real-world testing, kinetic testing, to ensure there is nothing reactive in the deposit before a mining exemption is granted.

"'We are supportive of the proposed rules that DEP drafted and BEP approved because we beli they would only allow open-pit mining of metallic minerals when that extraction presents a very low risk to water quality and the environment,' Bennett said.”

https://www.pressherald.com/2024/02/29/state-environmental-board-adopts-new-mineral-mining-rule

#WaterIsLife #Environment
#NoMining in #Maine #OpenPitMining #WesternMaine #NewryMaine

via @arizonamirror

If #Hobbs is serious about protecting #groundwater, she must work to close the #mining loophole

by Russ McSpadden
February 12, 2024

"In her first State of the State address just over a year ago, Gov. #KatieHobbs was unequivocal about her commitment to tackling one of the state’s greatest challenges: our dwindling #water supply.

“Our groundwater should be used to support #Arizonans, not foreign business interests,” she said in that speech, referring to the Saudi Arabian conglomerate #Fondomonte. Over the past few years, Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater in La Paz County for alfalfa crops that it ships to feed cows on the other side of the earth.

"Though the Hobbs administration has already canceled one of Fondomonte’s four leases and says it won’t renew the others when they’re up this month, the problem doesn’t end with Saudi agriculture.

"It’s also mining companies that take advantage of loopholes in the state’s water laws to maximize profit at the expense of Arizonans — including mining giants #RioTinto and# BHP.

"Because of intense pressure from #lobbyists, when lawmakers adopted the much-heralded #ArizonaGroundwaterManagementAct in 1980 they exempted #mines from groundwater regulation, even when located in #ActiveManagement Areas — state-designated areas where groundwater pumping is controlled. That means that mines can pump unlimited amounts of water without paying the state a dime.

"This exemption was controversial in 1980. Today it’s existentially dangerous.

#ResolutionCopper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto and BHP, is a perfect example. Their proposed mine at #OakFlat — about 70 miles east of #Phoenix in the #TontoNationalForest and within the Phoenix Active Management Area — would pump 250 billion gallons of desert groundwater over the life of the project.

"That’s 17 million gallons of water every day for four decades.

"Under current water prices, that equates to $404 million worth of groundwater that Resolution Copper will get for free. Arizona won’t see a cent for it. And it’s more than likely that the copper ore from Oak Flat will be exported to China for smelting, again depriving local communities of economic benefit.

"This limitless pumping would happen even as the #megadrought that has plagued the #AmericanSouthwest for the past two decades is likely to worsen, straining the #ColoradoRiver and #Gila rivers even more and making us all more reliant on groundwater aquifers.

"If left intact, the mining loophole will facilitate construction of Resolution’s massive mine. The extreme water pumping from the #EastSaltRiverValley will lead to groundwater depletion and subsidence, threatening to deplete wells and damage infrastructure.

"The #CenterForBiologicalDiversity, where I work, has been fighting for decades to stop this mine, and Canadian mining company Hudbay’s disastrous plan to mine for copper in the #SantaRita Mountains south of #Tucson (in the Tucson Active Management Area).

"Both projects would devastate surrounding fragile #ecosystems, pushing endangered species like the #MexicanSpottedOwl closer to the brink of #extinction. They would also destroy sacred #TribalLands and gulp down massive amounts of water when other users are being asked to conserve.

"Handing mines unlimited access to Arizona’s precious desert groundwater would be an injustice to Arizona’s #Tribes and every resident of this state.

"Fortunately, Hobbs has the vision and courage to fight for a secure water future for Arizona. It is time for her to work with legislators to close the mining loophole in Arizona water law and subject mines to the same groundwater pumping limits that apply to other entities within the state’s Active Management Areas.

"We’re hopeful she will work to block #ResolutionCopperMine and other terrible mining projects like #Hudbay’s. At the very least, it’s time for mining giants to pay for the water they use just like the rest of us."

https://azmirror.com/2024/02/12/if-hobbs-is-serious-about-protecting-groundwater-she-must-work-to-close-the-mining-loophole/

#WaterIsLife #HumanRightsViolations #CulturalGenocide #CopperMining #Mining #CorporateColonialism #EnvironmentalRacism #IndigenousNews #SaveOakFlat #IndigenousRights #Apache

Mention of @centerforbiodiv ! Follow them here on Mastodon!

Lawmakers need statewide #lithium plan, says #conservation group

By: Jennifer Sollis, Nevada Current
February 20, 2024

"There are more than 80 lithium projects proposed on #Nevada’s public lands as the nation races to power the #GreenEnergy transition. Now conservation groups are looking to state lawmakers to establish a rule-making process that would help reduce the establishment of mines in areas of greatest conflict.

