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Opinion By JUAN MONTES

Since February Chevron has stopped environmental cleanup at the Questa mine that was judicially mandated in a Superfund consent decree. In a Cease and Desist Order, Chevron fired the Superfund contractor Granite with over 150 employees and forced it to remove all of its equipment from the mine site along the Red River. The RV parks in Questa are nearly vacant and the Chevron cheerleaders are left unemployed and in limbo, pushing an irrelevant produced water petition (toxic water which they won’t drink). In a hypocritical stance, produced brine water promoters want taxpayers to clean up oil and gas corporations’ environmental mess 400 miles away while turning a blind eye to the Chevron’s pollution in their own backyard.

Instead of demanding that Chevron clean up its environmental damage at the mine and tailings site, the mayor of Questa, in tandem with Kit Carson Electric Coop (who the mayor works for), want to break ground in May for a water-intensive, flammable, and combustible Green Hydrogen Plant next to our elementary school. This ill-conceived plan is at taxpayer’s expense (from a USDA grant), not the near-trillion-dollar Chevron corporation. Chevron made the decision to change the placement of this green hydrogen plant, originally planned for the Red River mine site, using treated mine water, to a populated section of Questa, ten miles away, using groundwater from a minimally used well, siphoning off precious, clean, groundwater.

Kit Carson Electric Coop’s engineering firm EnTrust calculates that the plant will use 31,000,000 gallons (95 acre feet) of water a year from a well formerly designated solely for dust suppression just north of the tailings pond. In the midst of a prolonged drought, this massive groundwater depletion will result in many domestic wells going dry as well as desertification of the entire area. The siphoning effect will also deplete acequias running north of Questa, and in Llano/Cerro, leaving farms and ranches dry. It should be noted that Chevron owns the land the plant will be on, as well as the water rights, neither of which have been transferred to Kit Carson. In a faulty decision, the Office of the State Engineer erroneously revived heretofore expired water rights Chevron claimed throughout the area.

The process is bankrupt and has been marred by a complete lack of transparency, blatant conflicts of interest, and an arrogant disregard for public involvement or safety. Hiding behind Trump’s effort to gut NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act), Kit Carson Electric hired EnTrust to conduct a superficial environmental assessment that totally excluded people and communities affected by the hydrogen project. Kit Carson Electric organized several informal community meetings in Questa, which resulted in 90 percent of attendees, at all meetings, opposed to this ill-planned project. Then the mayor, who works for Kit Carson Electric, started to convene secret meetings, by invitation only, to solicit support, but none has been forthcoming from any sector because of the water-intensive nature of the project in the middle of a serious drought.

The lack of water for a water-intensive project is enough for it to fall on its face, but there is more. The flammability and combustibility of green hydrogen are well documented, yet greed and illusions of power are blindly driving this project. Placing this hydrogen gas plant next to our elementary school is criminal, and elected officials promoting this ill-fated plan should be recalled immediately. The production and storage of hydrogen gas is highly dangerous and Kit Caron Electric and the Village of Questa have no experience in this process, yet greedy power brokers and pusillanimous petty politicians are willing to put people’s lives at risk.

Juan Montes is a  longtime environmental justice advocate and a Concerned Citizen de Questa

 

 

 

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A tiny North Yorkshire village fighting a David and Goliath battle against gas drilling got advice last night from campaigns across the UK.

Entrance to Foxholes village. Photo: DrillOrDrop

Residents in Foxholes, population about 250, are opposing plans from a company run by one of the richest families in the US.

About 60 people attended a public meeting to hear what steps they could take to reject proposals by Egdon Resources, owned by Texas-based Heyco Group and controlled by the Yates family, previously estimated to be worth $2.5 billion.

Egdon wants to explore for gas in a field on the edge of Foxholes. It intends to drill through the chalk aquifer, which supplies drinking water to 900,000 people. A similar proposal was rejected when Yorkshire Water objected to the risk of contamination.

Sarah Hockey, a campaigner for 13 years against oil and gas development in East Yorkshire, said Foxholes has England’s most northernly chalk stream.

“This is one of the rarest habitats on earth.

“Everyone has a part to play.

“It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you do something. Even if it’s a small thing, it could have a huge impact.”

Planning consultant Katie Atkinson, who has worked on multiple onshore oil and gas proposals across northern England and the midlands, said:

“Object, keep objecting, keep reminding everybody, spread the word.

“Get it out on social media. … Keep going.”

Foxholes in numbers. Artwork by Drawing a Line in the Chalk

Foxholes’ near neighbours at Burniston, which recently defeated another gas application, advised the community to work together.

Richard Parsons, chair of Burniston Parish Council, said it had been “massively important” that local councils had coordinated their campaign and worked alongside the local opposition group, Frack Free Coastal Communities (FFCC).

He said Foxholes must engage with its MP and the local representative on North Yorkshire Council. At Burniston, the campaign had the support of MP Alison Hume and the local ward councillor, Derek Bastiman.

Neither Kevin Hollinrake MP nor Cllr Janet Sanderson attended last night’s meeting, though they had been speakers at a previous meeting. Four councillors from neighbouring East Yorkshire, including a former council leader, were at last night’s event.

Mr Parsons said:

“I would not let them [Mr Hollinrake and Cllr Sanderson] get away with that. If they’re not prepared to engage with you, who are they representing? Your councillor should be here. Your MP should be here.”

He said if they were not supportive, the public should know about it.

Chris Garforth, of FFCC, said the group had put its arguments about the Burniston plans to the 90 individual members of North Yorkshire Council and 15 members of the strategic planning committee that decided the Burniston application.

But he warned:

“Keeping up the momentum in a campaign, keeping it alive in people’s minds, requires effort. We’ve used newsletters. We have a What’s App group. We’ve tried to use press, radio and TV as much as we can. We use social media. We have a very good website.”

He said the company behind the Burniston plans, Europa Oil & Gas, would appeal against the refusal of planning permission. It was “crucial to maintain momentum and stop interest flagging”, he said.

David Eddy, a member of Drawing the Line in the Chalk, called for people with expertise in campaigning, fundraising, media, traffic and  to join the campaign.

He told the meeting there had been more than 500 objections to the plans so far and the village had set a target of 1,000. Foxholes Parish Council had objected on 45 individual grounds.

After the meeting, Mr Eddy said:

“The inspirational speakers contributed to a hugely educational meeting, which has re-energised Drawing a Line in the Chalk and the community. It starkly illustrated the challenges and obstacles we face whilst also offering support and potential solutions to explore.”

Other tips

Speakers at the meeting also gave the following advice:

Campaigning

Be seen: Be creative and produce eye-catching banners and posters.

Fundraising: Use fundraising events as a further way of raising awareness.

Take advice: Learn from the experience of other groups that have experience of oil and gas campaigns.

Local expertise: Use local skills in design, marketing, broadcasting, fundraising, technical expertise.

The case

Use new legislation: A new law protects the setting and core of a National Landscape, the new name for Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Foxholes is in the setting of the new Yorkshire Wolds National Landscape. If the proposed lorry route over Staxton Hill were blocked, heavy goods vehicles visiting the site could be diverted through the new National Landscape.

Existing planning policy: National Planning Policy Framework, paragraph 112, which requires mineral planning authorities to be satisfied that key issues can be or will be adequately addressed, by taking advice from relevant regulatory regimes.

Revised planning policy: Use the revised National Planning Policy Framework, which is due to remove a requirement to give “great weight” to the benefits of onshore oil and gas.

Keep an eye on fracking: Just because the Foxholes application does not include proppant squeeze or lower-volume fracking, it could be applied for in future.

Water security: What would happen if the chalk aquifer were contaminated? No one knows the answer to this so how could the application be approved? If there is a risk, it can’t be allowed to happen.

Climate policy: Is the scheme compatible with North Yorkshire’s net zero targets and climate emergency goals?

Planning meeting

Be prepared: In five-minute presentations to the committee, coordinate with other opponents to avoid repetition. Focus on major problems with the application, weaknesses in the officer’s report and areas you can prove, disprove or doubt.

Making your case: Outline evidence in a clear, concise, professional manner that councillors can understand.

Don’t assume: Don’t think you are guaranteed success.

Dividing line: Ensure there is a clear dividing line between the parish council and community groups. This gives another opportunity for an objection presentation at the planning meeting.

Demonstration: Organise a peaceful demonstration outside the planning meeting.

Expert help: If a decision goes to appeal, get expert legal and planning help.

Update: Asked about the meeting, Cllr Janet Sanderson said:

“I did not attend this meeting because I attended another parish with a very difficult issue and a public appeal hearing the following day. I have been voted to serve communities, but I have around 28 parishes in my division and I have to prioritise which ones need it greatest at the time.

“I await the response form the LPA, for your information, I have recently been invited to lunch at an exclusive restaurant with a gas company developer. I refused lunch but I will meet with them to hear their views unencumbered by the lure of a free lunch or an attempt to sway my opinion. I will listen to everyone and make my own mind up as to how I think the community will be best served irrespective of my position at the next election.

“I understand your concerns, I respect your views, I await hard evidence.”

Link to a poem by Margaret Gormley, which closed the meeting

A tank battery on the Range Resources Bier Albert well pad is located directly behind a daycare in Washington County, PA

Have you ever read the children’s story, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? It’s a tale that shows how one event can lead to another before escalating into an uncontrollable chain of events – all starting with a single cookie. 

Unfortunately, this principle doesn’t just apply to mice, cookies, and milk. It’s also at work when governments allow polluting infrastructure into communities. And, it’s one of the many reasons Earthworks opposes the permitting of well pads close to homes, schools, and other vulnerable locations.

Each new piece of equipment on the pad lowers air quality and can worsen health.

Last month, Earthworks submitted comments to the Allegheny County Board of Health in Pennsylvania. The comments opposed an air quality permit for adding yet another piece of equipment to a fracked well pad that is already polluting backyards in West Deer Township. The well pad, called Leto, is located just 650 feet from homes – a few minutes walk from families’ front porches. 

The Leto pad already included polluting equipment when initially approved. Now, Leto’s operator, EQT, is asking the county to approve the addition of a new piece of equipment on the pad: a tri-ethylene glycol dehydration unit.

While the name is complex, the concept is simple: a dehydration unit has the potential to add tons of additional pollution into the air of the surrounding community. Nearly 70 tons, to be exact. 

This includes about 40 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), more than 18 tons of carbon monoxide, around 8 tons of nitrogen oxides, almost 4 tons of hazardous air pollutants, and just over 1 ton of particulate matter. Breathing in this toxic pollution can increase cancer, heart disease, respiratory illness, birth defects, and other serious health impacts. 

Signage for the Leto Well Pad and Leto Compressor Station stands at the facility entrance in Allegheny County, PA.

Neighbors in West Deer have been breathing in pollution from the Leto well pad since drilling began last year. They have already been exposed to noxious fumes from an unreported chemical spill in the fall. And the impacts add up – each new piece of equipment on the pad lowers air quality and can worsen health. And other wells built nearby have a combined effect. 

Unfortunately, Pennslylvania treats polluting infrastructure in isolation.

PennEnviroScreen data shows that the Leto well pad is located in a community that is already in the 90th percentile for cancer diagnoses and the 78th percentile for heart disease diagnoses in the state of Pennsylvania. It is also home to a large population of seniors, at the 98th percentile for residents age 65 and older. This is a vulnerable population that is already breathing in toxic air emissions (72nd percentile), but the combined effects of air pollution are not considered in Pennsylvania’s laws.

That’s why Earthworks has been fighting for years to increase setback distances, or “protective buffers” – the minimum distance required between well pads, compressor stations, and other equipment, and homes, schools, hospitals, and other vulnerable locations. It’s why we support policies that take into account cumulative impacts, or the combined effects of pollution from the total of all facilities that lower air quality in a community. 

Other states, like Colorado, have adopted a 2,000 foot setback distance; and just a few weeks ago, regulators there acknowledged that this distance may not even be enough. In Pennsylvania, the minimum setback distance is just 500 feet – the length of a football field. And even that distance can be easily waived – meaning wells are built even closer to homes.

A plume of partially combusted emissions from the EQT Caton well pad moves in the direction of a house directly next to the site in Washington County, PA.

As part of Protective Buffers PA, we are pushing for a 1km distance between fracked well pads and homes, and greater distances for schools, hospitals, and other vulnerable locations. 

Back in December, Pennsylvania’s Environmental Quality Board voted for our coalition’s petition to advance to the next stage in Pennsylvania’s regulatory process, requiring the Department of Environmental Protection to produce a report studying the petition. Thousands of Pennsylvania residents have signed petitions and sent postcards to the Shapiro administration asking the Governor to take action to increase setbacks based on his own 2020 Grand Jury Report recommendations. Understandably, many residents feel they have waited long enough.

Tired of waiting, some townships are taking action on their own. 

Communities like Cecil Township in Washington County are standing up and creating their own rules, enacting a 2500-foot setback ordinance to protect their residents. Others, like West Deer in Allegheny County, are pushing back – well pad by well pad and dehydrator by dehydrator – until setback distances are increased. And Earthworks is standing with them.

Because we’ve seen how the industry works. First, it’s one well pad; then, a request for more polluting equipment; then another pad, and another, and more permits for more equipment. Without guardrails, an entire community can be overrun with polluting oil and gas infrastructure. 

So we’ll keep submitting comments, permit by permit, and keep pushing for policy change at the township and state level. Because we know that if you give a polluter a well pad, they’ll want more. And we think communities like West Deer have already experienced enough.

The post Lessons from a Children’s Story: If You Give the Oil and Gas Industry a Wellpad appeared first on Earthworks.

Heavy Rainfall and Dam Failures Top of Mind for Vale’s Investors and Impacted Communities 

Leia este post em português.

Communities impacted by mining in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais and their allies in civil society raising the alarm about the risks posed by climate change to Brazilian mining giant Vale’s operations. Climate change is leading to more frequent heavy rainfall in Brazil. That rainfall is putting additional stress on the storage facilities that Vale uses to manage toxic mine waste. The concerns have also risen to the level of the company’s investors.

Mining creates huge amounts of toxic waste, or tailings. This waste remains toxic forever, so storing it safely is an important part of any mining operation. Tailings storage facilities must be able to withstand changing climate conditions in order to protect people and the environment, including future generations. When they fail, polluted water or toxic mud can endanger lives, drinking water, and ecosystems downstream.

Courts suspend Vale’s mining license due to climate concerns

Based on climate change concerns, in December of 2025, a federal court ordered the suspension of the environmental license for an expansion of the Germano complex at the Samarco mine, a joint venture between Vale and BHP, in the municipality of Mariana. 

Mariana was the site of the tailing dam failure that is considered to be the worst ecological disaster the country has ever seen. On November 3, 2015, a 40 million cubic meter avalanche of mine waste killed 19 people and contaminated 668 km of rivers and watersheds before finally reaching the Atlantic Ocean. The waste spread across 39 municipalities, displaced 500 families and ultimately affected 3 million people living in the contaminated watersheds. 

Vale and BHP have proposed expanding mining operations at the site, which would include new tailings dams. A class action lawsuit filed by residents of the community of Bento Rodrigues, one of the towns destroyed in the 2015 failure, alleged the mining company did not adequately consider the likelihood that future rainfall will exceed historical levels due to climate change.  The Instituto Cordilheira, a Brazilian organization working with communities impacted by mining, claims this is the first time that a legal decision has suspended mining activity in the state of Minas Gerais on the basis of the lack of information about climate change. 

The Samarco mine’s expansion license was revoked because of concerns around climate change. Two Vale mine facilities overflow

Concerns around the impacts of climate change on Vale’s operations escalated in January of 2026 when two mining structures overflowed and flooded at Vale’s Mina de Fábrica and Mina de Viga in the municipalities of Congonhas and Ouro Preto. This flooding started exactly six years to the day after the catastrophic tailings dam failure at Vale’s mine in Brumadinho, which killed 272 people. In Congonhas, 262,000 cubic meters of sediment and water flowed into the surrounding area. These overflows flooded another mine downstream owned by CSN, and ran into rivers and streams. The company was fined by the state government of Minas Gerais and the municipal government of Congonhas.

A sign in front of a ruined building in Bento Rodrigues reads “So you’ll never forget.” Experts and investors question safety as rainfall increases

Organizations monitoring Vale’s operations are worried that Vale is not prepared for climate events associated with increased rainfall. Daniela Campolina from the research group Grupo de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão: Educação, Mineração e Território (EduMiTe), said “It is crucial that Vale S.A. review its tailings dams in light of climate change and strictly adhere to dam classification legislation—a basic requirement for risk management and transparency. The events of January 25, 2026 occurred without extreme rainfall, which indicates inadequate safety measures and heightens the sense of insecurity in the affected areas. Many of the tailings dams in the state are old, built before national environmental and dam safety policies were established. Poor safety standards create risks for long stretches of rivers that are critical for densely populated regions of Minas Gerais and Brazil.” EduMiTe has catalogued the number of tailings dams and their associated risks in the State of Minas Gerais. 

Climate change resilience is also a serious concern for Vale’s investors. The Local Area Pension Fund (LAPFF), a UK based investor group representing local governments whose members’ assets exceed £425bn, has questioned Vale’s preparedness to address the impacts of unpredictable weather patterns resulting from climate change on their mining operations.  

According to Cllr. Doug McMurdo, LAPFF Chair, “The January 2026 water overflows at Vale’s Fábrica and Viga sites in Minas Gerais, which authorities said caused environmental damage after reaching the Maranhão River, were deeply concerning. The timing, coinciding with the anniversary of the 2019 Brumadinho disaster, was particularly difficult. Alongside recent legal and regulatory scrutiny of proposed expansion at Samarco’s Germano Complex in the Mariana region, these events raise serious questions about how climate adaptation and physical risk are being governed and managed across Vale’s operations. As long‑term investors, LAPFF expects Vale to clearly demonstrate how it is strengthening the climate resilience of its assets and infrastructure, embedding weather and water‑related risks into project approvals and expansion decisions, and ensuring these risks, and importantly their implications for communities, the environment, and human rights, are subject to robust, transparent, and accountable Board‑level oversight.”

Vale’s mines create ongoing risk and contribute to climate change

A report published by Earthworks in 2025 highlighted ongoing risks to the environment, communities and workers associated with Vale’s operations in Minas Gerais. It also pointed out that Vale’s operations contribute to worsening climate change. Vale S.A. is on the list of the 20 largest greenhouse gas emitting companies in the world, according to the MSCI Sustainability Institute Net-Zero Tracker — the only Brazilian company on the list.

The post Climate Change and Increased Risk from Vale’s Mines  appeared first on Earthworks.

A mention of a national forest probably evokes images of pristine wilderness, mountain trails, fall foliage, wildlife habitat, untouched gorges, lakes and rivers. But behind those landscapes is a...

Chuvas intensas e rompimentos de barragens são as principais preocupações dos investidores e das comunidades atingidas pela Vale S.A.

Read this post in English.

As comunidades atingidas pela mineração no estado brasileiro de Minas Gerais e seus aliados da sociedade civil alertam sobre os riscos que as mudanças climáticas representam para as operações da gigante mineradora do Brasil, VALE S.A. As mudanças climáticas estão causando chuvas intensas cada vez mais frequentes no Brasil. Essas chuvas sobrecarregam ainda mais as instalações de contenção que a VALE S.A utiliza para gerenciar resíduos tóxicos da mineração. As preocupações também alcançaram os investidores da empresa.

A mineração gera enormes quantidades de resíduos tóxicos, ou rejeitos. Esses resíduos tóxicos permanecem no sítio para sempre; portanto, sua contenção segura é uma parte importante de qualquer operação de mineração. As instalações de contenção de rejeitos devem ser capazes de resistir às mudanças nas condições climáticas, a fim de proteger as comunidades e o meio ambiente, incluindo as gerações futuras. Quando essas instalações falham, a água poluída ou a lama tóxica podem colocar em risco vidas, o abastecimento de água potável e os ecossistemas a jusante.

Tribunal suspende licença de mineração da VALE S.A. devido a preocupações climáticas

Com base em preocupações relacionadas às mudanças climáticas, em dezembro de 2025, um tribunal federal determinou a suspensão da licença ambiental para a ampliação do complexo Germano na mina da Samarco, uma joint venture entre a VALE S.A. e a BHP, no município de Mariana, Minas Gerais.

Mariana foi o local do rompimento da barragem de rejeitos, considerada o pior desastre ecológico registrado no país. Em 3 de novembro de 2015, uma onda de 40 milhões de metros cúbicos de rejeitos de mineração matou 19 pessoas e contaminou 668 km de rios e bacias hidrográficas antes de finalmente chegar ao Oceano Atlântico. Os rejeitos se espalharam por 39 municípios, desalojaram 500 famílias e, no total, afetaram 3 milhões de pessoas que viviam nas bacias hidrográficas que foram contaminadas.

A VALE S.A e a BHP propuseram a expansão das operações de mineração no local, o que incluiria novas barragens de rejeitos. Uma ação popular movida por moradores da comunidade de Bento Rodrígues, uma das cidades destruídas pelo rompimento de 2015, alegou que a empresa de mineração não levou em consideração de forma adequada a probabilidade de que chuvas futuras excedam os níveis históricos devido às mudanças climáticas. O Instituto Cordilheira, uma organização brasileira que trabalha com comunidades impactadas pela mineração, afirma que esta é a primeira vez que uma decisão judicial suspende atividades de mineração no estado de Minas Gerais com base na falta de estudos a respeito das mudanças climáticas.

A licença de expansão da mina da Samarco foi revogada devido a preocupações relacionadas às mudanças climáticas. Duas instalações de mineração da VALE S.A. sofrem vazamentos

As preocupações em torno dos impactos das mudanças climáticas nas operações da VALE S.A. se intensificaram em janeiro de 2026, quando duas estruturas de mineração vazaram e inundaram a Mina de Fábrica e a Mina de Viga da VALE S.A., nos municípios de Congonhas e Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Essa enchente começou exatamente seis anos depois da catastrófica ruptura da barragem de rejeitos na mina da VALE S.A. em Brumadinho (MG), que matou 272 pessoas. Em Congonhas (MG), 262,000 metros cúbicos de sedimentos e água fluíram para a área ao redor. Esses vazamentos inundaram outra mina, propriedade da CSN, a jusante e se espalharam por rios e córregos. A empresa foi multada pelo governo estadual de Minas Gerais e pela prefeitura de Congonhas.

Prédio destruído em Bento Rodrigues Especialistas e investidores questionam a segurança à medida que as chuvas aumentam

Organizações que monitoram as operações da VALE S.A. têm receio de que a empresa não esteja preparada para eventos climáticos associados ao aumento das chuvas. Daniela Campolina, do Grupo de Ensino, Pesquisa e Extensão: Educação, Mineração e Território (EduMiTe), afirmou “É imprescindível que a VALE S.A. revise suas estruturas de contenção de rejeitos considerando as mudanças climáticas e cumpra rigorosamente a legislação de enquadramento— condição básica para a gestão de riscos e a transparência. Os eventos de 25 de janeiro de 2026  ocorreram mesmo sem a caracterização de chuvas extremas, o que indica uma insuficiência dos parâmetros de segurança adotados e amplia a sensação de insegurança nos territórios. Muitas das barragens são antigas, construídas antes mesmo de políticas nacionais de meio ambiente e de segurança de barragens. Padrões de segurança deficientes geram riscos para longas extensões de rios estratégicos para regiões densamente povoadas de Minas Gerais e do Brasil.” O EduMiTe catalogou o número de barragens de rejeitos e os riscos associados a elas no Estado de Minas Gerais.

A resiliência às mudanças climáticas também é uma grande preocupação para os investidores da VALE S.A. O Local Area Pension Fund (LAPFF), um grupo de investidores sediado no Reino Unido que representa governos locais e cujos membros possuem ativos que ultrapassam 425 bilhões de libra esterlinas, questionou a preparação da VALE S.A. para lidar com os impactos dos padrões climáticos imprevisíveis decorrentes das mudanças climáticas em suas operações de mineração. 

Segundo o vereador Doug McMurdo, presidente da LAPFF, “Os vazamentos de água ocorridos em janeiro de 2026 nas instalações da VALE S.A. em Fábrica e Viga, em Minas Gerais, que de acordo com as autoridades causaram danos ambientais após atingirem o rio Maranhão, foram motivo de grande preocupação. O momento, que coincidiu com o aniversário do desastre de Brumadinho em 2019, foi particularmente difícil. Além do recente escrutínio jurídico e regulatório sobre a proposta de expansão do Complexo Germano da Samarco na região de Mariana (MG), esses eventos levantam sérias questões sobre como a adaptação climática e os riscos físicos estão sendo governados e gerenciados nas operações da VALE S.A. Como investidores de longo prazo, o LAPFF espera que a VALE S.A. demonstre claramente como está fortalecendo a resiliência climática de seus ativos e infraestrutura, incorporando riscos relacionados ao clima e à água nas aprovações de projetos e decisões de expansão, e garantindo que esses riscos — e, principalmente, suas implicações para as comunidades, o meio ambiente e os direitos humanos — sejam sujeitos a uma supervisão robusta, transparente e responsável por parte do Conselho de Administração.”

As minas da VALE S.A representam um risco contínuo e contribuem às mudanças climáticas

Um relatório publicado pela Earthworks em 2025 destacou os riscos contínuos para o meio ambiente, as comunidades e os trabalhadores associados às operações da VALE S.A. em Minas Gerais. O relatório também apontou que as operações da VALE S.A. contribuem para agravar as mudanças climáticas. A VALE S.A. está na lista das 20 maiores empresas emissoras de gases de efeito estufa do mundo, de acordo com o MSCI Sustainability Institute Net-Zero Tracker — a única empresa brasileira na lista.

The post Mudanças climáticas e riscos aumentados nas minas da VALE S.A. appeared first on Earthworks.

The plans governing U.S. public land use usually develop slowly, the product of years—or even decades—of deliberation and input from ranchers, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, Tribes...

Sixteen Big Tech CEOs will be joining President Trump on his upcoming summit with president Xi Jinping in China this week, according to media reports. The Big Tech executives in attendance are expected to include Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook.

In response, Public Citizen co-president Robert Weissman issued the following statement:

“It’s telling that when Donald Trump wants to put technology on the agenda for discussion with China, he turns to the Big Tech executives who are his donors, flatterers and enablers, rather than policy experts who might represent the national interest instead of corporate interests.

“Big Tech companies have spent at least $653 million cozying up to President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress – including donations to Trump’s inauguration, his gaudy ballroom and his political committees, pricey settlements of bad-faith lawsuits filed by Trump, and Amazon’s sponsorship of the Melania documentary. Big Tech executives’ participation in Trump’s China visit is yet another example of how they are getting back far more than they ever paid in.“

Today, the New Mexico Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) accepted a rulemaking petition filed by an oil and gas industry-led organization that would begin the process to create a rule allowing oil and gas wastewater—called “produced water”—to be discharged to New Mexico surface and ground waters and used in agriculture. Produced water is a toxic soup of chemicals that the WQCC concluded less than a year ago in a prior rulemaking could not be treated to levels safe to discharge into the state’s waters. The existing rule banning produced water discharge went into effect 10 months ago and is available here. As written, the new industry-proposed rule would be one of the most permissive rules on oil and gas wastewater discharge nationwide.

Accepting the rulemaking petition and scheduling a hearing is the first step in a long rulemaking process. Technical testimony and arguments on the merits of the proposed rule will be heard in a multi-day hearing to be scheduled at a later date.

The Western Environmental Law Center, representing Amigos Bravos, Sierra Club, and Citizens Caring for the Future, argued two motions in opposition to the petition at last month’s WQCC meeting. Despite almost four hours of public testimony at last month’s meeting, the vast majority of which in opposition, and multiple motions and arguments against the petition from groups that have officially entered as parties in the matter, the WQCC voted 7-4 to move forward with the rulemaking.

“I’m disappointed the commission voted today to consider allowing discharge of oil and gas’ wastewater and threatening New Mexico rivers, streams, and ground water,” said Tannis Fox, senior attorney at the Western Environmental Law Center. “The protective rule adopted less than one year ago underwent a rigorous debate, spanning 18 months and hundreds of pages of expert testimony. But the oil and gas industry won’t take no for an answer and the New Mexico Environment Department is sitting on the sidelines while industry proposes to undo the rule NMED proposed and its scientists supported with expert testimony during the first rulemaking.”

“I can’t believe we are back here,” said Rachel Conn, deputy director of Amigos Bravos. “How many times do we as New Mexicans who care about clean water have to stand up to defeat this ill-advised effort to discharge toxic oil and gas wastewater into our rivers, streams and groundwater? The rule passed last year, after an 18-month process with days of technical testimony, protects our water by prohibiting discharge while encouraging the development of science and treatment technology through pilot projects. We have entered as a party in this new rulemaking and will be presenting a technical case in opposition to discharge of this toxic wastewater.”

“For more than 50 years, the Water Quality Control Commission has based its decisions on science to ensure we protect our ground and surface waters from contaminants that can harm humans as well as animal and plant life,” said Dale Doremus, a former state hydrologist now with the Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter. “It is critical that we have science-based water quality standards, promulgated by the commission, for all possible contaminants in produced water before any discharge to ground and surface water is considered. For a rule this important to New Mexico’s water quality future, it should be the Environment Department bringing forward a proposed rule, not the industry that will be regulated.”

“Many of my neighbors here in southern New Mexico have told me they are worried that the risk of contaminating the clean water they use for irrigation and watering their animals with the chemicals in oil and gas waste is not worth the small water quantity produced water would provide,” said Haley Jones, organizer for Citizens Caring for the Future. “Clean water is extremely precious down here, and we can not afford to risk spoiling this resource that is so critical to our southern New Mexico communities.”

As seen in previous meetings and hearings on produced water, New Mexicans showed up in force at last month’s meeting to give public comment in opposition to the proposed industry rule that, if adopted, would allow discharge of produced water into New Mexico’s ground and surface waters. Additional opportunities for public comment will be provided during the hearing on the petition.

Background
In the Permian Basin of southeastern New Mexico and Texas, oil and gas extraction brings to the surface an average of about four barrels of “produced water” per barrel of oil, and as much as 12 barrels. Produced water contains hundreds of known and unknown chemicals, many of which are toxic to human health and the environment. Some of those chemicals are industry “trade secret” fracking chemicals undisclosed to the public. The industry has historically injected this waste back underground, which is expensive and can cause earthquakes and water contamination. The oil and gas industry has a very expensive problem of what to do with this waste.

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) petitioned the WQCC in December 2023 to adopt a rule to prohibit all discharges of produced water to ground and surface waters. NMED based its petition on the best available science, which shows that produced water contains toxic chemicals harmful to human health and the environment, and that technologies to effectively treat produced water so it is safe are not available at scale. NMED supported its petition with the expert testimony from five of its scientists with expertise in protecting the state’s ground and surface water.

Amigos Bravos and Sierra Club, represented by Western Environmental Law Center, supported the prohibition with expert testimony, demonstrating based on peer-reviewed literature that we don’t know all the chemicals in produced water, a mixture of fracking fluids and underground water for which there is no effective treatment. Moreover, the state of New Mexico does not have surface water quality standards for at least 180 potentially toxic chemicals in produced water. While the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, New Mexico’s most powerful industry lobbying behemoth, opposed the ban on discharge, one of its primary experts testified that discharge of treated produced water at scale is premature.

In May 2025, the WQCC adopted a rule completely banning produced water discharge to ground and surface waters effective from July 12, 2025 through December 31, 2030. The existing rule also allows non-discharging pilot projects for further research on treatment.

Before the rule entered into force, an oil and gas industry group filed a new rulemaking petition that would be plagued with controversy. After Gov. Lujan Grisham’s office ordered department heads to get the industry-written rule “over the finished line” [sic], public outcry forced the WQCC to reverse its decision to undertake a new rulemaking. Today, the WQCC decided to undertake a rulemaking hearing for yet another industry-proposed rule less than a year after adopting the five-year ban on produced water discharge.

Contacts:

Tannis Fox, Western Environmental Law Center, 505-629-0732, fox@westernlaw.org

Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos, 575-770-8327, rconn@amigosbravos.org

Dale Doremus, Sierra Club Rio Grande Chapter, 505-795-5987, doremuswater@gmail.com

The post NM Water Commission caves to industry, will make rule reversing 11-month-old fracking wastewater discharge ban appeared first on Western Environmental Law Center.

In this issue:

May Day / 350PDX needs a new home / May 21 action night: candidate meet & greet! / Support PCEF / Oppose federal bill to give immunity to Big Oil / Forest Defense team news / Arts team news / Volunteer spotlight / Book Club /Join the team & support 350PDX / Washington County team / SW team

Today is May Day! Join 350PDX and over 80 other organizations across Portland in a tremendous day of community power to show our unity.

