Powder River Statement on Cloud Peak Bankruptcy
May 10, 2019 “In light of Cloud Peak’s bankruptcy filing, we urge the State of Wyoming and county governments to aggressively participate in the bankruptcy proceedings on behalf of miners, taxpayers, and our environment. We are concerned that these mines will be transferred to entities with even less financial ability to meet tax and clean-up […]
Powder River Breaks March – April 2019
March – April 2019, Volume 47, Number 2 Aethon Energy, the company that operates the Moneta Divide oil and gas field, is seeking an expanded discharge permit from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to dramatically increase their oil and gas wastewater discharge into the streams that flow into Boysen Reservoir. The volume of […]
Ramaco by the Numbers
Taking a closer look at the numbers for Ramaco’s proposed Brook Coal Mine near Sheridan. The math doesn’t add up. To read the full report, download the PDF.
Powder River Statement on New Coal Self-Bonding Rules
February 19, 2019 “Today is a proud moment for Wyoming: We now have the toughest self-bonding rules in the nation. With a 5-0 vote, the state Environmental Quality Council approved new rules limiting self-bonding of coal mines. This was a critical step allowing the state to better manage the risk of over $2 billion in […]
Powder River’s 2018 Annual Report
November 4, 2018 This is Powder River Basin Resource Council’s 2018 Annual Report. To read the full report, please download the PDF.
Ad Valorem Taxes in Wyoming: Proposed Improvements
Our original report in January 2018 (Delinquent Mineral Taxes and Budget Deficits: A Case for Reform) detailed Wyoming’s heavy dependence on mineral taxes to fund state and local government services. We discussed the fact that Wyoming gets more than 70% of our total revenue from taxes on mineral extraction and the impacts to county services […]
Reclaim Wyoming: Prioritize Coal Mine Reclamation
Wyoming’s coal mining legacy dates back to the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1897.1 The state is home to some of the largest coal mines on earth, including the top eight active U.S. mines. Combined, Wyoming mines account for 41% of coal production in the U.S., about the same as the next seven […]
New report offers solutions to delinquent mineral taxes
January 11, 2018 In the face of a statewide budget crisis, mineral extraction companies owe Wyoming taxpayers over $42 million in county taxes unpaid on their operations throughout the state. Today Powder River Basin Resource Council released a new report “Tax Delinquencies and Budget Deficits: A Case for Reform,” which tracked delinquent mineral taxes in 12 counties from 2006 – 2016. The report […]
Delinquent Mineral Taxes and Budget Deficits: A Case for Reform
Mineral tax revenue is extremely important to Wyoming counties and schools. Over the course of the past five months, Powder River reached out to treasurers in 12 counties and discovered a $42 million deficit in mineral tax collection. In our recent report, Mineral Tax Delinquency and Budget Deficits, we offered several suggestions that, if followed, […]
