Wyoming Senators Push To Get Senators To Eliminate The Affordable Care Act
As the Senate health insurance reform effort remains on life support, Wyoming’s two senators are pushing their Republican colleagues to get on board with the effort. Correspondent Matt Laslo reports from Washington that they face an uphill battle convincing some frustrated senators to go along.
NPR Political Correspondent Says President Trump's Behavior Is Not Unexpected
As well all know, the Donald Trump administration has been unique. One of those tasked with following the President is NPR Political Correspondent Don Gonyea. After beginning his career based in Detroit, Gonyea came to Washington to cover the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. Gonyea came to Jackson this week to talk about covering this administration. He joined as at the Snow King to explain that President Trump’s behavior is not all that surprising.
A Toxic Legacy: North Dakota Looks To Clean Up Old Oilfield Waste
Drilling for oil and gas produces millions of barrels of salty wastewater each day. When it spills or touches farmland, it can render the soil infertile for generations. This is a problem today for North Dakota’s legacy oilfields, where companies’ decades ago dumped wastewater into open pits in farmers’ fields. Those pits have since evaporated and spread salt acres from the original sites. The state is looking at possibly hundreds of millions of dollars in cleanup costs, and is now investigating ways to reclaim that land so that crops can grow there once again. Amy Sisk reports.
In Wyoming, the industry still uses open wastewater pits. Newer commercial pits have to put up a bond to pay for eventual cleanup, but 11 older ponds have no bonds. The state is now changing the rules to make sure all pit owners pay for reclamation, targeting that loophole for older pits. One pit owner sees the move as unfair and nearly impossible, while another sees it as necessary. Inside Energy’s Madelyn Beck reports.
Dubois Outfitter Eats Paleo Diet, Creates Replicas of Prehistoric Tools
Dubois author and wilderness outfitter Tory Taylor has released a new book called On The Trail Of The Mountain Shoshone Sheep Eaters: A High Altitude Archaeological Odyssey. The book is a gripping read about Taylor’s personal role in the discoveries of how this prehistoric tribe thrived in Wyoming’s highest elevations. AND how Taylor experimented with a Mountain Shoshone lifestyle. He builds and uses their tools and even eats their paleo diet. Wyoming Public Radio’s Melodie Edwards has more.
Would Fontanelle Dam Expansion Hurt—Or Help—The Green River's Fishery?
For several years, Wyoming’s Congressional delegation have introduced bills that would allow the state to use more of the Colorado River water in the Fontenelle dam. Politicians have talked about the economic promise of the dam since it was built for agriculture in the 1960s, and now it’s part of the state’s plan to store more water. The project wouldn’t change the size of the reservoir, but as Wyoming Public Radio’s Alanna Elder reports, the plan could impact fishing.
Mexican Consulate Steps Up Efforts In Trump Era
Immigration and Customs Enforcement have stepped up arrests and deportations in Wyoming and Colorado this year, which has kept Berenice Rendón busy. In April she began her post leading the Mexican Consulate in Denver, which works to support Mexican citizens living in Colorado, as well as eastern Wyoming and eastern Montana. Wyoming Public Radio’s Tennessee Watson spoke with Consul General Rendón on her recent trip to Cheyenne to visit with Governor Matt Mead, as well local political leaders, law enforcement, and Mexican community leaders.
Veterans Crew Works Hard To Conserve Wyoming Trails
This summer, a University of Wyoming trail building program launched a work crew specifically for veterans in need of a job. As Wyoming Public Radio’s Maggie Mullen reports the crew is the first of its kind in the country.
