On July 16, 2024, San Juan Citizens Alliance (SJCA) participated in flights over the Four Corners Region through Ecoflight, continuing a 15-year partnership documenting energy transition and economic diversification through aerial vantage points.
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A cherished landscape gained a measure of new protection this month when Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order creating a 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Culture National Historical Park that precludes future oil and gas leasing. The decision culminates…
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Whitewater boating season offers a metaphor for our local energy supply. We’re in the calm pool edging closer and closer to the lip of the rapid, before plunging into frothy waves below. That’s the position La Plata Electric Association finds…
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The Four Corners region is on the cusp of a rapid transformation from coal to renewable energy. The massive coal-fired San Juan Generating Station near Farmington is slated for demolition later this spring, accompanied by the simultaneous construction of large…
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we need YOU to call or email our county commissioners and tell them to not defer to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) in Denver, but rather protect our public health by taking local leadership in setting setback…
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Show your support for EPA’s new rule and tell the agency to do more for our communities and climate.
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Encourage the Bureau of Land Management to honor Greater Chaco by limiting exploitative extraction industries!
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Bighorns need our help! Disease from domestic sheep is threatening bighorns in Colorado. We need CPW to help close high risk domestic allotments.
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The Four Corners took a significant step toward a coal-free future as Unit 1 of the San Juan Generating Station closed forever on June 30. The event occurred without fanfare, and represents the inexorable decline of mining and burning coal…
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Today, four northwest New Mexico community groups, along with the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (CCAE), joined an appeal to the state’s Supreme Court challenging the rejection of a merger between PNM Resources and Avangrid, a global leader in renewable…
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Bighorns need our help! Disease from domestic sheep is threatening bighorns in Colorado. We need CPW to help close high risk domestic allotments.
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Last week, a federal court ruled that the Bureau of Land Management failed to follow the law in selling oil and gas leases across Southwest Colorado in two recent auctions. The ruling applies to 14 parcels involving about 10,000 acres…
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Prominent community and conservation groups today responded to ongoing legislative maneuvering to promote fossil-fueled hydrogen in New Mexico with taxpayer subsidies The New Mexico House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee tabled the Hydrogen Hub Development Act (HB4) due to…
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Environmental, Community, Tribal, Faith Grassroots Groups Celebrate SANTA FE, N.M. (Jan. 10, 2022) — The New Mexico Supreme Court today rejected New Energy Economy’s challenges to the constitutionality of the Energy Transition Act (ETA) and upheld the New Mexico…
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This week the Biden administration took action to safeguard lands surrounding Chaco Canyon from impacts associated with encroaching oil and gas extraction. The Department of Interior announced a two-year moratorium on new oil and gas leasing within the 10-mile zone…
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Or linked here: https://www.sanjuancitizens.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hydrogen-Press-release-October-5-2021.docx.pdf
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Colorado's air quality is being threatened by the ever-present reality of oil and gas emissions. Let's ensure our air stays clean and create strong methane regulations for the state of Colorado.JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJSTlpPd3VNcVRpJTIyJTNFJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIwJTIwJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkZWZhdWx0LnNhbHNhbGFicy5vcmclMkZhcGklMkZ3aWRnZXQlMkZ0ZW1wbGF0ZSUyRmM1MDNhN2VhLWZiY2UtNGI3MS1hNzkzLTBmOWMwNmU5ZGQyYSUyRiUzRnRJZCUzRFJOWk93dU1xVGklMjIlMjAlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEElM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=
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Fighting Air Pollution with Science-based Standards Here in the Four Corners, we highly value clean air, pure water, and healthy lands, which are the foundations of resilient communities, ecosystems and economies in the San Juan Basin. But with air quality…
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The Orphaned Well Cleanup and Jobs Act of 2021 is being heard right now in the New Mexico State Legislature. The Act would plug and reclaim orphaned wells, helping to create jobs and reduce pollution in New Mexico. This blog…
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It’s really no surprise that Colorado’s highest peaks attract the greatest attention from human visitors, smart phone cameras, Wilderness designations, and more – they are awe-inspiring and photogenic. However, most of us have come to know that the “lower and…
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BLM’s Continued Assault of our Public Lands Next Target: Chimney Rock National Monument and the HD Mountain Roadless AreaThe Colorado State office of the Bureau of Land Management is furthering its interest in industrializing public and private lands surrounding Chimney…
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Despite repeated requests to wait for in-person meetings following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office held only virtual meetings on a resource management plan to approve nearly 3,000 new oil and gas wells and…
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Once again, the HD Mountains face new threats from oil and gas development, this time from a proposal for a massive methane gas compression and processing facility. The proposal for the El Toro facility has numerous flaws, not least of…
