Wyoming News

 Sweetwater creates hospital foundation ROCK SPRINGS -- Philanthropists, get your checkbooks out.

 Superintendent list grows CHEYENNE (AP) -- Two former educators have joined the growing ranks seeking the job of state superintendent of public instruction.

 Already gone: Blankenship misses meetings CHEYENNE -- Where is State Superintendent Trent Blankenship?

 Lander hears tax petition LANDER -- State Rep. Ann Robinson, D-Casper, brought her "Axe the Tax" campaign to repeal a state sales tax on groceries to Lander on Tuesday evening.

 Abandoned mine legislation stalls WASHINGTON -- Rep. Barbara Cubin decided not to offer an amendment to comprehensive energy legislation Tuesday that would reauthorize funding for the cleanup of abandoned mines.

 Wyoming college helps operators with recovering more oil BAIROIL, Wyo. (AP) -- Every day, about 160 million cubic feet of carbon dioxide and about 170 thousand barrels of water are forced underground to coax some 7,300 barrels of oil out of the ground at Merit Energy Co.'s two oil fields here.  Despite the water and CO2 flooding, oil production from the oil fields first tapped some 90 years ago continues to fall bit by bit.

 Gold project worries conservationists Conservation groups have raised a red flag on a proposal to explore for gold on South Pass near Lander, saying in part the area could be overrun if marketable gold is discovered.  Barbara Dobos with the Alliance for Historic Wyoming said some concern about the exploration project stems from the historic nature of the Bureau of Land Management trails in the area, dubbed "areas of critical concern" by the agency.

 Power co-op courts Torrington TORRINGTON -- With its power supply contract ending Dec. 31, 2007, the City Council is weighing its options as to who will provide the city with electricity.  Kevin Gaden, manager of an electrical cooperative called Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, spoke to the council this week, suggesting Torrington should choose it over the current supplier, Wyrulec-Tri-State Generation.

 Coal flow stays slow GILLETTE -- Coal traffic on Wyoming's main rail line out of the Powder River Basin is still 10 percent to 20 percent lower than normal due to ongoing repairs after a series of two derailments in mid-May. And the congestion may continue for months

 BLM: Drilling doesn't go unchecked GILLETTE -- Federal land managers have more than doubled the output of oil and gas drilling permits on public lands in the West in recent years, yet resources dedicated to inspection and enforcement of those activities haven't kept pace.

 Ideas gel for Teton business school JACKSON -- Teton County elected officials expressed gratitude Monday for an update on concepts for a proposed school of business here, but they raised questions of how that school would affect infrastructure in the fast-growing county.

 Panel looks at fuel tax hike CHEYENNE -- The Joint Revenue Committee of the Wyoming Legislature will work on draft legislation to impose a nickel-per-gallon increase in fuels taxes to help pay for a multilane highway system.

 Economy adds jobs Wyoming job growth continued at a healthy clip in June, propelled by a natural resources and mining sector that shows no signs of slackening. The state gained 6,200 jobs when June 2005 is compared to June 2004,

 Officials fly over drilling sites Conversation is good up in a plane, and there the land has a voice, too, he says. This voice should weigh in on gas development along the Beartooth Front near Clark, Wyo., he says. So the Aspen, Colo., resident took local decision makers for an EcoFlight ride Thursday to give them a big-picture view of the development.   "Green River, Pinedale, now the Red Desert ... these places are going to be trashed," Thomas said. "We need to slow this down."

 Wyoming, western Canada seek closer ties CHEYENNE -- Wyoming and western Canada share a number of similarities, including minerals, ranching and scenic beauty that attracts tourists from across the world.  Those shared characteristics were highlighted during a reception co-hosted by Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Canadian Consul General Michael Fine at Cheyenne Frontier Days on Thursday.

 Gas pushes oil out of untapped fields   MIDWEST, Wyo. - By all accounts, the Salt Creek oil field was dying. Production had dropped from 6.3 million barrels in 1978 to 1.7 million in 2004, dragging Wyoming's statewide oil production down with it. By 2020, the field was expected to be dry.

WMA Member News

 Dave Johnston Mine reclamation nearing completion GLENROCK, Wyo. — PacifiCorp affiliate Glenrock Coal Company is in the final stages of completing its historic reclamation of the Dave Johnston Mine. Before the year’s end, the land where mining facilities and equipment have existed for more than 40 years will be restored to its original state. Any remaining traces of the 104 million tons of coal extracted from beneath these reclaimed lands will disappear forever – thanks to the committed crew at Glenrock Coal Company.

 Peabody Energy Elects John F. Turner to Board of Directors A native of Moose, Wyo., Turner earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Notre Dame, and a master's degree in wildlife ecology from the University of Michigan. He also serves on the board of International Paper Company. 

Agency News

 DOE Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Moab, Utah Site WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued its final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Project Site, located on the bank of the Colorado River.  Radioactive waste will be moved away from river

SALT LAKE CITY -- More than 12 million tons of radioactive waste will be moved away from the Colorado River, which provides drinking water for more than 25 million people across the West.

