Hello Thursday! In the news today…
Mining:
- E&E Greenwire and Mining.com report an Apache nonprofit sued the Forest Service to try to prevent a land swap that would see copper miners take ownership of an Apache holy site in Arizona.
Coal:
- Star Tribune reports Minnesota Power will shutter and convert its last two coal-power plants by 2035 as it moves toward a promised 100% carbon-free energy mix by 2050.
- The Durango Herald reports a professor of history and environmental studies says treachery and deceit allowed Peabody Coal Co. to mine Black Mesa coal, betraying the trust of the Hopi and Navajo Nations.
- Axios reports President-elect Joe Biden, who has vowed to accelerate movement away from fossil fuels, could initially preside over a coal and oil production surge.
Minerals:
- Mining.com reports global supplies of lithium used to make electric vehicle (EV) batteries will fall short of projections for demand to more than triple by 2025 if prices do not rebound to fund expansions, an executive at industry leader Albemarle Corp said on Tuesday.
EPA:
- Inside EPA reports EPA’s just-released analysis of Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2019 shows an overall 9 percent drop in disposal and other releases of chemicals driven by declines in reported air emissions and land disposal, though those gains were partly offset by rising off-site disposal and surface water discharges.
- The Hill reports a coalition of 17 states and New York City are suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over its decision not to tighten major air pollution standards.