Special Reports

WyoFile brings you in-depth coverage of complex issues that are critical to civic life in Wyoming. Our Special Reports shine a light on areas overlooked by other news outlets, focusing on facts, insight and divergent views on key matters.

Thumbnail image for Wyoming takes courtesy approach to curbing workplace deaths

Wyoming takes courtesy approach to curbing workplace deaths

by Dustin Bleizeffer March 27, 2012

Wyoming’s overall strategy to curb workplace fatalities still lacks additional enforcement- and penalty-based proposals brought by worker advocates during recent legislative debate on the issue. The state’s OSHA inspection rate …

Thumbnail image for EPA delays Pavillion review for more groundwater testing

EPA delays Pavillion review for more groundwater testing

by Dustin Bleizeffer March 8, 2012

In a joint statement today Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes said “further sampling of the deep monitoring wells drilled for …

Thumbnail image for As elders pass, Wind River Indian Reservation teachers turn to  technology to preserve Shoshone language

As elders pass, Wind River Indian Reservation teachers turn to technology to preserve Shoshone language

by Tetona Dunlap February 28, 2012

Few native Americans speak the Shoshone language today and, sadly, elders who do speak Shoshone are slipping away. But tech-savvy students in Fort Washakie are eager to learn.

Thumbnail image for Mead to meet with Pavillion residents to talk water supply

Mead to meet with Pavillion residents to talk water supply

by Dustin Bleizeffer February 1, 2012

Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead will meet with Pavillion area residents from 10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Monday to discuss strategies for a long-term drinking water supply. Residents in about two …

Thumbnail image for Congressional research group issues report on EPA’s Pavillion investigation

Congressional research group issues report on EPA’s Pavillion investigation

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 31, 2012

Two key critics of the EPA’s Pavillion groundwater investigation draft report are scheduled to testify before a congressional subcommittee on Wednesday, in response to the firestorm of reaction to EPA’s …

Thumbnail image for Report: Wyoming lacks ‘culture of safety’

Report: Wyoming lacks ‘culture of safety’

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 30, 2012

To correct Wyoming’s long-standing distinction as among the deadliest states in the nation for workers, state and industry officials must work cooperatively to create a “culture of safety,” according to …

Thumbnail image for Gov. Mead to add to OSHA

Gov. Mead to add to OSHA

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 24, 2012

Gov. Matt Mead announced today that he will shuffle vacant positions within state government, and possibly make new hires, to beef up resources at Wyoming Occupational Health and Administration (OSHA) …

Thumbnail image for State warms to call for bigger OSHA role in stemming workplace fatalities

State warms to call for bigger OSHA role in stemming workplace fatalities

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 24, 2012

State officials are now considering a bigger role for the Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in addressing the state’s ongoing high workplace fatality rate.

Thumbnail image for What EPA really said about Wyo. fracking pollution

What EPA really said about Wyo. fracking pollution

by Environment & Energy Daily January 24, 2012

Environment & Energy reporter Mike Soraghan gives an accurate description of the EPA’s findings, and outlines their implications.

Thumbnail image for EnCana wants fracking expert on EPA’s Pavillion review panel

EnCana wants fracking expert on EPA’s Pavillion review panel

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 11, 2012

EnCana wants fracking expert on EPA’s Pavillion review panel
This week EnCana Oil & Gas USA continued to criticize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s implication of hydraulic fracturing — or “fracking” …

Thumbnail image for EnCana to EPA: Stop public comment on Pavillion fracking report

EnCana to EPA: Stop public comment on Pavillion fracking report

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 10, 2012

EnCana Oil & Gas USA continues its criticism of an Environmental Protection Agency report implicating hydraulic fracturing — or “fracking” — as a likely contributor to polluted drinking water in …

Thumbnail image for Worker advocates slam state for timid response to workplace fatalities

Worker advocates slam state for timid response to workplace fatalities

by Dustin Bleizeffer January 6, 2012

Two worker advocacy groups say that, for 10 years, Wyoming and industry leaders have failed to take the carnage of workplace fatalities seriously, and they’re urging the state to use …

Thumbnail image for Official studying Wyoming’s workplace fatality problem resigns

Official studying Wyoming’s workplace fatality problem resigns

by Dustin Bleizeffer December 30, 2011

State Occupational Epidemiologist Timothy Ryan, the man hired a little more than a year ago to analyze Wyoming’s long-standing workplace fatality problem, has resigned to take a job “in the …

Thumbnail image for EPA Pavillion report stokes fire over fracking

EPA Pavillion report stokes fire over fracking

by Dustin Bleizeffer December 8, 2011

EPA Pavillion report stokes fire over fracking
An Environmental Protection Agency draft report on Thursday confirms that chemicals commonly used in hydraulic fracturing in the extraction of natural gas and oil …

Thumbnail image for EPA Finds Compound Used in Fracking in Wyoming Aquifer

EPA Finds Compound Used in Fracking in Wyoming Aquifer

by ProPublica November 15, 2011

Reprinted with permission from ProPublica. Not for republication by Wyoming media.
As the country awaits results from a nationwide safety study on the natural gas drilling process of fracking, a separate …

Thumbnail image for Mead declares carrot over stick in workplace fatalities

Mead declares carrot over stick in workplace fatalities

by Dustin Bleizeffer October 14, 2011

A united effort among industry and safety officials is crucial to identifying and implementing a smart strategy to make sure more Wyoming’s workers return home safe each night. But it’s …