 Wyoming Non-coal rule package This rule package was passed in Lander, WY by the LQD Advisory Board.  This package will now be sent to the EQC for consideration.

Rule Package 1-V: The rule package is designated as Noncoal Rule Package 1-V and includes: An Introduction discussing the proposed rule package [View here]; the Draft Proposed Rule with Statement of Reasons [View here];  Attachment 1 which is the complete Chapter 3 of the LQD noncoal rules with the proposed changes shown in strike and underline [View here]; and Attachment 2 which is the complete Chapter 3 as it would appear if the proposed rule change is adopted .[View here]

 Editoral

 Move on Beyond Kyoto  By Roy Spencer

A new agreement between the U.S., Australia, China, India, and South Korea seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, believed to fuel global warming, through technological approaches to the problem. This includes the development and transfer of energy efficiency and pollution reducing technologies to the developing countries of the world.

 Railroad is only one road Casper Star-Tribune
Our view Wyoming's coal business needs more than one way to get its energy to consumers. What do you think? We welcome viewpoints from our readers on this and other issues.  America needs Wyoming's coal. Whether it moves by rail or by wire, Wyoming must be ready to provide it in a reliable manner.

 Why NEPA is in need of a makeover  by Debra Struhsacker,  co-founder of the Women’s Mining Coalition.

Anyone old enough to remember the Beatles knows how much things can change in only a few decades.

Delays due to NEPA threaten the well-being of those rural Nevada communities where mining is a critical component of the economy. Nationally, the U.S. is becoming increasingly dependent on imports for metals crucial to our national defense in part because of the time required to evaluate and approve new domestic mining projects. 

Need for Coal Gasification

National News

 Jobs Group Warns: Bingaman Proposal Discourages Domestic Energy Production

WASHINGTON, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Today United for Jobs warned workers and small business owners that a proposal by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) to cap CO2 emissions would also put a cap on the U.S. economy's ability to grow, and limits our ability to remain competitive in the global economy.  More information at http://www.united4jobs.org/

 House passes energy bill; includes industry subsidies WASHINGTON -- The House by a wide margin approved a mammoth energy plan for the nation Thursday that sends billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to energy companies, but is expected to do little to reduce U.S. oil consumption or dampen high

 Old mine lab plan advances SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- A proposal to convert the abandoned Homestake Gold Mine in Lead into a national underground laboratory moved forward Thursday when it received a 500,000 grant to develop a conceptual design.

 Searching for uranium GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) -- Western Colorado and eastern Utah, already a beehive of oil and gas exploration, now is seeing a rush to find uranium to meet rising demand from nuclear reactors around the world.

 Governor asks BNSF to cut rates HELENA - Gov. Brian Schweitzer is urging BNSF Railway Co. to repeal higher grain-shipping rates that he says could drive Montana's 52-car grain elevators out of business.

House approves $286.4 billion highway bill WASHINGTON -- The House passed a $286.4 billion highway and mass transit bill Friday that could provide long-awaited relief for the nation's travelers while creating tens of thousands of construction jobs.

 Economy grows by 3.4% rate in second quarter despite high energy costs WASHINGTON - The economy clocked in at a robust 3.4 percent annual growth rate in the second quarter, fresh evidence the country's business climate is sunny despite surging energy costs.

 Protecting cool season grass forage production in Nevada A coalition of growers, agencies and educators is conducting applied research trials in Diamond Valley utilizing an integrated pest management (IPM) approach

 ABEC tells Senate “There is a better way” Washington—“There is a better way than government-mandated carbon caps to address climate converns,” said Steve Miller, President of Americans for Balanced Energy Choices (ABEC).

 Coal’s increasingly clean story For five years, ABEC has urged community leaders to take a fresh look at how electricity from coal is an increasingly clean energy source.

 Coal's new lease on life Probably not since the oil embargo hit in the 1970s has coal enjoyed so much interest, said John Dean, president of JD Energy, a coal and environmental forecasting firm.

 Natural gas prices spur TXU drive for coal plant in Robertson County Jul 28, 2005 (The Dallas Morning News - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News via COMTEX) -- TXU Corp. wants to build Texas' first new coal plant in more than a decade, responding to skyrocketing natural gas prices and dwindling power supplies across the state.

 New rush for uranium Grand Junction - In western Colorado and eastern Utah, where salt-wash deposits and sandstone hold the source of nuclear power, a scramble for mining claims, a flurry of demand for processing radioactive ore and a clamor for more miners are underway. 

International News

 Western Canadian Coal Receives Amendment to DillonMine Permit Western Canadian Coal Corp. (TSX:WTN)(AIM:WTN) ("WCCC" or the "Company") announces that it has received approval from the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines to increase its Dillon Mine production limit from 240,000 tonnes per calendar year to a continuous rate of 80,000 tonnes per month. As a result, the Company expects to produce and sell approximately 800,000 tonnes of ultra low-volatile PCI coal for its first full operational fiscal year ended March 31, 2006.