When billionaires break every rule, it’s going to take more than a rally to stop them. Meet at the South Park Blocks at 12:00pm for a community tabling fair, rally at 1:00pm, and then we march at 3:30pm! Join the “Environmental Contingent” by meeting up at 2:45pm in front of the Portland Art Museum!! Look for the big banner that says “looters and polluters.” Sign up here for May Day event updates.

We’re looking for a new home! Our incredible workshop space in the Rebuilding Center is being sold and we have to be out by June. We’re continuing to search for new space in inner/central Portland (near transit) for office co-working, Action Nights, art builds, and a roost for our puppets and community gatherings. We’re on a nonprofit budget and love sharing space with aligned groups. Have a lead? We’d love to hear from you. Reply to this email or reach out to us at Jessicavaughan@350PDX.org.

May 21: Candidate Meet + Greet

We’re kicking off our 2026 Vote for Climate Justice campaign with an opportunity to meet District 3 and 4 candidates for City Council. At least a dozen candidates will be present. Show up to share how important climate justice issues are to voters!

Enjoy finger food and drinks, get to know candidates, ask about their climate priorities, and communicate your concerns and hopes. We’ll host a brief program where each candidate can share their climate policy ideas.

When: Thursday, May 21, 6:30–8:30pm

Where: First Unitarian, 1211 SW Main St

RSVP (helpful but not required)

Support PCEF, Trees, & a Healthy Climate in the City Budget

Mayor Wilson released a proposed budget last week and City Council is working on amendments.

Good news: thanks in part to your advocacy, the proposed budget includes two new staff members for the Sustainability Office, and does not currently include using PCEF for Moda Center renovations!

Bad news: the proposal suggests using Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) for things unrelated to climate, equity, and clean energy—such as crime prevention and houseless camp sweeps. The proposal also cuts PCEF-funded jobs that would develop an equitable tree canopy.

Now that we have the proposed budget, it’s time to speak up! Talking points and prewritten email for City Council here!

Oppose federal bill: immunity to big oil companies

After months of fossil fuel industry lobbying, federal legislation was introduced in April to give fossil fuel companies total legal immunity from laws or lawsuits that could hold them accountable for fueling the climate crisis and lying about it. This means we couldn’t pass bills like the Make Polluters Pay legislation, which we worked on this past year. Write your members of Congress today demanding that they reject efforts to shield the fossil fuel industry, and make them accountable for their role in the climate crisis. Learn more here. You can also sign this petition.

Forest Defense Team

Stop by the Forest Defense Team’s latest art installation at Costello’s Cafe and Bakery! Members will be there to connect on Saturday, May 9th at 2PM. 2222 NE Broadway.

Join Forest Defense Team members in writing to keep more than 2 million acres of Oregon’s National Forest lands wild. The Trump Administration is proposing to open ecologically intact areas to road-building and logging. Learn more about the Roadless Rule and submit your own comment here.

Our team meets every other Monday, alternating between in-person and online meetings. Please contact tyler@350pdx.org for more information.

Arts Team Thank you for joining us at Sunnyside Environmental School for the 5th Annual Earth Day Celebration! We had a wonderful, joyous time with you all.
Making its first appearance—and the last puppet to emerge from our already missed wonderful work space—is Crow. Crow strutted through SE Portland, and gave voice to silent animals needing humans to give them more respect. For Crow that means a clean environment, more urban trees, and shade equity. More Earth Day photos and video here! No Artbuild for May! We’re worn out, plus our Second Sunday spot is on the Mothers Day for Peace, named by Julia Ward Howe, so we’ll be home celebrating. We’re all moving soon, and we hope to see more Art Teamsters with more ideas in June, in a workshop yet to be determined! See you then!

Donna, Lauren, Dannika, Allison

 

Volunteer Spotlight Arthi Vijaykumar

Arthi came to 350PDX in 2024, looking to combat their climate anxiety with action. They were a semiconductor engineer and felt that working on corporate sustainability interventions alone could not address the severity of the climate crisis today. They were drawn to the Fossil Fuel Resistance team because they wanted to stand up directly to the corporations that got us all into this mess.

Over the past couple years, Arthi has been active in the Stop Zenith and CEI Hub campaigns. They have also been representing 350PDX in a larger state-level campaign to stop data centers. They appreciate how 350PDX gives volunteer organizers ample opportunities and support to follow their passions. Working with 350PDX has taught them so much about movement building, local policy and the environment, and they are grateful to be able to share this space with like-minded community members.

Outside of 350PDX, Arthi loves doing anything outdoorsy, reading books and cooking vegan food. They will be moving to Vancouver, B.C. in August to pursue a graduate research program in interdisciplinary resource and environmental studies. This career change was undoubtedly spurred by their experience organizing with 350PDX.

Book Club

The 350PDX Book Club meets every month on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. Every other month is in person and the others are virtual. Reach out to books@350PDX.org with any questions or to join our list, and please RSVP so we can inform you of any meeting changes.

Join us on Wednesday, June 3 at 6:30pm for our next non-fiction in-person meeting. We’ll discuss Eight Bears: Mythic Past and Imperiled Future by Gloria Dickie, a global exploration of the eight remaining species of bears―and the dangers they face. We are still picking a location for this gathering, so be sure to RSVP at books@350PDX.org so we can keep you updated!

Save the date for our other upcoming discussions:

• Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30pm (Google Meet) – Hospicing Modernity: Facing Humanity’s Wrongs and the Implications for Social Activism by Vanessa Machado De Oliveira

• Wednesday, July 1 at 6:30pm (Google Meet) – Book to be selected in June

• Wednesday, August 5 at 6:30pm (In Person) – Book to be selected soon

Do you like to talk about books and climate justice? We are seeking volunteers to help facilitate! Contact books@350PDX.org to learn more.

