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Wyoming Outdoor Council Biodiversity Associates Oil and Gas Accountability Project Powder River Basin Resource Council Northern Plains Resource Council American Rivers

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Report on the Powder River (71KB pdf) Endangered Rivers Report (2MB pdf) Maps of Powder River Basin Native Fish in the Powder River Photos of the Powder River WY Department of Environmental Quality WY-DEQ CBM communications MT Department of Environmental Quality WY-Bureau of Land Management MT-Bureau of Land Management MT-BLM: Miles City Field Office WY Oil & Gas Conservation Commission MT Board of Oil and Gas Conservation WY State Engineer's Office MT Department of Natural Resources MT Ground-Water Information Center WY State Geological Survey MT Bureau of Mines and Geology U .S. Geological Survey

April 2, 2002
Contact Information

(Washington, DC) - Today, American Rivers named the Powder River as one of the nation's Most Endangered Rivers for 2002, citing rapid growth in the coal bed methane (CBM) industry, which is discharges millions of gallons of poor quality water to the river each year. At a series of press conferences and other events today, American Rivers and dozens of environmental, outdoor recreation, and taxpayer groups announced its annual list of the nation's most endangered rivers, placing the Powder River at the #6 spot on the list of 11.

"There could be 139,000 coal bed methane wells in the Powder River basin by the end of the decade," said American Rivers President Rebecca R. Wodder. "Despite this, federal and state agencies have yet to formulate an adequate plan for minimizing the environmental consequences of drilling in the Powder River basin."

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has predicted that the total number of CBM wells in just the Wyoming portion of the Powder River basin could reach as many as 139,000 wells by 2010. Once a well site has been identified, a truck-mounted drilling rig bores into the aquifer and begins pumping the water to the surface, which liberates the trapped gas. During the first stage of the extraction process, approximately 15,000 gallons of groundwater are pumped out of a CBM well every day.

"The Bureau of Land Management recently predicted that 1.4 trillion gallons of groundwater will be discharged over the next 8 years," said Michele Barlow with the Wyoming Outdoor Council. "The threat to the River and Basin is of monster proportions. Public land and mineral resources should not be irreparably exploited for corporate profit-making."

Generally too salty for irrigation, the water is typically dumped into artificial reservoirs or nearby creeks - accelerating erosion in the tributaries, and altering the natural flows and salinity levels in the mainstem of the Powder River. Declining water quality in the river concerns ranchers and irrigators in Wyoming and in Montana. Moreover, 80% of Wyoming residents get their drinking water from wells, but little is known about the effects of massive water withdrawals from coal aquifers on the region's water supply.

A coalition of conservation groups have proposed a series of steps for the BLM to protect the river basin, including science-based adaptive management; a moratorium on new federal CBM leases; and a development process in which disturbed areas are reclaimed before drilling is allowed to proceed in new areas. American Rivers urged the BLM to adopt these recommendations in its final Environmental Impact Statement, due later this year, which will assess the actions needed to address the consequences of the anticipated 51,000 CBM wells.

On the national front: Sweeping changes wanted at the Corps of Engineers

In a special chapter of this year's Most Endangered Rivers report, American Rivers revealed a startling statistic: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has played a role in 60% of the river listings during the last 15 years. The report

ARMY CORPS INFORMATION

Information on the Corps More Background Information Christian Science Monitor Editorial Investor's Business Daily - Article The New York Times Editorial Wall Street Journal Editorial Washington Post Editorial

documents the damage done to America's rivers in the name of flood control and navigation, the failure of many Corps projects to deliver promised economic benefits, and the agency's tremendous waste of tax dollars.

American Rivers called for sweeping legislative reforms to the agency, including independent review of the economic and environmental analyses the Corps submits to Congress to justify its projects. The group expressed optimism that a growing bipartisan consensus among lawmakers could give impetus to efforts to address the Corps' longstanding problems.

"With our rivers and their wildlife in continued decline and many worthwhile federal programs tightening their belts, the Corps cannot be allowed to continue with business as usual," Wodder said.

About America's Most Endangered Rivers

Each year, American Rivers solicits nominations from thousands of river groups, environmental organizations, outdoor clubs, and taxpayer watchdogs for the America's Most Endangered Rivers report. Inspired by the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted" list, the report highlights the rivers facing the most urgent and imminent threats. It is not a list of the nation's most chronically polluted rivers. The report highlights alternatives and solutions, identifies those who will make the crucial decisions, and points out opportunities for the public to take action on behalf of each listed river.

Steve Jones, Wyoming Outdoor Council (WOC)
(307) 332-7031 ext. 17
steve@wyomingoutdoorcouncil.org

Jeff Kessler, Biodiversity Associates
(307) 742-7978
jkessler@igc.org

Gwen Lachelt, Oil and Gas Accountability Project
(970) 259-3353
gwen@ogap.org

Cheyrl Phinney or Jill Morrison, Powder River Basin Resource Council
(307) 672-5809
cheyrlp@powederriverbasin.org
jillm@powederriverbasin.org

Teresa Erickson, Northern Plains Resource Council
(406) 248-1154
teresa.erickson@nprcmt.org