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Despite repeated requests to wait for in-person meetings following the Covid-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office is holding virtual meetings on a resource management plan that would approve nearly 3,000 new oil and gas wells…
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The Bureau of Land Management recently sold oil and gas drilling leases on nearly 41,000 acres of New Mexico public land- without adequate public participation. Along with our coalition of environmental partners, we filed suit to overturn the lease sale…
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Last December, Colorado required oil and gas companies to significantly reduce their emissions- a crucial step needed to improve public health and put the state on track towards its carbon reduction goals. Even though the public strongly supports the new…
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Last winter, Colorado’s Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted unanimously to adopt new emissions rules for the oil and gas industry. Now, the AQCC is working with the Energy Office to implement the greenhouse gas reduction goals in House Bill…
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While much of the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s full speed ahead at the Department of Interior approving oil and gas development projects. One of the most contentious is a proposal for over 3,000 new oil and gas…
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The HDs are under siege. Again. The San Juan National Forest is proposing to approve an 8.6-mile natural gas pipeline that cuts across a portion of the HD Mountains Roadless Area. In doing so, the Forest Service intends to simply…
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After almost a decade of plodding analysis, the Bureau of Land Management’s Farmington Field Office is attempting to rush through a plan to authorize thousands more oil and gas wells surging towards Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Your voice is…
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It wasn’t the several contiguous weeks of working from my home “office” that motivated me to journey to the HD Mountains (between Bayfield and Chimney Rock National Monument); rather it was the need to see firsthand yet another set of…
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On January 29, 2019, Governor Lujan Grisham passed Executive Order 2019-003 with the goal of addressing climate change and energy waste prevention- a breakthrough document for New Mexico. The “Background and Purpose” of the Executive Order was: "To further New…
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Today the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission unanimously adopted new enforcement rules for the oil and gas industry. The new protections will protect New Mexico's air, land and water, as well as community health. Read the full press release for…
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The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted unanimously on new methane protections on the oil and gas industry that prioritize public health and the environment. These new regulations will cut methane emissions, improve air quality, and help Colorado meet…
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In 2014, our region gained notoriety as the nation’s methane hotspot. Researchers at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noticed via satellite measurements a plume of methane over the Four Corners that dwarfed anywhere else in the country.…
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Is it everything we hope for? No, but it is undoubtedly a significant step forward. We'll continue to use all the tools we have to fight for permanent protections in the region. Check out the full press release below with…
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Photo: Carlan Tapp Why should we care about methane, exactly? Remember that methane hotspot floating over the Four Corners region? Explosive growth in the oil and gas industry have contributed to some of the highest levels of methane emissions…
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Breaking: The Environmental Protection Agency, under the Trump administration, just announced that they intend to “sharply curtail” methane regulations. This rollback will keep vital federal oversight away from the vast majority of the nation’s hundreds of thousands of oil and…
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This April, SB 19-181 passed through the Colorado Legislature and was signed into law, fundamentally altering the landscape of Colorado oil and gas operations. The bill reforms oil and gas law and charges the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission…
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After almost a year fighting a proposal by Hilcorp Energy Company to double its gas wells, we are celebrating the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission's (OCC) decision restrict new development in northwest New Mexico. Along with our partners, we opposed…
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We've been working to protect Greater Chaco from rampant and unchecked oil and gas development for over a decade. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has long failed to conduct any sort of meaningful tribal consultations or robust environmental or cultural resource…
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In New Mexico, oil and gas operations release more than 1 million metric tons of methane every year into the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, this has the same short-term impacts as 22 coal-fired power plants or 28…
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Conservation advocates routinely harp on the single-minded focus of the Trump administration exhorting resource exploitation on our public lands. In case that just sounds like hyperbole, recent real-life examples help illustrate the reality of the Department of Interior’s energy dominance…
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Photo: Wildearth Guardians Even a court ruling doesn't seem to deter the Bureau of Land Management in Farmington. They are determined to push through industry wish lists, undermining environmental review, public input, and even the courts. We'll continue calling them…
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In just a few weeks, Public Service Co. of New Mexico will initiate the process to officially retire the San Juan Generating Station, the 1,600-megawatt, coal-fired behemoth outside Farmington that once burned coal day and night to generate electricity. It’s…
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We made a video about who we are and what we do! A big thanks to Sean Owen of No Special Abilities Productions for making this happen. Of course, it's impossible to get everything we do into a short...