Join the team & support 350PDX

Don’t miss out: there’s still time to get one of our coveted “another world is possible” tote bags and win cool prizes by becoming a 350PDX Monthly Donor(or increasing your current monthly donation)! You get a tote bag by setting up (or increasing) a monthly donation of any amount. Monthly, ongoing gifts from members of our community are the most important ways to support our local climate justice work. Please consider joining us by becoming a monthly donor this spring – we are so grateful!

Hungry for another great way to support 350PDX? You’re in luck – your favorite cornmeal crust pizza, Dove Vivi, is partnering with 350PDX again this year. Every Tuesday in May you can dine in or get take out from Dove Vivi and 10% of their proceeds will go towards our work. A true win-win! 

Washington County Team

Our next gathering will be our regular monthly online meetup at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 12. In April we hosted Robin Straughn, Sustainability & Resiliency Manager for the City of Hillsboro. She walked attendees through the recently approved Climate Action Plan for Hillsboro and answered questions. We are partnering with the City of Hillsboro to plan a second Electrification and Sustainability Fair in downtown Hillsboro on Saturday July 18, so please mark your calendars now!

We always welcome newcomers to our events and to our monthly online meetings (6:30pm on the second Tuesday of the month). For the link, join us here or contact us at 350washco@gmail.com.

Southwest Neighborhood Team Sign up to volunteer at our kiosk at SW Sunday Parkways on Sunday, May 17. We have two hour shifts during this all day event (11:00am to 4:00pm). Come out and talk with your neighbors, and help distribute our Climate Action Now yard signs. Volunteer sign up here. Our street corner demonstrations continue weekly in May, every Friday from 3:00-4:00 pm at SW Garden Home & SW Oleson Rd. Street parking is available or reach us via bus or bike. We have extra signs to share! Join our monthly Zoom meeting on Monday, May 18th, from 6:30-7:30 pm. To get involved, please contact Pat Kaczmarek at patk5@msn.com.

Note, in last month’s newsletter, we shared video of our puppets at No Kings. We want to clarify that the giant Trump and Stephen Miller puppets in that video were made by the wonderful Indivisible Oregon Arts Team-Puppet Brigade!

Thank you for reading our monthly newsletter. We hope to see you soon!

With gratitude,

Cherice, Dineen, Irene, Jessica, and Noelle

The post 2026 May Newsletter! appeared first on 350PDX: Climate Justice.

Cover Reveal

WE, THE DROWNING by Lindz McLeod
hopeful dystopian climate fiction
Coming September 29, 2026 from Android Press
Pre-order now

ARE YOU PARCHED OR DROWNING?

In a world divided between drought and drowning, one young man must decide what it truly means to live—and what humanity owes the Earth that sustains it.

Cole has spent his entire life among the Parched, a desert community clinging to survival in a world torn by climate disaster and collapse. The Parched conserve every drop, mend what can be saved, and believe humanity’s only hope is resisting extinction.

Then a girl washes ashore… alive.

She belongs to the Flooded, a religious movement where members believe humanity must drown to give the planet a second chance, and so sacrifice themselves to the sea. For some unknown reason, the Flooded have been kidnapping people of the Parched tribes.

When the leader of Cole’s tribe asks him to question the girl, he learns things that turn his life upside down. Now, whispers of war ripple through the Parched villages, and leaders speak of wiping out the Flooded entirely.

With his world fractured and desperate for answers, Cole sets out alone across hostile territory toward the Flooded lands. What he finds there will force him to question everything he’s ever known.

What if humanity can’t be saved?

What if the Flooded aren’t a dangerous cult? What if survival isn’t the same as salvation?

Solarpunk Magazine Issue #27

Issue #27 is now available and features:

Cover Art
“In My Hands” by Paula Hammond

Short Stories
“Radio Free Luna, Signing Off” by Sylvie Althoff
“Between Mortar and Magic” by Alex Vossler
“What the Sea Remembers” by Dennis Mombauer

Poetry
“Pulsar, Phlox” by Devan Barlow
“The Prayer Shrub” by Zoleikha Baloch

Essay
“Occupation of Palestine” by Aya Al-Hattab

Book Review
“Repair is Not a Gadget: A Review of The Wildcraft Drones by T.K. Rex” by Justine Norton-Kertson

Get Issue #27 Demand Utopia: A Solarpunk Podcast

Our podcast is back and has dropped five new episodes so far! You can listen on our website, on YouTube (with subtitles), or wherever you prefer to get your podcasts!

Conceptualizing Security in a Time of Deep Civilizational Crisis Date and time * Date: June 4th, 2026 * Time: 1pm GMT * Registration Link: Here * Speakers: Manuel Rozental (Colombia), Deepa Sinha (India) and (TBC) * Moderation: Introduction alternativesalternativesalternatives

The future of the Greater Sage-Grouse, and the health of the broader sagebrush ecosystem, has long been shaped by land-use decisions spread across millions of acres of the American West. In January...

Events Upcoming events Conceptualizing security in a time of deep civilizational crisis - June 4th The first webinar will open the series with a conceptual discussion on security in a time of deep civilizational crisis. It will examine how security has traditionally been framed through the international order, the nation-state, sovereignty, militarization, and the management of threats, while asking how communities and movements are challenging this paradigm today.AlternativesalternativesTa…

Stop the nuclear gravy train!

The post A huge corporate welfare handout for Bruce Power appeared first on Ontario Clean Air Alliance.