Mining
The EPA Won't Have to Hold Mining Companies Responsible for Clean-Up Costs, a Federal Court Rules
The agency claims modern mining practices have reduced the risk of pollution going unaddressed. Will taxpayers still have to pay a price?
What Will the Supreme Court's Decision on Virginia's Uranium Mining Ban Mean for Future Environmental Battles?
An unusual coalition of conservative and liberal justices could have major ramifications in battles between state and federal authority.
Viewfinder: The Closing of the Last Coal Mine in Germany's Appalachia
Coal miners give German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier a symbolic final chunk of coal in a ceremony at Schloss Bellevue presidential palace on April 3rd, 2019, in Berlin, Germany.
Brazil's Bolsonaro Government Wants to Circumvent the Constitution to Allow Mining on Indigenous Lands
The Brazilian minister of mines and energy stated that Brazil would open its indigenous territories to mining interests without the consent of the affected population.
Inside Zambia's Effort to Bring One of Its Most Iconic Archeological Discoveries Back Home
In a rare move, Britain is considering returning the remains of the Rhodesian Man, the earliest human fossil found in Africa, to its home country.
Field Notes: A Makeshift Village Outside of a Major Tin Mining Site
Kabare Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo: The settlements at the Kachuba mining site in South Kivu.
How Small-Scale Gold Mining Is Devastating the Peruvian Amazon
Small-scale gold mining has led to the destruction of more than 170,000 acres of primary rainforest in the Peruvian Amazon over the past five years, according to new research.
An Illegal Mining 'Epidemic' Is Spreading Across the Amazon Rainforest
While illegal mining in the Amazon has been a problem for decades, new data shows levels that are not comparable to any other period of its history.
The Edit, Episode #13: A Conversation About Corruption in the Department of the Interior
On the latest episode of Pacific Standard's podcast about how our stories are made, we talk with contributor Jimmy Tobias about his investigation into Ryan Zinke's DOI.
The Interminable Debate Around Deep Sea Mining Regulations
The International Seabed Council once again failed to come to an agreement over the rules to govern the practice of mining valuable resources in deep ocean habitats.
A Proposed Gold Mine in Indonesia Could Have a Catastrophic Environmental Impact
The proposed mine would sit within Cenderawasih Bay National Park, while parts of it also overlap onto or border the Wondiwoi Mountains Nature Reserve—both protected areas.
A Top DOI Official Had at Least Six Meetings With the Mining Industry. She Then Helped Cancel a Study on the Public-Health Effects of Mining.
Records obtained by Pacific Standard reveal that a top official at the DOI had a hand in nixing a government-funded public-health study in Appalachia—after a series of meetings with some of the most powerful mining players in the country.
Can the Menominee Tribe in Wisconsin Block the Back Forty Mine?
With a Canadian company looking to mine gold, silver, and copper on ancestral lands, opponents worry about toxic water and the destruction of Menominee heritage.
Inside the Ecologically Damaging Practice of Illegal Sand Mining
As real estate building increases across the world, so too does the illegal extract of sand, which results in serious environmental impacts.
B.H.P. Billiton Plans to Withdraw From Coal Association Over Climate Change Stance
The mining company also said that, given the Trump administration's plans to abandon the Paris Agreement, it will reconsider its relationship with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Trump's Pick for Lead Mining Regulator Once Sabotaged Mining Regulations
Steve Gardner's engineering company was dropped for performing "junk science" to discredit a regulation that it was hired to help prepare.
Wisconsin Governor Opens Up the State to Controversial Mining Projects
Scott Walker signed legislation Monday ending a nearly 20-year ban on precious metal mining.
Trump Administration Decides Not to Require Mining Companies to Pay for Clean-Up
The Obama administration proposed the rule last year to ensure that companies demonstrate their ability to pay for environmental clean-up.
House Votes to Overturn Obama-era Ban, Allowing More Mining in Minnesota
Democrats warn that mining expansion could devastate Minnesota's Superior National Forest.
Viewfinder: Mining Widows March to Commemorate Their Deceased Husbands in South Africa
Widows of deceased striking miners who were killed during the Marikana massacre walk from the memorial site during the event's fifth anniversary in Marikana on August 16th, 2017.
How the Conflict Minerals Rule Failed
Enforcement was left up to consumers, and many legitimate mining operations were shuttered.
Empowering the Communities Fighting Industrial Mining Operations, One Film at a Time
Jessie Landerman, a writer, producer, and director with the New Media Advocacy Project, discusses a new series of videos to help communities stand up to big mining companies.
Mining Company Interested in the Philippines' Precious Metal Resources Faces Powerful Opposition
Activists point to rights abuses, ecological disasters, and what they believe to be unfair distribution of profits.
Undersea Mining Spree
As mining interests deepen in the southeastern Pacific, researchers are racing the clock—and pushing the frontiers of science—to understand this unknown stretch of sea.