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Photo: Rob Zeigler It's certainly promising, if not surprising, that Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is making promises to protect Greater Chaco. We're grateful to Senator Heinrich for playing a key role in orchestrating Bernhardt's visit to Chaco Cultural…
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Photo: Robert Zeigler Earlier this month a federal appeals court granted Greater Chaco a a long-overdue reprieve from unchecked fracking in response to a lawsuit we filed with our partners. The courts decision directly overturned a couple dozen permits, but we…
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This is great news! Momentum in our decade-long effort to protect Greater Chaco from unbridled (and illegal) oil and gas development is finally resulting in real gains. Back in 2015, along with our partners, we filed a lawsuit against the…
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Real progress is being made toward protecting Greater Chaco! Last month a Congressional visit welcomed lawmakers to the region to learn about the impacts of oil and gas development and the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act was re-introduced. At the…
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Anyone who has traveled the U.S. Highway 550 corridor to Albuquerque recently knows for themselves the extent of greatly expanded drilling activity. Advances in fracking technology have unlocked access to oil deposits tightly trapped in the Mancos and Gallup shale…
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We were thrilled to welcome members of Congress to Chaco to experience the incredible landscape, learn about the history, and hear from impacted community members firsthand. We are confident they now have a deeper understanding of the issues here and…
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This month, the Colorado legislature passed landmark oil and gas reform legislation that directs the state to adopt next generation methane standards and expand air quality protections statewide. On Tuesday, the Air Quality Control Division will hold a public hearing…
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More than 92% of Greater Chaco has already been leased. Over the last several years, this leasing has moved forward despite the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) not having a plan in place to protect modern native communities, their history,…
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“This lease sale is just another example of the BLM putting the cart before the horse. We’ve been waiting for years for the BLM to complete its Resource Management Plans for the Greater Chaco. But the agency continues to allow…
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Colorado is finally trying to revamp the regulation of oil and gas development for the 21st century. And it's long overdue. For decades, Colorado's official charge to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission was to "foster" oil and…
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New Mexico just passed one of the most progressive energy transition bills in the country! The Energy Transition Act (ETA), which just passed the house and now heads to the Governor's desk, paves the way for a just transition to…
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San Juan Citizens Alliance is actively working to move New Mexico forward to a sustainable energy economy. We believe an important step towards this desired future, especially for us in Northwestern New Mexico, is the passage of Senate Bill 489,…
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It is completely indefensible to continue to lease parcels in Greater Chaco to oil and gas without having a plan in place to ensure protections for air, water, public health, and the rich history embedded in the landscape. TheBureau of…
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It's time to speak out in defense of Greater Chaco again. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington and Rio Puerco field offices in northwestern New Mexico continue to allow oil and gas companies to frack without a plan in…
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We who live in these parts sometimes call it the Four Corners, other times the San Juan Basin or even the Colorado Plateau. It’s reflective of the geographic flexibility of our home region, one that water and air easily transcends.…
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While Colorado has been a national leader in establishing state-wide methane rules to limit waste, a task force is calling for more to be done to curb ozone pollution stemming from the oil and gas industry. With many counties, particularly…
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Victory! Excellent decision today putting the public back into decisions about our public lands! The New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission took all of 5 minutes to grant a re-hearing on the rule allowing for double drilling in Rio Arriba and…
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Elections matter. That fact is being clearly made in New Mexico, where the public voted in a new administration with vastly different values when it comes to our public lands, among other things. We are thrilled that the new administration…
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Photo: WildEarth Guardians We've been working to protect the Greater Chaco region from rampant and largely uncontrolled drilling for over ten years. Sadly, the need for protections is only increasing. Our partners organized a rally of over 200 people to…
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Photo: US Department of Energy, Flickr With the midterm elections behind us, it’s worth pondering what the outcome means for the environment next year. One can expect significant action in Colorado and New Mexico in two areas where states have…
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Photo: Ecoflight As a longtime resident of Farmington, where the impacts of oil and gas are felt daily, I am writing to set the record straight concerning a double drilling rule change that Houston-based Hilcorp Energy is proposing before the…
