Environmental groups plan to send more than 500,000 e-mails to protest W.Va. mining operation

November 2nd, 2009 Ariz. governor opposes halt on new mining claimsPHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer objects to a ban on filing new mining claims on nearly 1 million acres of federal land in northern Arizona for two years while a permanent prohibition is under study.

October 12th, 2009 Officials: UK Parliament protest has endedLONDON — Protesters and police say that a group of environmental activists have ended their eye-catching demonstration atop Britain's Parliament. The environmental campaign group Greenpeace says the 31 remaining members of a group that scaled central London's neo-gothic legislature are now in police custody.

October 10th, 2009 PANAJI - The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged large scale corruption in Goa's mining department, especially for its inability to impose the much-touted 'green cess' on mining ore rejects. "The government is supposed to impose the green cess on mining rejects.

September 30th, 2009 Ecuador Indian group protests water, mining lawsQUITO, Ecuador — Hundreds of Indians blocked Ecuador's Pan American highway in several provinces Monday with rocks, tree trunks and burning tires to protest new water, mining and oil laws. Their leaders suspended the protest late Monday, saying the government had promised to talk about their objections.

September 14th, 2009 Appeals court blocks BLM-Asarco land swapPHOENIX — A federal appeals court ruled Monday that a proposed land exchange between the federal Bureau of Land Management and copper miner Asarco LLC violates environmental laws. The ruling in the lawsuit filed by three environmental groups in 2001 overturns a lower court decision backing the exchange long sought by Asarco.

September 11th, 2009 PANAJI - The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has opposed the state government's proposal to levy land replenishment and other "green" cess on the mining industry. In a post-budget memorandum submitted to the chief minister Friday, GCCI president Cesar Menezes said that the Rs.30 per tonne of mining reject cess was very steep and would be detrimental to the mining industry.

August 18th, 2009 White House says it did send unwanted e-mailsWASHINGTON — After insisting no one was receiving unsolicited e-mails from the White House, officials reversed their story Monday night and blamed outside political groups for the unwanted messages from the tech-savvy operation. White House online director Macon Phillips said in a blog posting that independent groups — he didn't name them — had signed up their members to receive regular White House updates about Obama's projects, priorities and speeches.

July 20th, 2009 Interior to halt uranium mining at Grand CanyonWASHINGTON — Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will announce Monday that his department is temporarily barring the filing of new uranium mining claims on about 1 million acres near the Grand Canyon, an Obama administration official said. The land is being "segregated" for two years so that the department can study whether it should be permanently withdrawn from mining activity, said the official, who requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

July 13th, 2009 EPA writing rules for hardrock mine cleanupsDENVER — The Environmental Protection Agency, complying with a court order, will develop a rule to guarantee companies that mine everything from copper to uranium will pay for needed environmental cleanup, not taxpayers. The announcement on Monday comes in the wake of a federal judge's order in February requiring the EPA to close loopholes that allow some companies to get out of paying for such costly cleanups when they file bankruptcy.

July 6th, 2009 Obama nominates heads of mining agenciesCHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Obama administration nominated officials Monday to head two key agencies that oversee the health and safety of the nation's 392,000 miners and environmental issues at thousands of surface mines across the country.

June 11th, 2009 Obama looks to end expedited mining reviewsWASHINGTON — The Obama administration wants tougher environmental reviews for coal companies that mine the Appalachians by blasting off mountaintops and discarding the rubble in stream valleys. The administration plans to announce Thursday a proposal to eliminate the expedited reviews that have made it easier for mining companies to get approval for mountaintop mining.

June 1st, 2009 South African mining co.: 36 illegal miners killedJOHANNESBURG — An underground fire in an abandoned shaft has apparently killed 36 illegal miners, South Africa's Harmony Gold Mining Company Limited said Monday. In a statement, the company said the bodies were brought to the surface by other illegal miners over the weekend.

May 31st, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has asked the industry department to take a tough stand against 14 mining companies that failed to fulfil their commitment of planting saplings, an official said Sunday. The industry department is now planning to cancel the mining leases of the companies, both public and private, blaming them for "environment neglect".

April 21st, 2009 PANAJI - If the Third Front comes to power at the centre after the Lok Sabha polls, it will nationalise the Rs.6,000-crore mining industry of Goa, which is largely at the hands of private players, a senior leader of the Communist Party of India (CPI) said Tuesday. Addressing a press conference at the party's headquarters here, CPI general secretary A.B.

March 24th, 2009 PANAJI - The Goa government will phase out 14 operational mining leases located near the catchment area of the Selaulim dam, which supplies water to nearly 500,000 people, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat said here Monday. 'All these 14 mining leases will be phased out in the next two or three years because of their proximity to the reservoir,' Kamat told the state assembly.