A powerful court ruled on Tuesday that an Obama-era ban on new uranium mines around the Grand Canyon should stay in place, though celebration on the environment side was tempered by expectations the government itself will now side with mining interests to end the ban. A separate, but linked, ruling on an older mine was a defeat for a Native American tribe. The mining industry and a coalition of Republicans in Arizona and Utah had hoped for court support to tear down an order from the Obama administration in 2012 that protected a million acres of land around the Grand Canyon from mining development for 2 0 years. But they lost in the ninth circuit court of appeals in San Francisco on Tuesday. The court ruling effectively confirmed that the ban is lawful and the government has the power to impose it. But the government is now represented by Donald Trump and, in the case of mining, interior secretary Ryan Zinke, who are mining enthusiasts.
Guardian 12th Dec 2017 read more »
Tom Fanning is the only energy executive in America willing to bet billions on nuclear power. The chief executive officer of utility giant Southern Co. is renowned for his boundless optimism, which he generously spreads around. He’s chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, co-leader of one industry group and a former chairman of another. He’s a frequent visitor to Washington, where he’s met with Vice President Mike Pence, Scott Pruitt of the Environmental Protection Agency and old friend Energy Secretary Rick Perry. Fanning is often a guest of TV business news, where he’s spoken glowingly about “clean coal’’ and nuclear.
Bloomberg 12th Dec 2017 read more »