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The Trump administration unabashedly promotes energy dominance above all else on America’s public lands. But even knowing that, it’s hard not to be astonished by the latest onslaught to prioritize oil and gas development on our national forests. We are…
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Hilcorp tried to sneak through a rule change that would double the drilling density in San Juan and Rio Arriba Counties in New Mexico - without public input or analysis of impacts. You may have heard we've been making a…
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Again? Yes, again. It's hard to keep track how many times and in how many different ways this administration has attempted to gut the two common-sense methane rules established under the Obama Administration. Secretary Zinke has tried, and failed, twice…
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Today, while government leaders convene from across the world at the Global Climate Action Summit, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released their plan to weaken critical methane pollution protections. Last summer we went to D.C. to comment on the…
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Photo: Rob Zeigler Last spring, Secretary Zinke instructed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to defer a lease sale in the Greater Chaco region due to a need for "more study." This December, they plan to auction those same parcels…
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Zinke's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a lease sale in Greater Chaco this December, despite failing to conduct tribal consultations they deemed necessary when cancelling the much smaller March 2018 lease in the region. Along with our partners,…
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Photo: Wikipedia Commons By the time Scott Pruitt resigned as the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, he was the poster child for bungling personal entitlement. As Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa put it, Pruitt was the swampiest of the Washington,…
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Photo: Rob Zeigler There have been a lot of tears in the office lately. And it’s not because the Animas is running the color of charcoal, massacring our already vulnerable native fish populations. And it’s not because a billionaire developer…
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2018 Colorado County and Conservation Groups Sue Trump Administration Again Over Southwest Colorado Oil and Gas Leases San Miguel County, Rocky Mountain Wild, the San Juan Citizens’ Alliance, and Conservation Colorado filed another lawsuit against…
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Two years ago, we and our partners challenged the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the leasing of 20,000 acres in the Santa Fe National Forest to oil and gas drilling. At that point, the BLM hadn't (and still hasn't)…
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In mid-May, we were approached by long time rancher, environmental advocate, and San Juan Citizens Alliance member, Don Schreiber, who discovered that Hilcorp Energy Company was trying to get exemptions from laws that restrict the number of wells they can…
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As most of you know, the Alliance has been working for over a decade to secure greater protections for Greater Chaco - it's water, air, cultural resources and the health and safety of native communities living there today. We have…
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The road for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane waste rule has been long and winding, and unfortunately we’re not at the end. Last week, however, we threw a big wrench in Secretary Zinke’s never-ending attempts to rollback this…
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Around 800 ballots were not delivered on time. If you didn't receive yours (or if you threw it away), call LPEA immediately. LPEA: (970) 247-5786 Did you vote yet?! If you buy electricity from LPEA, your ballot should have arrived in…
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Over the past weekend, we had a partial win in our long fight to protect Chaco from unfettered oil and gas development. While the judge rejected our claim that the Bureau of Land Management violated the National Environmental Protection Act…
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Five years versus five days. That succinctly describes the different weights accorded to constituents raising objections to expanded oil and gas leasing in landscapes with special circumstances. As the Trump administration attempts to accelerate energy development through its self-described energy…
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Photo: Ted Wood Storey Group In December and January, intense negotiations were ongoing over a Public Service Company of New Mexico-backed bill relating to the closure of the San Juan Generating Station, the coal-fired power plant near Farmington. This piece…
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Last night, we heard news we didn’t dare hope for: Secretary Zinke canceled next week’s oil and gas lease sale in Greater Chaco. This is because of you. You and thousands of others who spoke up and said drilling without a…
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After hundreds of you spoke up in support of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) methane rule, Secretary Zinke is gutting it. In a move that proves the Administration will bend to corporate interests over public interests, Zinke just put…
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Photo: Rob Zeigler The BLM is going further and further out of its way to avoid public input, but we're not going to let them get away with it. When they released the protests for the March 2018 lease sale,…
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This fall, over 175,000 people commented against a proposed delay of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) methane rule, a rule that is particularly important for those of us under the Four Corners Methane Hotspot and suffer the royalty losses,…
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Was 2017 a challenging year? Hell yes. And that's why our work is so critical. We’re here because public and environmental health doesn’t always get prioritized over corporate interests. We’re here because wildlife, water and a stable climate don’t have…
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Last week’s events punctuated by the Trump administration’s cavalier abandonment of a century’s worth of American conservation practice is greatly discouraging. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wiped out more than 1 million acres of protected landscapes in two national monuments in…
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Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proved their determination to elevate the interests of the oil and gas industry above those of the people they’re charged to protect – twice. But we can’t give up now. GREATER CHACO…
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Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issuing a one-year delay of the BLM methane regulations, pushing aside 175,000 public comments, a vast majority of westerners, and the public interest of New Mexico. Read the full press release below, learn…
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With the onset of winter, it’s never too early to daydream of next year’s adventures. Nowhere compares with the raw, spontaneous wildness of Alaska’s primeval landscapes teeming with abundant caribou and grizzly bears. In particular, the aptly named Arctic National…
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We're taking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to court over their March 2017 lease sale. In order to explain why the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) March 2017 lease sale is worthy of a lawsuit, we need to take a step…
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This administration is committed to rolling back environmental and public health protections for the benefit of corporate profits. And they have perseverence. First they tried to erase the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) methane waste rule entirely using the Congressional…
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Waiving rules to prevent methane pollution. Stripping wetlands of protection under the Clean Water Act. Throwing out restrictions against strip-mining mountaintops and dumping the spoils into streams. The Trump administration has an ambitious agenda to eliminate protections for air, water…
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Yesterday, alongside our members and tribal partners, we took to D.C. to stand up for clean air. Since entering office, the Trump Administration has attacked both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane regulations. We saved…
Photo: Carlan Tapp Cue the third branch of government. When you have an administration willing to defy law in order to pursue industry's agenda, checks and balances become increasingly important. That's why when the BLM announced an illegal indefinite postponement of their…
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This week, despite recognizing the disproportionate impact it will have on our children, the Bureau of Land Management and Environmental Protection Agency both postponed the implementation of their methane regulations so they can revisit and rewrite them. Delaying and…
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What's Happening with the Master Leasing Plan? You may remember that last December it was announced the Bureau of Land Management Will Pursue a Master Leasing Plan! San Juan Citizens Alliance staff and members worked hard last year to ensure that such…
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Call Senator Gardner and tell him you want him to put his constituents above special interests. CALL: (202) 224-5941 Senator Cory Gardner's vote this morning to roll back the BLM Methane Rule tells us a lot about his alliances. Unfortunately, Coloradans…
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Tell Senator Gardner to Support the BLM Methane Rule! CALL NOW: (202) 224-5941 Guest Blogger: Lauri Costello, MD Earlier this year, the House of Representatives voted to roll back the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, which was finalized…
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PHOTO: President Russell Begaye stands with Governors from the All Pueblo Council of Governors. Photo from Navajo Nation Press Release. Last Thursday, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez met with the All Pueblo Council of Governors. The…
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In these trying times for environmental advocates, good news deserves emphatic celebration. And boy, do we have good news! As we previously told you, the San Juan National Forest (SJNF) has been facing the threat of a new era of…
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Do you know the name George Lakoff? If you don’t, you should. George Lakoff is a professor of cognitive science and linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley and an author of Don’t Think of an Elephant. It’s a…
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This is our last chance to submit scoping comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plan for oil and gas leasing in Greater Chaco. The BLM is telling us they don’t have a choice, that they have to lease: This is…
Today, the U.S.House of Representatives put the special interests of big oil and gas companies ahead of the public interest by voting to roll back the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. The measure now heads to the Senate.…
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Last Tuesday, indigenous leaders, affected residents, and State Representative Derrik Lente met with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Director Amy Lueders to request she cancel the January 2017 Chaco oil and gas lease sale. Over 150 people rallied…
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On Tuesday, four Navajo Nation chapter presidents, impacted community members, and one NM State Representative met with State Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Amy Lueders. The group requested a cancellation of the January 2017 oil and gas lease sale…
The greatest concentration of methane in the country floats above us here in the Four Corners. Although we can't see it, it's not harmless. In addition to being a powerful greenhouse gas, over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, it's released…
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The oil and gas industry is no longer exempt from reporting toxic releases publicly through the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). EPA estimates the oil and gas industry releases more toxic chemicals than any other industry, save power plants. Yet, they haven't been…
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Oil and gas wastes are exempt from hazardous waste regulations. What? They shouldn't be. Fracking and oil waste contain dangerous chemicals that are injected back into the grounds, stored in pits and even sprayed on roads. There are 13,379 oil and gas waste…
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Photo: Alex Pullen By Chris Wilkins I’ve learned a lot of things serving on the SJCA board – how a non-profit budget works, how many acronyms there are in the government, how LONG everything takes in the environmental world. It…
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Last night we hosted an event called Cookies for Calls: No Pruitt for EPA. We handed out homemade cookies to those of you who stopped by and made a call to your Senators. Many of you had never called an…
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Chaco just got a huge break. Friday afternoon, Saddle Butte San Juan Midstream LLC ("Saddle Butte”) withdrew their proposal for the Piñon Gathering System Project, better know as the Piñon Pipeline, in northwest New Mexico. The 150-mile pipeline would have carried 50,000 barrels per…
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Although the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is tasked with managing our public lands for multiple use, fossil fuel extraction has long dominated public land use policy. Over the last couple of years we've worked hard to encourage the Tres Rios…
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This is getting ridiculous. This week, with many partners, we submitted our protest to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office’s January 2017 oil and gas lease sale - a lease sale that shouldn’t be happening in the first place.…
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In 2014 we (the San Juan Basin) became the national methane hotspot. Last month we had a huge win in curbing the hotspot with the passing of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)'s methane standards... and they're already under attack. But before…
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Today we filed a motion to intervene in the case recently brought against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. The rule would protect the climate, public health, and our economy. It would also help address the Four Corners methane hotspot.…
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91% of public lands in northwest New Mexico are already leased for drilling… much of the last 9% is in Greater Chaco, and now the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants to frack for oil and gas there, too. In…
Today, the Obama Administration released the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, aimed at curbing natural gas waste on public and tribal lands. It's a win-win regulation. The standard will help to end the waste of valuable public resources,…
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Today, the Obama Administration released the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, aimed at curbing natural gas waste on public and tribal lands. It's a win-win regulation. The standard will help to end the waste of valuable public resources,…
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What changed? Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office (FFO) is amending its 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) to include new industrial fracking in Greater Chaco. The process recently reopened for official public comment until December…
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office has agreed that their 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) does not sufficiently plan for fracking around Chaco Canyon. Yet, while they amend their RMP to reflect this awareness, they are still approving…
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It's easy to overlook what's happening in oil and gas fields. Most of us don't live at ground zero and the pollution is often invisible to the human eye. So, last weekend SJCA bussed folks from Durango, CO 45-miles south to Bloomfield, NM. We examined…
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Area threatened by existing oil and gas development (yellow) on top of public lands (blue) in Northwest New Mexico. See oilandgasthreatmap.com for interactive map. You can’t drive through Northwest New Mexico and Southwest Colorado and miss our region’s oil…
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As the father of a 3-year-old boy, I’ve become an expert on the topic of momentum. You see, my little guy has yet to cross paths with a hill he doesn’t want to race down. Grassy, rocky, dirt, paved –…
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This week we received evidence of a local public servant sacrificing the public interest for personal gain. Federal investigators released results of their inquiry into Steve Henke’s conduct while head of New Mexico’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field…
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The oil and gas industry is awfully, dangerously, predictable. This week, in response to NASA fingering oil and gas operations as the primary cause of the infamous Four Corners methane hot spot, industry shills did what industry shills do: distort…
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This week NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory released a report on the sources of our Four Corners methane hotspot. The study confirmed that the energy industry, specifically natural gas extraction, is as a primary cause. Methane waste on federal lands has serious…
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Today NASA published a report that confirms the energy industry, primarily the natural gas extraction industry, is responsible for the Four Corners methane hotspot. The Four Corners methane hotspot is yet another environmental climate and public health disaster served to our…
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Yesterday, Chaco got a moment to breathe. BLM's Farmington Field Office announced it would not auction parcels in Greater Chaco for fracking leases as planned in October. This is the third time the sale of these three parcels has been postponed.…
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Photo: Mark Pearson In mid-May the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) auctioned off rights to drill on the only remaining unleased parcels in the HD Mountains. The bidding companies, provided anonymity by the BLM, paid $5,200,000 for 10-year development rights…
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Today the Environmental Protection Agency finalized standards for dangerous oil and gas methane pollution from new infrastructure. These are the first-ever national safeguards limiting methane waste and pollution and will go far to protect public health, address climate change, and…
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We’re all pretty aware these days that fracking requires ludicrous amounts of water mixed with nasty chemicals. And that the huge boom in drilling over the last decade was largely fueled by new fracking technologies. There has been a lot…
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The Bureau of Land Management in Farmington, NM hasn't updated it's 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) since horizontal fracking technologies became viable in the Four Corners. Currently, they are revising the RMP to reflect these new technologies. Yet, at the…
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Apparently some decisions are more final than others. Along with our partners, we have long demanded the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) halt all fracking in the Greater Chaco region, at least until an adequate management plan is in place…
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BLM deferred the sale of three oil and gas lease parcels near Chaco Canyon ... again. It's the third time. The deferment is a huge win, and it clearly illustrates the need for the BLM to complete its ongoing Resource Management Plan Amendment. As…
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Photo Credit: Mark Pearson Victory! (Kind of.) This week, San Juan Citizens Alliance members helped persuade the federal government to give our community more time to weigh in on five parcels of public land to be leased for oil and…
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This morning President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a pact between the two countries to take climate change head on. They announced intentions to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas industry by 40-45 percent over the…
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What’s causing the loss of oil and gas jobs in the Four Corners region? For some readers, this question is an abstraction; for others, it is deeply personal. In the past few months, economic news for oil and gas producers…
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Hey all, there is a really important meeting on Tuesday, February 16th in Farmington that we want you to know about. It’s from 1-4 pm, which we know is hard for a lot of people. If you can make it,…
Great news. Today the BLM released its proposed methane waste rule. We've worked on the rule, and advised BLM on its contents, with our partners Western Environmental Law Center and Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment. The rule is 300 pages,…
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It’s 3 weeks into January and here at the Alliance we're finally taking a moment to clear the papers off our desks, breathe, and reflect on the past year. We started 2015 knowing there were thousands of people in the region…
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This holiday season I’d like to propose a corollary to Durango’s well-loved buy local movement: give local. December is a month awash in fundraising requests, and let’s face it: being on the receiving end can get tiresome. But let’s face…
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We just finished our latest newsletter and it's heading to your mailbox this week! It covers our work on regional ozone, protecting Chaco from rampant oil and gas development and our commitment to ensuring permanent clean up of the Animas…
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What’s going on with the infamous Four Corners methane hotspot? Over a hundred people joined us on October 28th to hear Jonathan Thompson, Journalist and Senior Editor for High Country News, deliver the Four Corner’s Methane Forum’s featured presentation. The…
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A big win for public health and communities' right-to-know! Astonishingly, the oil and gas extraction industry has never been required to report emissions to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a federally-managed public database detailing how, what and where toxic chemicals are…
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In his Tuesday column, “The Republicans’ Incompetence Caucus,” conservative New York Times writer David Brooks excoriated the more radical elements of the Republican Party. Sordid intra-party politics playing out in broad daylight, now that’s a writer’s ticket. And yet, I’ll…
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The EPA just updated Bush-era ozone levels. While we commend strengthening of the standard, it is disappointing to see the agency apparently cave to industry lobbying efforts by establishing the weakest limit recommended by their scientific advisory panel. In the Four Corners,…
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The Alliance has been working to protect the Greater Chaco region from unchecked and unplanned oil and gas development for years. Our request to halt all drilling in the Greater Chaco region while our lawsuit makes its way through the courts was…
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For Immediate Release: September 22, 2015 Media Contacts: Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Western Environmental Law Center, 575-613-4197, eriksg@westernlaw.org Tom Singer, Western Environmental Law Center, 505-231-1070, singer@westernlaw.org Mike Eisenfeld, San Juan Citizens Alliance, 505-360-8994, mike@sanjuancitizens.org Carol Davis, Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, 928-221-7859, caroljdavis.2004@gmail.com EPA Methane…
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We've been getting a lot of compliments on our new and improved newsletter. The format is a little (OK, a lot) different than the last time we put one together (some two years ago...) and you'll be proud to leave it on…
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The problem with free market solutions to environmental problems is really quite simple: The free market does not exist. Let’s take a peek at the energy sector to see just how non-existent this free market is. In May, the International…
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Renewable Energy? Yay! Clean Air? Of course! Resilient landscapes? Bring it on. Master Leasing Plans? Huh? The work we do isn’t often glamorous: it’s complex and technical, but really important. Master Leasing Plans (MLPs) fall squarely into that category.…
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Feds to focus on oil, gas concerns, Durango Herald, June 17, 2015
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You may remember that back in March we filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the Greater Chaco Region from illegal and rampant oil and gas development. As that works its way through the courts,…
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By now I’m sure you’ve heard the news. The Four Corners region is the “methane hot spot” of the country. To help the public better understand the science behind this unfortunate designation, The Four Corners Public Science Forum on Methane…
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Rampant and unplanned drilling is threatening archeological sites and communities around Chaco. Despite the pleas of many, the BLM continues to permit drilling without assessing the impact to those sites, the environment or nearby communities. So, we're suing them. Below…
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Ever heard that little ditty: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Turns out to be a complete and utter lie. Heck, you don’t even need full names – acronyms will do – and…
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The day before the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) released its Resource Management Plan (RMP), the Alliance drafted a list of 10 things to watch for in the final document. I’d like to think that…
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If you've been following the multi-year saga of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) Resource Management Plan (RMP), then you know a lot is at stake. As we highlighted in a previous post, this planning…
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) manages over 503,000 acres of public lands in southwest Colorado. Their management includes oversight of federal minerals exploration and development on more than 804,000 acres of private, state, and…
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By Mike Eisenfeld, New Mexico Energy Coordinator If you’ve driven to Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Chaco) or Albuquerque recently, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a whole lot of oil and gas development along the way. What you may not know is…
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To see the actual IMF document referenced below, click here. It’s jarring to see your credibility attacked in a letter to the editor – a bit less so, though, after you realize the writer’s argument is baseless. In my bi-weekly…
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Sometimes people say outrageous things. Case in point: In response to the Obama administration announcing plans to cut methane emissions, the president of the Institute for Energy Research uttered this: “EPA’s proposed methane regulation is redundant, costly and unnecessary. Energy…
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Ever wonder what the Alliance has been up to? Or how we put your donations to work? If so, this blog is for you. As we head into 2015, we thought we’d take a moment to recap some of our…
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Time to break out the condolence cards – BP had a bad quarter. Earnings are down 18 percent, leaving this global behemoth with a paltry $3 billion in profits for the third quarter. Poor guys. Analysts say it has something…
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Can democracy work if corporations are free to spend their limitless plunder to affect the outcome of community dialogue and electoral politics? Last week, our community got a firsthand look at the dysfunction that results when ill-gotten gains bump up…
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There has been a lot of press in the last week about a newly discovered methane hot-spot over the Four Corners. No surprise here at the Alliance. We’ve been fighting coal mines and working to highlight the problems with methane…
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Let’s talk subsidies. When the topic of renewable energy subsidies comes up, someone in the room invariably points out that such subsidies give renewables an unfair advantage over fossil fuels in the “free market.” This argument, while good sport for…
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There’s nothing quite like money for getting otherwise sane people to do and say outlandish things. Case in point: Last week, I attended an Oil and Gas Community Advocates Training Program hosted here in Durango by our very own Chamber…
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Have you ever been played for a fool? Go to that place with me. Which was worse: the anger that dawned on you upon realizing you’d been had or the shame in admitting you had let it happen? I hate…
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What do you get when you put an industry insider, public-relations consultant and lobbyist in an office suite with a bag of money? The start of a government regulatory office. An industry trade association. One heck of a holiday party.…
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