Thumbnail image for Two Elk Stimulus: Big paychecks but no new jobs

Two Elk Stimulus: Big paychecks but no new jobs

by Rone Tempest September 27, 2011

Over the past two years, the federal stimulus program paid the owner of a Colorado-based energy company and the company’s Wyoming representative more than $1 million in salaries and benefits …

Thumbnail image for Oil and gas leaders seek to stem deaths on the job

Oil and gas leaders seek to stem deaths on the job

by Dustin Bleizeffer July 14, 2011

Beyond those efforts, exactly what WOGISA can and should do to help stem serious injuries and fatalities in the industry isn’t clear to it’s own members. Attendees in Rock Springs …

Thumbnail image for Deadly Workplaces – Wyoming’s workplace fatality rate still ranks among worst in nation

Deadly Workplaces – Wyoming’s workplace fatality rate still ranks among worst in nation

by Dustin Bleizeffer July 12, 2011

Despite being saddled with the worst-in-the-nation distinction for workplace fatalities, the decision to emphasize voluntary collaborative efforts rather than inspection and enforcement was emblematic of a pervasive attitude among industry …

Thumbnail image for Critics Find Gaps in State Laws to Disclose Hydrofracking Chemicals

Critics Find Gaps in State Laws to Disclose Hydrofracking Chemicals

by ProPublica June 28, 2011

Wyoming’s rules are the strongest in place, although it’s unclear how thoroughly they are being enforced. The rules require public disclosure of all the chemicals except for trade secrets, which …

Thumbnail image for Even toothless safety alliance is improvement

Even toothless safety alliance is improvement

by Dustin Bleizeffer June 16, 2011

WOGISA’s efforts to develop more workforce safety and development training is absolutely critical given the fact that Wyoming OSHA’s budget will be slashed 20 percent in 2013. The agency currently …

Thumbnail image for Hispanic Wyoming:  ‘A Good Place to Live’

Hispanic Wyoming: ‘A Good Place to Live’

by Samuel Western May 10, 2011

The Bighorn Basin, along with other beet-growing counties, such as Goshen, and sheep-raising counties such as Carbon, attracted permanent populations of Hispanics through the 20th century. Hispanics who moved here …

Thumbnail image for Hispanic Wyoming:  The Jobs Machine of Campbell County

Hispanic Wyoming: The Jobs Machine of Campbell County

by Samuel Western May 3, 2011

Campbell County’s booming growth has provided opportunity not only for transient, poorly educated laborers, but for people with different skill sets: equipment operators, educators, managers, retailers and merchants. Hispanics with …

Thumbnail image for Hispanic Wyoming: A Shift From Agriculture

Hispanic Wyoming: A Shift From Agriculture

by Samuel Western April 26, 2011

A U.S. Census report released March 3 revealed a 60 percent increase in Wyoming’s Hispanic and Latino population since 2000. The Hispanic population in Wyoming now totals 50,200, nearly 9 …

Thumbnail image for Aid Debate: Legislators, workers discuss federal assistance

Aid Debate: Legislators, workers discuss federal assistance

by WyoFile March 29, 2011

Aid Debate, a WyoFile special report, looks at whether there is a double standard in how some legislators view different forms of federal assistance, how America’s farm subsidy system doesn’t …

Thumbnail image for One Man’s Mystery Leads to a Backlash Against Fracking

One Man’s Mystery Leads to a Backlash Against Fracking

by ProPublica March 1, 2011

Meeks used to have abundant water on his small alfalfa ranch, a 40-acre plot speckled with apple and plum trees northeast of the Wind River Mountains and about five miles …

Thumbnail image for Fuel Factories: Communities at Risk

Fuel Factories: Communities at Risk

by Dustin Bleizeffer February 24, 2011

CASPER — Wyoming Refining Co.’s oil refinery is situated literally on Main Street in Newcastle and a mere half-mile away from Newcastle High School. The school is equipped with …

Thumbnail image for Youth Center Rises on the Rez — Kansas Couple Gives $1 Million

Youth Center Rises on the Rez — Kansas Couple Gives $1 Million

by Rone Tempest December 14, 2010

Thanks to tribal casino profits, the example of a compassionate Riverton woman and a chlorophyll dog treat, the Wind River Indian Reservation has a sparkling new $3.6 million Boys & …

Thumbnail image for Oil and Gas Producers Seek New Water Solutions

Oil and Gas Producers Seek New Water Solutions

by Dustin Bleizeffer December 7, 2010

Oil and natural gas wells within about a 100-mile radius of Rawlins produce more than 400 million barrels of water annually, according to industry estimates. Most all of that water …

Thumbnail image for Alan Simpson’s ‘Moment of Truth’

Alan Simpson’s ‘Moment of Truth’

by WyoFile December 6, 2010

Former Sen. Alan Simpson has completed his work as co-chair of a federal panel tasked with reducing America’s budget deficits and reigning in the national debt. In this special report, …

Thumbnail image for WATER FOR OIL: Wyoming farmers earn cash diverting irrigation water to oil rigs

WATER FOR OIL: Wyoming farmers earn cash diverting irrigation water to oil rigs

by Dustin Bleizeffer November 30, 2010

Dozens of landowners are voluntarily forgoing crop irrigation to divert their appropriated water to drilling companies instead. Rather than yield a few hundred dollars per acre-foot of water to grow …

Thumbnail image for Wyoming Liability Pool Reaches Limit – