#environmentalreview — Public Fediverse posts

The Mamdani Administration Needs to Take a Second Look at the Plan for Bergen Green

The builder chosen in 2024 by the Eric Adams administration to develop the Bergen Green affordable housing project has a well-documented history of unlawful conduct that puts both workers and residents at risk.

In September of 2023, the US Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York brought a complaint against Apex Building Company (also operating as Apex Building Group) for violations of Section 409 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The ensuing case – United States of America v. Apex Building Company Inc. – resulted in a massive penalty of $606,706 for unsafe practices at five New York City affordable housing sites.

From 2015 to 2021, in “at least five distinct renovation projects, involving 21 apartment buildings and approximately 823 apartments, in New York City,” the company failed to contain lead dust, in violation of EPA rules. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene first found Apex was out of compliance at 76 Grove Street in Brooklyn. Workers were untrained and inadequately protected, and the company “failed to inform the building owner and occupants of the risks of lead poisoning.” And this was not a single, unfortunate lapse. Over the next few years, investigators documented a pattern of willful negligence at Apex projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – all affordable housing projects, “low-income residential properties, where tenants are already disproportionately burdened by other environmental hazards.”

Instead of owning up to its failures and taking steps to correct the problems, Apex made misrepresentations about its compliance with federal rules, according to the Justice Department complaint. The company submitted a certification that “purported to be issued [by EPA] in 2006, four years before EPA first issued RRP [or lead rule] certifications.” The certification was “not genuine.” Apex also “submitted a cover letter purportedly authored by EPA… .But this letter, too, was not genuine”; one sure sign was that “the cover letter included the name of an EPA employee whose employment with EPA did not commence until over six years after the date of the letter.” This was brazen fraud.

The facts are not in dispute. Apex itself admitted them and took responsibility for them in the 2023 consent decree that resolved the lawsuit. The adjudicated penalty was “the second largest civil penalty ever imposed under the RRP Rule,” and it might well have been the largest, had Apex been in a stronger financial position. Instead, the civil penalty was negotiated down because Apex’s books showed it was unable to pay the full penalty that the charges merited. According to the consent decree’s proposed payment schedule (page 43), Apex will not make its final payment against this judgment until 2027.

This is obviously a red flag for the Bergen Green project, a legitimate concern for those hired to work at the site, anyone who lives near the project (as I do), and for those who will eventually live in the 12-story affordable housing complex Apex builds.

Lead dust will be just one issue at the site. Developers have already acknowledged that the building at 516 Bergen Street will require asbestos removal and remediation before it can be knocked down to make way for the tower. There are no doubt other toxins on site as well. In the 1940s, for example, there was a Gulf Dealer at that location, as Tax Photographs from the period show.

The Gulf garage was still in use decades later, long after the city had taken over the property. Today, the building sits directly across the street from a playground. Neighbors and future residents both need assurances that environmental review and environmental remediation at this site will be done responsibly.

There are also serious, unanswered questions about how Apex managed to win the contract to develop Bergen Green less than one year after the consent decree and well before Apex had finished paying off the penalty imposed by the federal court. How and why did the city give Apex a pass after this judgment? How did the 2023 SDNY complaint, injunction, and civil penalty against Apex factor into the decision-making on Bergen Green? Was Apex’s documented history of irresponsible and fraudulent business conduct at affordable housing sites taken into account when the Adams administration evaluated its Bergen Green bid? It should have been, as the city’s own Procurement Policy Board Rules require. 

To help answer these and other questions, I’ve filed three Freedom of Information requests: one with the Department of Housing and Preservation Development (FOIL-2026-806-01745); another with the Mayor’s Office of Contracts (FOIL-2026-002-01521); and a third with the Department of Investigation (FOIL-2026-032-00312). I will put these documents online as they arrive.

DOI has already responded, with two documents from the city’s PASSPort system. One, a vendor disclosure form, includes a section assessing “Vendor Integrity.” It makes no mention at all of the 2023 findings or consent decree. Question 3 on this form asks whether over the past five years the vendor has had “any sanction imposed as a result of judicial or administrative disciplinary proceedings with respect to any professional license held.” The answer given is “No.” The Contract History section asks whether Apex has ever received an unsatisfactory performance rating from any government agency (which surely includes the EPA and The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). Again, the one word answer is “No.” The section dealing with Vendor Financial History makes no mention of the $606,000 penalty or payments against it; and in response to the question whether there are any “judgments, injunctions, or liens” against Apex, the answer is “No.” This is blatantly false.

Hopefully, records from HPD and the Mayor’s Office of Contracting will show how seriously the Adams administration took Apex’s environmental record into account when making its selection for Bergen Green. The Mamdani administration should be able to answer this question without equivocation and reassure New Yorkers that this affordable housing project is not putting workers, neighbors, and future residents at risk.

After all, affordable housing, environmental concerns, and protections for New York City workers are all among Mayor Mamdani’s core commitments. Having already failed to push for unionized labor at Bergen Green, the city now appears to be disregarding the risks of doing business with a company that repeatedly cut corners, broke the law, and committed fraud to cover it up.

The Bergen Green project could qualify for Green Fast Track environmental review, and Mamdani has pledged to speed up the permitting process for building new housing. In this case, however, the prudent thing would be to slow down, take a second look at the award process, and decide whether the current course at Bergen Green is the right one.

The Mamdani Administration Needs to Take a Second Look at the Plan for Bergen Green

The builder chosen in 2024 by the Eric Adams administration to develop the Bergen Green affordable housing project has a well-documented history of unlawful conduct that puts both workers and residents at risk.

In September of 2023, the US Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York brought a complaint against Apex Building Company (also operating as Apex Building Group) for violations of Section 409 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The ensuing case – United States of America v. Apex Building Company Inc. – resulted in a massive penalty of $606,706 for unsafe practices at five New York City affordable housing sites.

From 2015 to 2021, in “at least five distinct renovation projects, involving 21 apartment buildings and approximately 823 apartments, in New York City,” the company failed to contain lead dust, in violation of EPA rules. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene first found Apex was out of compliance at 76 Grove Street in Brooklyn. Workers were untrained and inadequately protected, and the company “failed to inform the building owner and occupants of the risks of lead poisoning.” And this was not a single, unfortunate lapse. Over the next few years, investigators documented a pattern of willful negligence at Apex projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – all affordable housing projects, “low-income residential properties, where tenants are already disproportionately burdened by other environmental hazards.”

Instead of owning up to its failures and taking steps to correct the problems, Apex made misrepresentations about its compliance with federal rules, according to the Justice Department complaint. The company submitted a certification that “purported to be issued [by EPA] in 2006, four years before EPA first issued RRP [or lead rule] certifications.” The certification was “not genuine.” Apex also “submitted a cover letter purportedly authored by EPA… .But this letter, too, was not genuine”; one sure sign was that “the cover letter included the name of an EPA employee whose employment with EPA did not commence until over six years after the date of the letter.” This was brazen fraud.

The facts are not in dispute. Apex itself admitted them and took responsibility for them in the 2023 consent decree that resolved the lawsuit. The adjudicated penalty was “the second largest civil penalty ever imposed under the RRP Rule,” and it might well have been the largest, had Apex been in a stronger financial position. Instead, the civil penalty was negotiated down because Apex’s books showed it was unable to pay the full penalty that the charges merited. According to the consent decree’s proposed payment schedule (page 43), Apex will not make its final payment against this judgment until 2027.

This is obviously a red flag for the Bergen Green project, a legitimate concern for those hired to work at the site, anyone who lives near the project (as I do), and for those who will eventually live in the 12-story affordable housing complex Apex builds.

Lead dust will be just one issue at the site. Developers have already acknowledged that the building at 516 Bergen Street will require asbestos removal and remediation before it can be knocked down to make way for the tower. There are no doubt other toxins on site as well. In the 1940s, for example, there was a Gulf Dealer at that location, as Tax Photographs from the period show.

The Gulf garage was still in use decades later, long after the city had taken over the property. Today, the building sits directly across the street from a playground. Neighbors and future residents both need assurances that environmental review and environmental remediation at this site will be done responsibly.

There are also serious, unanswered questions about how Apex managed to win the contract to develop Bergen Green less than one year after the consent decree and well before Apex had finished paying off the penalty imposed by the federal court. How and why did the city give Apex a pass after this judgment? How did the 2023 SDNY complaint, injunction, and civil penalty against Apex factor into the decision-making on Bergen Green? Was Apex’s documented history of irresponsible and fraudulent business conduct at affordable housing sites taken into account when the Adams administration evaluated its Bergen Green bid? It should have been, as the city’s own Procurement Policy Board Rules require. 

To help answer these and other questions, I’ve filed three Freedom of Information requests: one with the Department of Housing and Preservation Development (FOIL-2026-806-01745); another with the Mayor’s Office of Contracts (FOIL-2026-002-01521); and a third with the Department of Investigation (FOIL-2026-032-00312). I will put these documents online as they arrive.

DOI has already responded, with two documents from the city’s PASSPort system. One, a vendor disclosure form, includes a section assessing “Vendor Integrity.” It makes no mention at all of the 2023 findings or consent decree. Question 3 on this form asks whether over the past five years the vendor has had “any sanction imposed as a result of judicial or administrative disciplinary proceedings with respect to any professional license held.” The answer given is “No.” The Contract History section asks whether Apex has ever received an unsatisfactory performance rating from any government agency (which surely includes the EPA and The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). Again, the one word answer is “No.” The section dealing with Vendor Financial History makes no mention of the $606,000 penalty or payments against it; and in response to the question whether there are any “judgments, injunctions, or liens” against Apex, the answer is “No.” This is blatantly false.

Hopefully, records from HPD and the Mayor’s Office of Contracting will show how seriously the Adams administration took Apex’s environmental record into account when making its selection for Bergen Green. The Mamdani administration should be able to answer this question without equivocation and reassure New Yorkers that this affordable housing project is not putting workers, neighbors, and future residents at risk.

After all, affordable housing, environmental concerns, and protections for New York City workers are all among Mayor Mamdani’s core commitments. Having already failed to push for unionized labor at Bergen Green, the city now appears to be disregarding the risks of doing business with a company that repeatedly cut corners, broke the law, and committed fraud to cover it up.

The Bergen Green project could qualify for Green Fast Track environmental review, and Mamdani has pledged to speed up the permitting process for building new housing. In this case, however, the prudent thing would be to slow down, take a second look at the award process, and decide whether the current course at Bergen Green is the right one.

The Mamdani Administration Needs to Take a Second Look at the Plan for Bergen Green

The builder chosen in 2024 by the Eric Adams administration to develop the Bergen Green affordable housing project has a well-documented history of unlawful conduct that puts both workers and residents at risk.

In September of 2023, the US Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York brought a complaint against Apex Building Company (also operating as Apex Building Group) for violations of Section 409 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The ensuing case – United States of America v. Apex Building Company Inc. – resulted in a massive penalty of $606,706 for unsafe practices at five New York City affordable housing sites.

From 2015 to 2021, in “at least five distinct renovation projects, involving 21 apartment buildings and approximately 823 apartments, in New York City,” the company failed to contain lead dust, in violation of EPA rules. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene first found Apex was out of compliance at 76 Grove Street in Brooklyn. Workers were untrained and inadequately protected, and the company “failed to inform the building owner and occupants of the risks of lead poisoning.” And this was not a single, unfortunate lapse. Over the next few years, investigators documented a pattern of willful negligence at Apex projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – all affordable housing projects, “low-income residential properties, where tenants are already disproportionately burdened by other environmental hazards.”

Instead of owning up to its failures and taking steps to correct the problems, Apex made misrepresentations about its compliance with federal rules, according to the Justice Department complaint. The company submitted a certification that “purported to be issued [by EPA] in 2006, four years before EPA first issued RRP [or lead rule] certifications.” The certification was “not genuine.” Apex also “submitted a cover letter purportedly authored by EPA… .But this letter, too, was not genuine”; one sure sign was that “the cover letter included the name of an EPA employee whose employment with EPA did not commence until over six years after the date of the letter.” This was brazen fraud.

The facts are not in dispute. Apex itself admitted them and took responsibility for them in the 2023 consent decree that resolved the lawsuit. The adjudicated penalty was “the second largest civil penalty ever imposed under the RRP Rule,” and it might well have been the largest, had Apex been in a stronger financial position. Instead, the civil penalty was negotiated down because Apex’s books showed it was unable to pay the full penalty that the charges merited. According to the consent decree’s proposed payment schedule (page 43), Apex will not make its final payment against this judgment until 2027.

This is obviously a red flag for the Bergen Green project, a legitimate concern for those hired to work at the site, anyone who lives near the project (as I do), and for those who will eventually live in the 12-story affordable housing complex Apex builds.

Lead dust will be just one issue at the site. Developers have already acknowledged that the building at 516 Bergen Street will require asbestos removal and remediation before it can be knocked down to make way for the tower. There are no doubt other toxins on site as well. In the 1940s, for example, there was a Gulf Dealer at that location, as Tax Photographs from the period show.

The Gulf garage was still in use decades later, long after the city had taken over the property. Today, the building sits directly across the street from a playground. Neighbors and future residents both need assurances that environmental review and environmental remediation at this site will be done responsibly.

There are also serious, unanswered questions about how Apex managed to win the contract to develop Bergen Green less than one year after the consent decree and well before Apex had finished paying off the penalty imposed by the federal court. How and why did the city give Apex a pass after this judgment? How did the 2023 SDNY complaint, injunction, and civil penalty against Apex factor into the decision-making on Bergen Green? Was Apex’s documented history of irresponsible and fraudulent business conduct at affordable housing sites taken into account when the Adams administration evaluated its Bergen Green bid? It should have been, as the city’s own Procurement Policy Board Rules require. 

To help answer these and other questions, I’ve filed three Freedom of Information requests: one with the Department of Housing and Preservation Development (FOIL-2026-806-01745); another with the Mayor’s Office of Contracts (FOIL-2026-002-01521); and a third with the Department of Investigation (FOIL-2026-032-00312). I will put these documents online as they arrive.

DOI has already responded, with two documents from the city’s PASSPort system. One, a vendor disclosure form, includes a section assessing “Vendor Integrity.” It makes no mention at all of the 2023 findings or consent decree. Question 3 on this form asks whether over the past five years the vendor has had “any sanction imposed as a result of judicial or administrative disciplinary proceedings with respect to any professional license held.” The answer given is “No.” The Contract History section asks whether Apex has ever received an unsatisfactory performance rating from any government agency (which surely includes the EPA and The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). Again, the one word answer is “No.” The section dealing with Vendor Financial History makes no mention of the $606,000 penalty or payments against it; and in response to the question whether there are any “judgments, injunctions, or liens” against Apex, the answer is “No.” This is blatantly false.

Hopefully, records from HPD and the Mayor’s Office of Contracting will show how seriously the Adams administration took Apex’s environmental record into account when making its selection for Bergen Green. The Mamdani administration should be able to answer this question without equivocation and reassure New Yorkers that this affordable housing project is not putting workers, neighbors, and future residents at risk.

After all, affordable housing, environmental concerns, and protections for New York City workers are all among Mayor Mamdani’s core commitments. Having already failed to push for unionized labor at Bergen Green, the city now appears to be disregarding the risks of doing business with a company that repeatedly cut corners, broke the law, and committed fraud to cover it up.

The Bergen Green project could qualify for Green Fast Track environmental review, and Mamdani has pledged to speed up the permitting process for building new housing. In this case, however, the prudent thing would be to slow down, take a second look at the award process, and decide whether the current course at Bergen Green is the right one.

The Mamdani Administration Needs to Take a Second Look at the Plan for Bergen Green

The builder chosen in 2024 by the Eric Adams administration to develop the Bergen Green affordable housing project has a well-documented history of unlawful conduct that puts both workers and residents at risk.

In September of 2023, the US Department of Justice in the Southern District of New York brought a complaint against Apex Building Company (also operating as Apex Building Group) for violations of Section 409 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The ensuing case – United States of America v. Apex Building Company Inc. – resulted in a massive penalty of $606,706 for unsafe practices at five New York City affordable housing sites.

From 2015 to 2021, in “at least five distinct renovation projects, involving 21 apartment buildings and approximately 823 apartments, in New York City,” the company failed to contain lead dust, in violation of EPA rules. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene first found Apex was out of compliance at 76 Grove Street in Brooklyn. Workers were untrained and inadequately protected, and the company “failed to inform the building owner and occupants of the risks of lead poisoning.” And this was not a single, unfortunate lapse. Over the next few years, investigators documented a pattern of willful negligence at Apex projects in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx – all affordable housing projects, “low-income residential properties, where tenants are already disproportionately burdened by other environmental hazards.”

Instead of owning up to its failures and taking steps to correct the problems, Apex made misrepresentations about its compliance with federal rules, according to the Justice Department complaint. The company submitted a certification that “purported to be issued [by EPA] in 2006, four years before EPA first issued RRP [or lead rule] certifications.” The certification was “not genuine.” Apex also “submitted a cover letter purportedly authored by EPA… .But this letter, too, was not genuine”; one sure sign was that “the cover letter included the name of an EPA employee whose employment with EPA did not commence until over six years after the date of the letter.” This was brazen fraud.

The facts are not in dispute. Apex itself admitted them and took responsibility for them in the 2023 consent decree that resolved the lawsuit. The adjudicated penalty was “the second largest civil penalty ever imposed under the RRP Rule,” and it might well have been the largest, had Apex been in a stronger financial position. Instead, the civil penalty was negotiated down because Apex’s books showed it was unable to pay the full penalty that the charges merited. According to the consent decree’s proposed payment schedule (page 43), Apex will not make its final payment against this judgment until 2027.

This is obviously a red flag for the Bergen Green project, a legitimate concern for those hired to work at the site, anyone who lives near the project (as I do), and for those who will eventually live in the 12-story affordable housing complex Apex builds.

Lead dust will be just one issue at the site. Developers have already acknowledged that the building at 516 Bergen Street will require asbestos removal and remediation before it can be knocked down to make way for the tower. There are no doubt other toxins on site as well. In the 1940s, for example, there was a Gulf Dealer at that location, as Tax Photographs from the period show.

The Gulf garage was still in use decades later, long after the city had taken over the property. Today, the building sits directly across the street from a playground. Neighbors and future residents both need assurances that environmental review and environmental remediation at this site will be done responsibly.

There are also serious, unanswered questions about how Apex managed to win the contract to develop Bergen Green less than one year after the consent decree and well before Apex had finished paying off the penalty imposed by the federal court. How and why did the city give Apex a pass after this judgment? How did the 2023 SDNY complaint, injunction, and civil penalty against Apex factor into the decision-making on Bergen Green? Was Apex’s documented history of irresponsible and fraudulent business conduct at affordable housing sites taken into account when the Adams administration evaluated its Bergen Green bid? It should have been, as the city’s own Procurement Policy Board Rules require. 

To help answer these and other questions, I’ve filed three Freedom of Information requests: one with the Department of Housing and Preservation Development (FOIL-2026-806-01745); another with the Mayor’s Office of Contracts (FOIL-2026-002-01521); and a third with the Department of Investigation (FOIL-2026-032-00312). I will put these documents online as they arrive.

DOI has already responded, with two documents from the city’s PASSPort system. One, a vendor disclosure form, includes a section assessing “Vendor Integrity.” It makes no mention at all of the 2023 findings or consent decree. Question 3 on this form asks whether over the past five years the vendor has had “any sanction imposed as a result of judicial or administrative disciplinary proceedings with respect to any professional license held.” The answer given is “No.” The Contract History section asks whether Apex has ever received an unsatisfactory performance rating from any government agency (which surely includes the EPA and The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene). Again, the one word answer is “No.” The section dealing with Vendor Financial History makes no mention of the $606,000 penalty or payments against it; and in response to the question whether there are any “judgments, injunctions, or liens” against Apex, the answer is “No.” This is blatantly false.

Hopefully, records from HPD and the Mayor’s Office of Contracting will show how seriously the Adams administration took Apex’s environmental record into account when making its selection for Bergen Green. The Mamdani administration should be able to answer this question without equivocation and reassure New Yorkers that this affordable housing project is not putting workers, neighbors, and future residents at risk.

After all, affordable housing, environmental concerns, and protections for New York City workers are all among Mayor Mamdani’s core commitments. Having already failed to push for unionized labor at Bergen Green, the city now appears to be disregarding the risks of doing business with a company that repeatedly cut corners, broke the law, and committed fraud to cover it up.

The Bergen Green project could qualify for Green Fast Track environmental review, and Mamdani has pledged to speed up the permitting process for building new housing. In this case, however, the prudent thing would be to slow down, take a second look at the award process, and decide whether the current course at Bergen Green is the right one.

Ethnic merchants association sues to stop Mamdani’s city-run grocery store plan https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/21719/ #501(c)(4) #BusinessGroups #CityRunGroceryStores #CommunityReview #CostOfLivingCrisis #DemocraticSocialistsOfAmerica #dsa #EnvironmentalReview #EthnicGroceryStoreOwners #FrankGarcia #GroceryStore #lawsuit #ManhattanSupremeCourt #MayorZohranMamdani #MulticulturalBusinessCoalition #NewYorkCity #NYC #NYCGroceryStore #PmNewsletter #PubliclySubsidizedPrices #RedTape #StateLaw

Ethnic merchants association sues to stop Mamdani’s city-run grocery store plan https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/21719/ #501(c)(4) #BusinessGroups #CityRunGroceryStores #CommunityReview #CostOfLivingCrisis #DemocraticSocialistsOfAmerica #dsa #EnvironmentalReview #EthnicGroceryStoreOwners #FrankGarcia #GroceryStore #lawsuit #ManhattanSupremeCourt #MayorZohranMamdani #MulticulturalBusinessCoalition #NewYorkCity #NYC #NYCGroceryStore #PmNewsletter #PubliclySubsidizedPrices #RedTape #StateLaw

Ethnic merchants association sues to stop Mamdani’s city-run grocery store plan https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/21719/ #501(c)(4) #BusinessGroups #CityRunGroceryStores #CommunityReview #CostOfLivingCrisis #DemocraticSocialistsOfAmerica #dsa #EnvironmentalReview #EthnicGroceryStoreOwners #FrankGarcia #GroceryStore #lawsuit #ManhattanSupremeCourt #MayorZohranMamdani #MulticulturalBusinessCoalition #NewYorkCity #NYC #NYCGroceryStore #PmNewsletter #PubliclySubsidizedPrices #RedTape #StateLaw

When process blocks opportunity: The WinCo case https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/11194/ #delay #EmployeeOwnedCompany #EnvironmentalReview #FoodDesert #GroceryDesert #GroceryStore #LakeWashingtonW #NonUnion #NorthSeattle #SEPA #union #Washington #WashingtonDining #WashingtonFood #WashingtonGroceryStores #WashingtonRestaurants #WashingtonState #WashingtonStateDining #WashingtonStateFood #WashingtonStateGroceryStores #WashingtonStateRestaurants #WinCo

When process blocks opportunity: The WinCo case https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/11194/ #delay #EmployeeOwnedCompany #EnvironmentalReview #FoodDesert #GroceryDesert #GroceryStore #LakeWashingtonW #NonUnion #NorthSeattle #SEPA #union #Washington #WashingtonDining #WashingtonFood #WashingtonGroceryStores #WashingtonRestaurants #WashingtonState #WashingtonStateDining #WashingtonStateFood #WashingtonStateGroceryStores #WashingtonStateRestaurants #WinCo

When process blocks opportunity: The WinCo case https://www.diningandcooking.com/us/11194/ #delay #EmployeeOwnedCompany #EnvironmentalReview #FoodDesert #GroceryDesert #GroceryStore #LakeWashingtonW #NonUnion #NorthSeattle #SEPA #union #Washington #WashingtonDining #WashingtonFood #WashingtonGroceryStores #WashingtonRestaurants #WashingtonState #WashingtonStateDining #WashingtonStateFood #WashingtonStateGroceryStores #WashingtonStateRestaurants #WinCo

https://www.europesays.com/people/200437/ Ethnic merchants association sues to stop Mamdani’s city-run grocery store plan #501(c)(4) #BusinessGroups #CityRunGroceryStores #CommunityReview #CostOfLivingCrisis #DemocraticSocialistsOfAmerica #DSA #EnvironmentalReview #EthnicGroceryStoreOwners #FrankGarcia #lawsuit #ManhattanSupremeCourt #MayorZohranMamdani #MulticulturalBusinessCoalition #PubliclySubsidizedPrices #RedTape #StateLaw #ZohranMamdani

Garden Grove crisis exposes Southern California’s hidden industrial risks https://www.allforgardening.com/1925766/garden-grove-crisis-exposes-southern-californias-hidden-industrial-risks/ #community #DefenseManufacturing #EnvironmentalReview #facility #GardenGroveCrisis #GardeningCalifornia #IndustrialRisk #Industry #Infrastructure #LABasin #LastYear #LosAngelesTimes #PeterWestwick #region #SethShonkoff #SouthernCalifornia

Garden Grove crisis exposes Southern California’s hidden industrial risks https://www.allforgardening.com/1925766/garden-grove-crisis-exposes-southern-californias-hidden-industrial-risks/ #community #DefenseManufacturing #EnvironmentalReview #facility #GardenGroveCrisis #GardeningCalifornia #IndustrialRisk #Industry #Infrastructure #LABasin #LastYear #LosAngelesTimes #PeterWestwick #region #SethShonkoff #SouthernCalifornia

Trump administration moves to convert East Potomac Park into championship golf course | Ukraine news

A sudden campaign to remake East Potomac Park has alarmed regulators and locals. The next weeks could decide…
#Golf #News #EastPotomacPark #eastpotomacparktrumpgolfprojectregulatoryapprovalspublicparkprotestenvironmentalreview #environmentalreview #news #publicparkprotest #regulatoryapprovals #trumpgolfproject
https://www.europesays.com/golf/38795/

https://www.fogolf.com/1326033/trump-administration-moves-to-convert-east-potomac-park-into-championship-golf-course-ukraine-news/ Trump administration moves to convert East Potomac Park into championship golf course | Ukraine news #EastPotomacPark #EastPotomacParkTrumpGolfProjectRegulatoryApprovalsPublicParkProtestEnvironmentalReview #EnvironmentalReview #GolfCourses #news #PublicParkProtest #RegulatoryApprovals #TrumpGolfProject

NRC Targets Faster Nuclear Licensing With NEPA Streamlining Proposal https://www.byteseu.com/2180229/ #AdvancedReactors #EnvironmentalReview #EO14300 #NEPA #NRC #Nuclear #NuclearLicensing #ReactorLicensing #RegulatoryReform

#Uranium company’s finalized #NewMexico plan includes treating, dumping water into nearby river

#DinéActivist says #EnergyFuels doesn’t understand #MountTaylor’s sacredness

Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Patrick Lohmann,

"A #Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it — along with multiple other out-of-state companies — is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state.

"Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations and '#reclamation' plan earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the #CibolaNationalForest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in #BlandingUT.

"New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company’s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.

" 'We’re taking it seriously,' he said of the plan. 'And we’re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this #EnvironmentalReview is done properly, and that community interests are protected.'

"The company’s plan describes how it would pump #groundwater from the mineshaft to access the #UraniumOre, then treat the water and release it into the nearby #RioSanJose. Jantz told Source NM that the 'dewatering”'of the mine is an immense technical undertaking and one that threatens to deplete the #groundwater supply during a period of prolonged #drought.

" 'It’s gonna deplete the water table in a significant radius around the proposed mine, and that water table won’t recover for decades, if ever,' he said.

"Energy Fuels officials did not respond to Source NM’s emailed request for comment Tuesday.

"In addition to the 'dewatering,' the proposed mine site lies within the boundaries of the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property. Mount Taylor is sacred to several #Indigenous tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, including the #Navajo and #Laguna peoples.

"Energy Fuels’ operations plan notes that if its permit is approved, the company will take steps to preserve the 'viewshed' of Mount Taylor in recognition of the #SacredMountain and will, to the extent possible, 'protect scenic values' at the site.

"After reading that section of the plan, Diné anti-nuclear advocate #LeonaMorgan told Source NM that Energy Fuels officials clearly do not understand the value of Mount Taylor to the Navajo people.

" 'It’s not just a visual aspect. It’s not just to look at the mountain. It’s for the integrity of the mountain itself,' she said. 'When we’re talking about #SacredPlaces and #MotherEarth, these are our relatives. That’s how we consider them. They themselves have rights and definitely should not be basically raped and pillaged, which is what mining is.' "

Read more:
https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/28/source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor/

#NoUraniumMining #IndigenousResistance #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

#Uranium company’s finalized #NewMexico plan includes treating, dumping water into nearby river

#DinéActivist says #EnergyFuels doesn’t understand #MountTaylor’s sacredness

Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Patrick Lohmann,

"A #Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it — along with multiple other out-of-state companies — is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state.

"Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations and '#reclamation' plan earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the #CibolaNationalForest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in #BlandingUT.

"New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company’s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.

" 'We’re taking it seriously,' he said of the plan. 'And we’re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this #EnvironmentalReview is done properly, and that community interests are protected.'

"The company’s plan describes how it would pump #groundwater from the mineshaft to access the #UraniumOre, then treat the water and release it into the nearby #RioSanJose. Jantz told Source NM that the 'dewatering”'of the mine is an immense technical undertaking and one that threatens to deplete the #groundwater supply during a period of prolonged #drought.

" 'It’s gonna deplete the water table in a significant radius around the proposed mine, and that water table won’t recover for decades, if ever,' he said.

"Energy Fuels officials did not respond to Source NM’s emailed request for comment Tuesday.

"In addition to the 'dewatering,' the proposed mine site lies within the boundaries of the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property. Mount Taylor is sacred to several #Indigenous tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, including the #Navajo and #Laguna peoples.

"Energy Fuels’ operations plan notes that if its permit is approved, the company will take steps to preserve the 'viewshed' of Mount Taylor in recognition of the #SacredMountain and will, to the extent possible, 'protect scenic values' at the site.

"After reading that section of the plan, Diné anti-nuclear advocate #LeonaMorgan told Source NM that Energy Fuels officials clearly do not understand the value of Mount Taylor to the Navajo people.

" 'It’s not just a visual aspect. It’s not just to look at the mountain. It’s for the integrity of the mountain itself,' she said. 'When we’re talking about #SacredPlaces and #MotherEarth, these are our relatives. That’s how we consider them. They themselves have rights and definitely should not be basically raped and pillaged, which is what mining is.' "

Read more:
https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/28/source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor/

#NoUraniumMining #IndigenousResistance #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

#Uranium company’s finalized #NewMexico plan includes treating, dumping water into nearby river

#DinéActivist says #EnergyFuels doesn’t understand #MountTaylor’s sacredness

Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Patrick Lohmann,

"A #Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it — along with multiple other out-of-state companies — is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state.

"Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations and '#reclamation' plan earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the #CibolaNationalForest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in #BlandingUT.

"New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company’s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.

" 'We’re taking it seriously,' he said of the plan. 'And we’re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this #EnvironmentalReview is done properly, and that community interests are protected.'

"The company’s plan describes how it would pump #groundwater from the mineshaft to access the #UraniumOre, then treat the water and release it into the nearby #RioSanJose. Jantz told Source NM that the 'dewatering”'of the mine is an immense technical undertaking and one that threatens to deplete the #groundwater supply during a period of prolonged #drought.

" 'It’s gonna deplete the water table in a significant radius around the proposed mine, and that water table won’t recover for decades, if ever,' he said.

"Energy Fuels officials did not respond to Source NM’s emailed request for comment Tuesday.

"In addition to the 'dewatering,' the proposed mine site lies within the boundaries of the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property. Mount Taylor is sacred to several #Indigenous tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, including the #Navajo and #Laguna peoples.

"Energy Fuels’ operations plan notes that if its permit is approved, the company will take steps to preserve the 'viewshed' of Mount Taylor in recognition of the #SacredMountain and will, to the extent possible, 'protect scenic values' at the site.

"After reading that section of the plan, Diné anti-nuclear advocate #LeonaMorgan told Source NM that Energy Fuels officials clearly do not understand the value of Mount Taylor to the Navajo people.

" 'It’s not just a visual aspect. It’s not just to look at the mountain. It’s for the integrity of the mountain itself,' she said. 'When we’re talking about #SacredPlaces and #MotherEarth, these are our relatives. That’s how we consider them. They themselves have rights and definitely should not be basically raped and pillaged, which is what mining is.' "

Read more:
https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/28/source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor/

#NoUraniumMining #IndigenousResistance #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

#Uranium company’s finalized #NewMexico plan includes treating, dumping water into nearby river

#DinéActivist says #EnergyFuels doesn’t understand #MountTaylor’s sacredness

Thursday, May 28, 2026
By Patrick Lohmann,

"A #Colorado uranium company recently submitted a finalized operation plan to New Mexico officials, signaling that it — along with multiple other out-of-state companies — is increasingly serious about mining uranium in the state.

"Energy Fuels, Inc. submitted a 273-page operations and '#reclamation' plan earlier this month that details how it plans to extract uranium from more than 1,600 feet below the surface within the #CibolaNationalForest boundaries in McKinley County, then transport it to its mill in #BlandingUT.

"New Mexico Environmental Law Center Legal Director Eric Jantz told Source NM on Tuesday that the plan represents the company’s renewed intent to receive a permit following more than a decade on hiatus.

" 'We’re taking it seriously,' he said of the plan. 'And we’re going to be doing what we can to make sure that this #EnvironmentalReview is done properly, and that community interests are protected.'

"The company’s plan describes how it would pump #groundwater from the mineshaft to access the #UraniumOre, then treat the water and release it into the nearby #RioSanJose. Jantz told Source NM that the 'dewatering”'of the mine is an immense technical undertaking and one that threatens to deplete the #groundwater supply during a period of prolonged #drought.

" 'It’s gonna deplete the water table in a significant radius around the proposed mine, and that water table won’t recover for decades, if ever,' he said.

"Energy Fuels officials did not respond to Source NM’s emailed request for comment Tuesday.

"In addition to the 'dewatering,' the proposed mine site lies within the boundaries of the Mount Taylor Traditional Cultural Property. Mount Taylor is sacred to several #Indigenous tribes and pueblos in New Mexico, including the #Navajo and #Laguna peoples.

"Energy Fuels’ operations plan notes that if its permit is approved, the company will take steps to preserve the 'viewshed' of Mount Taylor in recognition of the #SacredMountain and will, to the extent possible, 'protect scenic values' at the site.

"After reading that section of the plan, Diné anti-nuclear advocate #LeonaMorgan told Source NM that Energy Fuels officials clearly do not understand the value of Mount Taylor to the Navajo people.

" 'It’s not just a visual aspect. It’s not just to look at the mountain. It’s for the integrity of the mountain itself,' she said. 'When we’re talking about #SacredPlaces and #MotherEarth, these are our relatives. That’s how we consider them. They themselves have rights and definitely should not be basically raped and pillaged, which is what mining is.' "

Read more:
https://indianz.com/News/2026/05/28/source-new-mexico-uranium-mine-under-consideration-near-sacred-mount-taylor/

#NoUraniumMining #IndigenousResistance #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #NativeAmericanNews

NOAA Milestone And US Japan Pact Reframe TMC Deep Sea Metal Story

Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. NOAA confirmed that TMC the metals’ consolidated application for a deep sea exploration lice…
#Japan #JP #JapanNews #criticalminerals #environmentalreview #news #NOAA #polymetallicnodules #supplychainsecurity #TMC
https://www.alojapan.com/1481698/noaa-milestone-and-us-japan-pact-reframe-tmc-deep-sea-metal-story/

NOAA Milestone And US Japan Pact Reframe TMC Deep Sea Metal Story

Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. NOAA confirmed that TMC the metals’ consolidated application for a deep sea exploration lice…
#Japan #JP #JapanNews #criticalminerals #environmentalreview #news #NOAA #polymetallicnodules #supplychainsecurity #TMC
https://www.alojapan.com/1481698/noaa-milestone-and-us-japan-pact-reframe-tmc-deep-sea-metal-story/

https://www.alojapan.com/1481698/noaa-milestone-and-us-japan-pact-reframe-tmc-deep-sea-metal-story/ NOAA Milestone And US Japan Pact Reframe TMC Deep Sea Metal Story #CriticalMinerals #EnvironmentalReview #Japan #JapanNews #news #NOAA #PolymetallicNodules #SupplyChainSecurity #TMC Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. NOAA confirmed that TMC the metals’ consolidated application for a deep sea exploration license and commercial recovery permit is in full compli

https://www.alojapan.com/1481698/noaa-milestone-and-us-japan-pact-reframe-tmc-deep-sea-metal-story/ NOAA Milestone And US Japan Pact Reframe TMC Deep Sea Metal Story #CriticalMinerals #EnvironmentalReview #Japan #JapanNews #news #NOAA #PolymetallicNodules #SupplyChainSecurity #TMC Get insights on thousands of stocks from the global community of over 7 million individual investors at Simply Wall St. NOAA confirmed that TMC the metals’ consolidated application for a deep sea exploration license and commercial recovery permit is in full compli

#ApacheStronghold 'We Are Still Fighting'

Statement from Dr. #WendslerNosie Sr.
March 20, 2026

"Many of you have heard that on Friday, the Ninth Circuit again refused to stop the Government from giving #OakFlat to #ResolutionCopper for destruction. This is sad news. But we will never stop fighting to protect Oak Flat and each place that is sacred to our people. And we are still fighting—in the courts, in Congress, and, most importantly, spiritually.

In the courts, there are still four lawsuits seeking to protect Oak Flat. All four cases are still going. And any one of these cases could still put a stop to the Government’s and Resolution’s plans to destroy Oak Flat:

- In Lopez v. United States, on the day after Friday’s ruling, seven brave Apache women filed an emergency appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to stop the mine and protect Oak Flat. The Supreme Court could rule on that appeal any day. The women in that case can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling in their case. The deadline to ask for reconsideration is April 27, 2026. That case focuses on religious freedom.
- In #SanCarlosApache Tribe v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, the Tribe can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the Tribe’s rights, tribal consultation, and the inadequacy of the government’s decision-making process.
- In Arizona #Mining Reform Coalition v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, several environmental groups and the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the government’s unfair appraisal of Oak Flat and inadequate #EnvironmentalReview.
- Apache Stronghold v. United States, which is our case, has been 'stayed' (or temporarily put on hold) waiting for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, which came on Friday. Now that the Ninth Circuit has ruled, our case will start again in the district court. We will continue making every possible legal claim to protect Oak Flat.

In Congress, on Tuesday, Representative #AdelitaGrijalva introduced legislation to preserve public lands in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District and fight back against the proposed mine. This bill is an important part of the fight to protect Oak Flat.

But even more than legally and politically, we are continuing to fight spiritually. This fight has never been primarily about law or politics. It is about who we are as human beings, religiously and spiritually. If we allow sacred places to be destroyed for profit, we are saying that nothing is truly sacred. We are losing something essential about our humanity—our ability to respect #MotherEarth, to honor what is holy, and to live in balance with the world around us.

That is why we are calling on all people to continue raising their voices, in prayer and protest, to protect Oak Flat—to protect the sacred. We, the Apache Stronghold, invite you to an upcoming spiritual gathering on March 28-29, 2026 at Oak Flat.

The legal system may try to reduce our struggle to questions of ownership and profit. But our connection to Mother Earth predates those systems. It is something each one of us is born into, something we carry in our prayers, our songs, and our way of life. No matter what the courts rule, no matter what the government tries to do, we will never stop fighting to preserve our sacred places. We will not lose our connection to the Creator."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/03/apache-stronghold-we-are-still-fighting.html

#ChíchilBiłdagoteel #ProtectOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #ResolutionCopper #Arizona #RioTinto #SaveOakFlat #CopperMining #Fight4OurExistance #SacredLand #TontoNationalForest #WesternApaches #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #IndigenousActivism #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews

#ApacheStronghold 'We Are Still Fighting'

Statement from Dr. #WendslerNosie Sr.
March 20, 2026

"Many of you have heard that on Friday, the Ninth Circuit again refused to stop the Government from giving #OakFlat to #ResolutionCopper for destruction. This is sad news. But we will never stop fighting to protect Oak Flat and each place that is sacred to our people. And we are still fighting—in the courts, in Congress, and, most importantly, spiritually.

In the courts, there are still four lawsuits seeking to protect Oak Flat. All four cases are still going. And any one of these cases could still put a stop to the Government’s and Resolution’s plans to destroy Oak Flat:

- In Lopez v. United States, on the day after Friday’s ruling, seven brave Apache women filed an emergency appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to stop the mine and protect Oak Flat. The Supreme Court could rule on that appeal any day. The women in that case can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling in their case. The deadline to ask for reconsideration is April 27, 2026. That case focuses on religious freedom.
- In #SanCarlosApache Tribe v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, the Tribe can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the Tribe’s rights, tribal consultation, and the inadequacy of the government’s decision-making process.
- In Arizona #Mining Reform Coalition v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, several environmental groups and the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the government’s unfair appraisal of Oak Flat and inadequate #EnvironmentalReview.
- Apache Stronghold v. United States, which is our case, has been 'stayed' (or temporarily put on hold) waiting for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, which came on Friday. Now that the Ninth Circuit has ruled, our case will start again in the district court. We will continue making every possible legal claim to protect Oak Flat.

In Congress, on Tuesday, Representative #AdelitaGrijalva introduced legislation to preserve public lands in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District and fight back against the proposed mine. This bill is an important part of the fight to protect Oak Flat.

But even more than legally and politically, we are continuing to fight spiritually. This fight has never been primarily about law or politics. It is about who we are as human beings, religiously and spiritually. If we allow sacred places to be destroyed for profit, we are saying that nothing is truly sacred. We are losing something essential about our humanity—our ability to respect #MotherEarth, to honor what is holy, and to live in balance with the world around us.

That is why we are calling on all people to continue raising their voices, in prayer and protest, to protect Oak Flat—to protect the sacred. We, the Apache Stronghold, invite you to an upcoming spiritual gathering on March 28-29, 2026 at Oak Flat.

The legal system may try to reduce our struggle to questions of ownership and profit. But our connection to Mother Earth predates those systems. It is something each one of us is born into, something we carry in our prayers, our songs, and our way of life. No matter what the courts rule, no matter what the government tries to do, we will never stop fighting to preserve our sacred places. We will not lose our connection to the Creator."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/03/apache-stronghold-we-are-still-fighting.html

#ChíchilBiłdagoteel #ProtectOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #ResolutionCopper #Arizona #RioTinto #SaveOakFlat #CopperMining #Fight4OurExistance #SacredLand #TontoNationalForest #WesternApaches #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #IndigenousActivism #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews

#ApacheStronghold 'We Are Still Fighting'

Statement from Dr. #WendslerNosie Sr.
March 20, 2026

"Many of you have heard that on Friday, the Ninth Circuit again refused to stop the Government from giving #OakFlat to #ResolutionCopper for destruction. This is sad news. But we will never stop fighting to protect Oak Flat and each place that is sacred to our people. And we are still fighting—in the courts, in Congress, and, most importantly, spiritually.

In the courts, there are still four lawsuits seeking to protect Oak Flat. All four cases are still going. And any one of these cases could still put a stop to the Government’s and Resolution’s plans to destroy Oak Flat:

- In Lopez v. United States, on the day after Friday’s ruling, seven brave Apache women filed an emergency appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to stop the mine and protect Oak Flat. The Supreme Court could rule on that appeal any day. The women in that case can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling in their case. The deadline to ask for reconsideration is April 27, 2026. That case focuses on religious freedom.
- In #SanCarlosApache Tribe v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, the Tribe can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the Tribe’s rights, tribal consultation, and the inadequacy of the government’s decision-making process.
- In Arizona #Mining Reform Coalition v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, several environmental groups and the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the government’s unfair appraisal of Oak Flat and inadequate #EnvironmentalReview.
- Apache Stronghold v. United States, which is our case, has been 'stayed' (or temporarily put on hold) waiting for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, which came on Friday. Now that the Ninth Circuit has ruled, our case will start again in the district court. We will continue making every possible legal claim to protect Oak Flat.

In Congress, on Tuesday, Representative #AdelitaGrijalva introduced legislation to preserve public lands in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District and fight back against the proposed mine. This bill is an important part of the fight to protect Oak Flat.

But even more than legally and politically, we are continuing to fight spiritually. This fight has never been primarily about law or politics. It is about who we are as human beings, religiously and spiritually. If we allow sacred places to be destroyed for profit, we are saying that nothing is truly sacred. We are losing something essential about our humanity—our ability to respect #MotherEarth, to honor what is holy, and to live in balance with the world around us.

That is why we are calling on all people to continue raising their voices, in prayer and protest, to protect Oak Flat—to protect the sacred. We, the Apache Stronghold, invite you to an upcoming spiritual gathering on March 28-29, 2026 at Oak Flat.

The legal system may try to reduce our struggle to questions of ownership and profit. But our connection to Mother Earth predates those systems. It is something each one of us is born into, something we carry in our prayers, our songs, and our way of life. No matter what the courts rule, no matter what the government tries to do, we will never stop fighting to preserve our sacred places. We will not lose our connection to the Creator."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/03/apache-stronghold-we-are-still-fighting.html

#ChíchilBiłdagoteel #ProtectOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #ResolutionCopper #Arizona #RioTinto #SaveOakFlat #CopperMining #Fight4OurExistance #SacredLand #TontoNationalForest #WesternApaches #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #IndigenousActivism #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews

#ApacheStronghold 'We Are Still Fighting'

Statement from Dr. #WendslerNosie Sr.
March 20, 2026

"Many of you have heard that on Friday, the Ninth Circuit again refused to stop the Government from giving #OakFlat to #ResolutionCopper for destruction. This is sad news. But we will never stop fighting to protect Oak Flat and each place that is sacred to our people. And we are still fighting—in the courts, in Congress, and, most importantly, spiritually.

In the courts, there are still four lawsuits seeking to protect Oak Flat. All four cases are still going. And any one of these cases could still put a stop to the Government’s and Resolution’s plans to destroy Oak Flat:

- In Lopez v. United States, on the day after Friday’s ruling, seven brave Apache women filed an emergency appeal in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the Court to stop the mine and protect Oak Flat. The Supreme Court could rule on that appeal any day. The women in that case can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling in their case. The deadline to ask for reconsideration is April 27, 2026. That case focuses on religious freedom.
- In #SanCarlosApache Tribe v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, the Tribe can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the Tribe’s rights, tribal consultation, and the inadequacy of the government’s decision-making process.
- In Arizona #Mining Reform Coalition v. United States, also part of Friday’s ruling, several environmental groups and the Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona can also ask the Ninth Circuit to reconsider its ruling and/or appeal to the Supreme Court. That case focuses on the government’s unfair appraisal of Oak Flat and inadequate #EnvironmentalReview.
- Apache Stronghold v. United States, which is our case, has been 'stayed' (or temporarily put on hold) waiting for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling, which came on Friday. Now that the Ninth Circuit has ruled, our case will start again in the district court. We will continue making every possible legal claim to protect Oak Flat.

In Congress, on Tuesday, Representative #AdelitaGrijalva introduced legislation to preserve public lands in the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District and fight back against the proposed mine. This bill is an important part of the fight to protect Oak Flat.

But even more than legally and politically, we are continuing to fight spiritually. This fight has never been primarily about law or politics. It is about who we are as human beings, religiously and spiritually. If we allow sacred places to be destroyed for profit, we are saying that nothing is truly sacred. We are losing something essential about our humanity—our ability to respect #MotherEarth, to honor what is holy, and to live in balance with the world around us.

That is why we are calling on all people to continue raising their voices, in prayer and protest, to protect Oak Flat—to protect the sacred. We, the Apache Stronghold, invite you to an upcoming spiritual gathering on March 28-29, 2026 at Oak Flat.

The legal system may try to reduce our struggle to questions of ownership and profit. But our connection to Mother Earth predates those systems. It is something each one of us is born into, something we carry in our prayers, our songs, and our way of life. No matter what the courts rule, no matter what the government tries to do, we will never stop fighting to preserve our sacred places. We will not lose our connection to the Creator."

Source:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2026/03/apache-stronghold-we-are-still-fighting.html

#ChíchilBiłdagoteel #ProtectOakFlat #SanCarlosApache #ResolutionCopper #Arizona #RioTinto #SaveOakFlat #CopperMining #Fight4OurExistance #SacredLand #TontoNationalForest #WesternApaches #ProtectTheSacred #IndigenousNews #IndigenousActivism #CorporateColonialism #DefendTheSacred #CensoredNews #ReaderSupportedNews

Golly, whatever could go wrong? 😖

New report from Dalhousie University shows flaws in the environmental review process for mining operations (projects since 1974) in Canada:

⚠️ data for 20% of projects reviewed was incomplete or missing entirely from public records

⚠️ incomplete environmental assessment data means 1️⃣ it's not possible to properly judge how a mine is impacting the surrounding community -- cumulative effects -- and 2️⃣regulators can't establish a baseline for measuring environmental damage

⚠️ more than 10,000 abandoned mines across Canada, continuing to pollute the environment with no oversight

Co-author of report:

"Governments should ensure they aren't watering down regulations when provincial and federal analyses are fast-tracked or streamlined"

#EnvironmentalReview #ToxicPollution

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/science/researchers-find-gaps-in-environmental-impact-assessments-of-mining-projects/article_e6a32014-6b2d-5db7-8ae4-c5fe4804ae14.html

Golly, whatever could go wrong? 😖

New report from Dalhousie University shows flaws in the environmental review process for mining operations (projects since 1974) in Canada:

⚠️ data for 20% of projects reviewed was incomplete or missing entirely from public records

⚠️ incomplete environmental assessment data means 1️⃣ it's not possible to properly judge how a mine is impacting the surrounding community -- cumulative effects -- and 2️⃣regulators can't establish a baseline for measuring environmental damage

⚠️ more than 10,000 abandoned mines across Canada, continuing to pollute the environment with no oversight

Co-author of report:

"Governments should ensure they aren't watering down regulations when provincial and federal analyses are fast-tracked or streamlined"

#EnvironmentalReview #ToxicPollution

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/science/researchers-find-gaps-in-environmental-impact-assessments-of-mining-projects/article_e6a32014-6b2d-5db7-8ae4-c5fe4804ae14.html

Golly, whatever could go wrong? 😖

New report from Dalhousie University shows flaws in the environmental review process for mining operations (projects since 1974) in Canada:

⚠️ data for 20% of projects reviewed was incomplete or missing entirely from public records

⚠️ incomplete environmental assessment data means 1️⃣ it's not possible to properly judge how a mine is impacting the surrounding community -- cumulative effects -- and 2️⃣regulators can't establish a baseline for measuring environmental damage

⚠️ more than 10,000 abandoned mines across Canada, continuing to pollute the environment with no oversight

Co-author of report:

"Governments should ensure they aren't watering down regulations when provincial and federal analyses are fast-tracked or streamlined"

#EnvironmentalReview #ToxicPollution

https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/science/researchers-find-gaps-in-environmental-impact-assessments-of-mining-projects/article_e6a32014-6b2d-5db7-8ae4-c5fe4804ae14.html

Environmental group files appeal against Pine Island technology park

Oct. 17—PINE ISLAND, Minn. — The Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy has filed a suit against the city…
#UnitedStates #US #USA #america #AUAR #Development #environmentalassessment #EnvironmentalImpactStatement #Environmentalreview #MCEA #Minn #PeterFitzgerald #PINEISLAND #ProjectSkyway #RyanCompanies #science #technology #unitedstatesofamerica
https://www.europesays.com/2501942/

Environmental Review of Sea Breeze Uzbekistan Resort at Charvak Still in Progress

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://timesca.com/environmental-review-of-sea-breeze-uzbekistan-resort-at-charvak-still-in-progress/

Environmental Review of Sea Breeze Uzbekistan Resort at Charvak Still in Progress

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://timesca.com/environmental-review-of-sea-breeze-uzbekistan-resort-at-charvak-still-in-progress/

Environmental Review of Sea Breeze Uzbekistan Resort at Charvak Still in Progress

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://timesca.com/environmental-review-of-sea-breeze-uzbekistan-resort-at-charvak-still-in-progress/

Environmental Review of Sea Breeze Uzbekistan Resort at Charvak Still in Progress

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://timesca.com/environmental-review-of-sea-breeze-uzbekistan-resort-at-charvak-still-in-progress/

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

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

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

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

Dakota-Access-Pipeline in den USA: Der Kampf indigener Aktivisten und ihrer Unterstützer geht in die entscheidende Phase. Einwände zum nun vorgelegten Umweltgutachten können eingereicht werden. #DAPL #EnvironmentalReview #StandingRock

http://jungewelt.de/artikel/459052.html

Hey all you #Permitting and #EnvironmentalReview watchers: the Council on Environmental Quality's Guidance on considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate in National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA review is out. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2023/01/06/biden-harris-administration-releases-new-guidance-to-disclose-climate-impacts-in-environmental-reviews/

Hey all you #Permitting and #EnvironmentalReview watchers: the Council on Environmental Quality's Guidance on considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate in National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA review is out. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2023/01/06/biden-harris-administration-releases-new-guidance-to-disclose-climate-impacts-in-environmental-reviews/

Hey all you #Permitting and #EnvironmentalReview watchers: the Council on Environmental Quality's Guidance on considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate in National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA review is out. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2023/01/06/biden-harris-administration-releases-new-guidance-to-disclose-climate-impacts-in-environmental-reviews/

Hey all you #Permitting and #EnvironmentalReview watchers: the Council on Environmental Quality's Guidance on considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate in National Environmental Policy Act #NEPA review is out. https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/news-updates/2023/01/06/biden-harris-administration-releases-new-guidance-to-disclose-climate-impacts-in-environmental-reviews/

SpaceX’s Starship launch plan gets an environmental OK from the feds - Enlarge / SpaceX's next rocket on site at Boca Chica. (credit: Getty Im... - https://arstechnica.com/?p=1860589 #environmentalreview #bocachica #science #spacex #space #nepa #faa