"Despite a growing interest in lithium mining, Nevada has not developed a state-level plan for where lithium production should – and should not – be permitted to avoid impacts on local communities and resources.

"The United States produces less than 1% of global lithium production, all from a single facility, Albemarle Corp.’s Silver Peak mine in Esmeralda County, according to the United States Geological Survey. But that may soon change, making a statewide plan necessary, say conservation groups.

"#Mining on public lands requires federal approval. However, state approval is also required for various permits needed to advance mining operations. States — including Nevada — generally regulate waste management, #groundwater use and impacts, reclamation, surface water use, and air quality operating permits.

"Conservation groups argue that those permit requirements give Nevada an opportunity to help shape the future of lithium development in the state.

"Earlier this month, the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity submitted a letter to the Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources, asking the committee to put forward a bill establishing a rule-making process that would help reduce the establishment of mines in areas of greatest conflict.

"The letter also includes a request that the bill include funding for a study by the #DesertResearchInstitute and state agencies to evaluate lithium resources in the state and determine which can be extracted with the least impact on communities and the environment.

"Lack of data around natural resources isn’t just an issue in Nevada, but nationwide.

"According to the Association of American State Geologists, the United States lacks an effective process for gathering, organizing, compiling, or publicly sharing geologic data that would help in the identification of valuable mineral deposits.

"Data collection on natural resources — like the one suggested by the Center for Biological Diversity — could improve the identification and development of critical minerals, while also identifying and avoiding sensitive resources that may be adversely affected by exploration or mining, according to a recent report on how to improve mining on public lands by the Department of the Interior.

"State Sen. Julie Pazina, the chairperson of the legislature’s Joint Interim Standing Committee on Natural Resources, said the committee has yet to make any determinations for what bill draft requests they’ll make for the next Legislative session in 2025.

"'Over the next year, we will discuss and vet policy with the goal of protecting Nevada’s air, water and land for generations to come,' Pazina said.

"In Nevada, the clean energy transition has been marred by conflict with numerous projects in high conflict areas attracting litigation and public outcry.

"Earlier this year, federal land managers pulled their approval for a controversial lithium exploration project less than a mile from a treasured #wetland habitat after getting hit with a lawsuit and fierce opposition.

"Other mining projects in the state have faced backlash and delays, due to their proximity to #cultural and #ecologically sensitive areas. In one case, a small wildflower has been a source of conflict between conservationists and an #Australian mining company, seeking to build an #OpenPit lithium mine on the plant’s only known habitat.

"Last year, Washoe County commissioners withdrew a permit for a #geothermal exploration project near #Gerlach, after locals voiced fears the project could negatively impact the town’s #water supply, the structural integrity of their homes, and nearby natural hot springs.

"Permitting roadblocks, like the ones in Nevada, have been a major source of frustration for the #Biden administration.

"The potential for conflict in the state due to lithium mining is only growing. About half of the projects currently proposed in Nevada are in Esmeralda and Nye County, surrounding the town of Tonopah, a sizable population center.

"'We support domestic lithium extraction as well, if it is done in the right places and with the right techniques. We oppose business-as-usual mining, dewatering of open pits, pit lakes, excessive water consumption, #extinction of species or severe #degradation of #habitat, and regulatory shortcuts to permit bad mines faster,' wrote Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, in the letter."

https://thisisreno.com/2024/02/lawmakers-need-statewide-lithium-plan-says-conservation-group/

#WaterIsLife #LithiumMining #EnvironmentalRacism #EnvironmentalDestruction #Extinction #CulturalGenocide #IndigenousLands

Advocates demand halt to #uranium #mine near the #GrandCanyon

#EnergyFuels says #nuclear power is necessary to fight #ClimateChange, but #Indigenous tribes fear losing their homes

By Matthew Rozsa
January 31, 2024

"The Grand Canyon truly lives up to its name, being the largest canyon on Earth and one of the most popular national parks in America. But due to #UraniumMining in the area, some advocates are warning it could become the site of a future #EnvironmentalDisaster, which threatens to make one Indigenous village 'extinct.'

"More than 80 groups signed onto a statement on Monday — representing Indigenous communities, scientists and environmental nonprofits such as the #SierraClub and the #CenterForBiologicalDiversity — directed at President #JoeBiden and #Arizona Gov. #KatieHobbs, demanding they close the #PinyonPlain uranium mine, which is located near the Grand Canyon.

