Gold Quarry, Jerritt Canyon gold mines sanctioned by EPA for toxic pollution

Dec 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has initiated enforcement action at the Gold Quarry and Jerritt Canyon Mines after investigations found serious problems with the handling and disposal of hazardous waste. The notices of violation went to mine owners Newmont and Queenstake (now Yukon-Nevada Gold Corp.).

• Read the full EARTHWORKS press statement
• Read more about mercury pollution from gold mines.

---

EARTHWORKS applauds nomination of Senator Salazar as Interior Secretary

Dec 18 -- "EARTHWORKS congratulates Senator Ken Salazar on his nomination to be Secretary of Interior. We know Senator Salazar to be a solution-oriented bridge builder whose intimate knowledge of public lands issues gives hope for a new day in the management of public lands -- and the valuable cultural, environmental, and natural resources they contain."

• Read the full EARTHWORKS press statement

---

No Dirty Gold featured in National Geographic

Dec 15-- The cover story of the January issue of National Geographic Magazine is The Real Price of Gold. Mentioning the No Dirty Gold campaign, please give the story a read to learn more about the devastating effects of irresponsible gold mining around the world.

Check out No Dirty Gold for more info. And if you haven't already, please sign the No Dirty Gold pledge!.

---

A new generation for oil & gas regulation

Dec 12-- New rules put in place in the state of Colorado, and in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, are paving the way for strong, sensible regulation of the oil and gas industry in the West. These new regulations take into account water quality, private landowners, and public health in ways that have never been done before.

EARTHWORKS' applauds these governments for their committment to protecting their communities and citizens.

• Read the press release here.

---

EARTHWORKS in your community!

Nov 3-- EARTHWORKS' Bruce Baizel recently went to Sullivan County, New York, in anticipation of new natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Bruce participated in a panel discussion, titled "Making Sure We Get It Right: Health, Land, Law and Natural Gas Production", of residents' rights and laws regarding gas drilling in Binghamton, NY along with other members of the environmental community. Natural gas drilling comes with many environmental hazards, health risks and a slew of other problems.

• Read the story and watch the video here.
• Read another account here.
• Learn more about the Marcellus Shale here.

---

Montanans want 1872 reform

Oct 28-- A poll conducted for EARTHWORKS and the Sportsmen for Sensible Mining in Montana reveals that an overwhelming majority of Montanans support changes to the outdated 1872 mining law which governs hardrock mining in America. 1872 reform has stalled in the Senate after passing the House of Representatives, but Montanans are ready for reform.

• Read the press release here.
• Read the poll results here.
• Read a summary of H.R. 2262 (1872 Reform Bill) here.
• Learn more about 1872 reform here.

---

U.S. Representatives fight to protect clean water

Oct 17-- Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO), John Salazar (D-CO) and Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) have introduced legislation to repeal an exemption for hydraulic fracturing contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. EARTHWORKS's Oil & Gas Accountability Project has announced its strong support for this piece of legislation and has put out a press release applauding these Representatives for their outstanding work in protecting communities from the effects of mining.

• Read the press release here.

---

EARTHWORKS leadership transition

Sept 25-- On September 30, Stephen D'Esposito will step down as President and CEO of EARTHWORKS, a position he has held for ten years. EARTHWORKS will continue to build on its 20-year track record of protecting communities and the environment by reforming the mining and energy industries through legislative, markets and corporate campaigns.

Everyone at EARTHWORKS wishes Steve the best in his new position as president of RESOLVE.

• Read the press release here.
• View the job description and apply here.

---

BLM considers mining exploration in California wilderness

Sept 24-- Timberline Resources wants to explore for minerals on ten square miles centering around Conglomerate Mesa. The area is a de facto wilderness within sight of Mt. Whitney, and bracketed by federally designated wilderness areas.

Judging from their materials, Timberline hopes to find a gold deposit similar to those in Nevada that are extracted via open-pit cyanide leach mines.

Take Action!
>Please urge the BLM to do its job and require a formal Environmental Impact Statement of Timberline's proposed exploration, and of the type of mining Timberline hopes will follow.

---

EARTHWORKS Launches No Dirty Energy Campaign

Aug 19--In the face of skyrocketing energy demand and declining energy reserves, EARTHWORKS' Oil & Gas Accountability Project has launched a new No Dirty Energy campaign. The new campaign raises awareness of the impacts of Dirty Energy extraction and production on local communities and the global climate.

"Unconventional fuels" are among the dirtiest of the dirty energy sources -- and so the campaign is initially focusing on tar sands oil. For every three barrels of tar sands oil produced, it burns two barrels.

Modeled on the successful No Dirty Gold camapign, the No Dirty Energy campaign uses consumer pressure to persuade corporate bad actors to change their behavior for the betterment of local communities and the environment.

• Read the press release here. Take the No Dirty Energy pledge!
• Visit the No Dirty Energy website

---

Newmont Urged Not to Destroy Ghana Forest

Aug 14-- EARTHWORKS and groups from 2 other continents are criticizing plans by Colorado-based Newmont to develop an open pit gold mine in the middle of the Ajenjua Bepo Forest Reserve.

Newmont's Environmental Impact Statement leaves out critical elements regarding the area's biodiversity, water supply and wildlife.

• Read the press release here.
• Urge the government in Ghana to deny the Akyem permit
• Read the summary factsheet here.
• Read the technical reviews here.

---

U.S. Department of The Interior Finds Abandoned Mines A Huge Risk to Human Health and Safety

Aug 12-- A report released by the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of the Interior has concluded that the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Services are putting the public's health at risk by ignoring abandoned mines, especially in the western states.

This report underscores the need for mining law reform in the United States.

• Read the Inspector General's report here
• Learn more about mining law reform in the United States here

---

House of Representatives Protects the Grand Canyon!

Jun 25-- Today Chairman Grijalva (D-AZ) and the House Natural Resources Committee took an important step in protecting the Grand Canyon from uranium mining. By a 20-2 vote the committee passed a resolution to withdraw new claim staking for the next three years.

• Read the press release
• Read Chairman Grijalva's statement here.
• Read more background from Grand Canyon Trust here.

---

EARTHWORKS sues to protect local fisheries in Montana

Jun 10-- EARTHWORKS and three other groups have sued Revett Minerals and the state of Montana to protect a threatened bull trout fishery from the Rock Creek Mine proposal in the Cabinet Mountains wilderness.

The suit challenges their attempted end-run around public comments and state laws which prevent pollution in state waters that would harm local fisheries.

• Read the press release
• Read the lawsuit text
• Read the Rock Creek community voice

---

EARTHWORKS Tells American Petroleum Institute:
Action speaks louder than words

May 28 -- Rather than actually trying to solve the problem, the API has responded to skyrocketing energy prices by creating a multimillion dollar advertising campaign aimed at burnishing its public image.

EARTHWORKS sent a letter to the API urging them to spend the money instead on renewable energy investment. The letter also informs the API that the best public relations a company can hope for is to do good works and have others sing their praises.

The letter to API is the first move in EARTHWORKS' new No Dirty Energy campaign, a complement to the successful No Dirty Gold campaign.

• Read the EARTHWORKS press release.
• Read EARTHWORKS' letter to the API.
• Read the Washington Post story.
• Read the American Petroleum Institute's response.

---

EARTHWORKS congratulates ICMM on selection of new president

May 15 -- "EARTHWORKS congratulates the International Council for Mining and Metals on [Dr. Tony Hodge's] appointment as its new president. [Dr Hodge's] breadth and history of experience working with industry, government and other stakeholders should well serve the ICMM -- and the industry -- in this challenging time."

• Read the complete letter to the ICMM.

---

EARTHWORKS and others urge action in the Sudan

May 12 -- An extensive coalition of religious, human rights, corporate accountability and other groups from 17 countries world wide have signed on to an open letter to the UN Global Compact, urging it to pressure PetroChina before an upcoming shareholders meeting to work with the Sudanese government to end the crisis in Darfur. PetroChina is linked to the Sudan's largest petroleum industry company and in a unique position to help end the 5 year genocide in the region.

• Read the press release here
• Read the open letter, with sign on list, here

---

Prison for protecting your community?

Tell the Ontario government to release jailed indigenous leaders!

April 22 -- As you read this message, seven First Nation leaders sit in jail for peacefully protesting mining activities on their traditional lands in the boreal forests of Ontario, Canada.

Your voice can help convince Ontario that this heavy-handed approach is unacceptable - and that the free, prior and informed consent of local communities is an essential pre-requisite to mining.

Take Action!

---

Jewelry retailers urge protection for Alaska's Bristol Bay

Report highlights impacts of Alaska's Pebble mine proposal and others that violate the Golden Rules.

Bear in the Bristol Bay watershed. Credit: Ben Knight

Feb 12 --Five of the nation's leading jewelry retailers supporting the Golden Rules today announced their support for the protection of Alaska's Bristol Bay from large-scale metals mining. The proposed Pebble gold-copper mine threatens the fisheries and livelihood of people in the Bristol Bay area.

The Pebble proposal features in the report Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining, also released today, as a mine that violates the Golden Rules for more responsible mining. The report documents the devastating impacts of metals mining at 16 other places in the world, including Ghana, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Nevada.

28 jewelry retailers have now signed on to the Golden Rules to indicate their desire to source minerals from mines that uphold principles protecting human rights and the environment.

• Read the facts on the Pebble proposal and dirty gold.
• Read the press release.
• Read the Golden Rules: Making the Case for More Responsible Mining