"'We have a choice in front of us. Allowing the Pinyon Plain mine to proceed is subjecting this landscape and its interconnected waters to a legacy of devastation and disregarding the rights of the #IndigenousPeoples on the land,' Sanober Mirza, Arizona program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association, said in the statement. 'Or we can choose a different path — one that holds a promise of protecting the Grand Canyon’s cultural sanctity, its people and natural resources.'

"To understand why the mine's opponents feel so strongly, one can turn to #AmberReimondo, who work as energy director at a conservationist non-profit called the #GrandCanyonTrust. Reimondo explained to Salon by email that, on the one hand, #Biden permanently banned mining operations on nearly 1 million acres of federal managed lands by creating the #BaajNwaavjo I'tah Kukveni - Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in August 2023. Yet the Pinyon Plain mine was #exempt from this prohibition, and Reimondo argues that the impact on the region has been 'several fold.'

"'What they've created here is a long-term, slow motion #EnvironmentalDisaster."

"'The Grand Canyon region as a whole and especially the location of the mine, is deeply significant to Indigenous cultures and is a place where tribal members have conducted #ceremonies, collected medicine, hunted, and more, for centuries,' Reimondo said. 'The mine also overlies critical and complex [and] not well understood groundwater systems. One #aquifer in particular — the #RedWallMuavAquifer — is the sole source of water for the remote #HavasupaiVillage of #Supai inside the Grand Canyon. The mine poses a #contamination threat to these #groundwater resources not just today, but importantly, after the mine's mere 28-month operational lifespan has concluded and the mining operator 'cleans up' and moves on.'

"Supai is so remote, it's only accessible only by helicopter or an 8-mile mule ride or hike, Reimondo explained, noting that if the newly-oxygenated groundwater comes into contact with nearby rocks, minerals like #arsenic and #uranium will be dissolved by the groundwater and enter aquifers used by the local community and essential to local ecology, including #HavasuFalls. Taylor McKinnon, Southwest Director for the Center for Biological Diversity, expressed similar concerns.

"'Ultimately, this mine is going to require political leadership,' McKinnon told Salon in an interview, referring to both the Biden and #Hobbs administrations. 'Those administration's agencies have the authority to fix this problem if they so choose, and that's what they should do.'

"We have detailed strenuously for years that neither regulators nor industry can ensure against the permanent and irretrievable damage to Grand Canyon's aquifers and springs," McKinnon added. "This mine was approved originally in 1986, under a record of decision from the US Forest Service under a presumption that it was highly unlikely that the mine would encounter groundwater, and further unlikely that if it did, it had the potential to contaminate deeper aquifers in the springs that they feed. Subsequent state permitting from the #ArizonaDepartment OfEnvironmentalQuality has basically parroted those same assumptions.'

"Yet McKinnon alleges that in 2016 the mine punctured a perched aquifer, causing roughly 10 million gallons of water per year to drain into the mine workings. From there he asserts that a surface pond formed with water that has concentrations of uranium and arsenic far in excess of the Environmental Protection Agency (#EPA)'s water quality standards. Not only does this threaten the local endangered and endemic species, but it also impacts the nearby Havasupai tribe.

"Havasupai means 'people of the blue-green water,' McKinnon said. "It's their longstanding cultural identity, and it is the water they drink, they farm with and that provides for all of their tourism economy because it is this just a beautiful series of massive verdant waterfalls that flow through the village and down into a series of waterfalls and pools where people camp and they derive tourism dollars.'

"In a 2022 letter of opposition, the Havasupai Tribal Council, laid out what is at stake in the uranium mining controversy.

"'Our identity as a people is intrinsically intertwined with the health of #HavasuCreek and the environment to which it gives life,' the tribe’s letter explained. 'We use this water for drinking, #gardening and irrigating, municipal uses, and #cultural and #religious uses. If the water source becomes contaminated like we have seen in other areas of Arizona due to uranium mining, we will no longer be able to live in our homes and Supai Village will become extinct.'

"These fears are based on precedent. The nearby #NavajoNation is scattered with old uranium mines — over 500, in fact — awaiting cleanup, exposing locals to risk of '#LungCancer from inhalation of #radioactive particles, as well as #BoneCancer and impaired kidney function from exposure to #radionuclides in drinking water,' according to the EPA. Likewise, members of the #UteMountain #Ute tribe in #WhiteMesa, Utah have protested against uranium mines they say have contaminated local groundwater, air and even wildlife."

https://www.salon.com/2024/01/31/advocates-demand-halt-to-uranium-mine-near-the-grand-canyon/

#NoNukes #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #CulturalGenocide #EnvironmentalRacism #CorporateColonialism #NoMining #UraniumMining #NuclearPowerNoThanks #IndigenousActivism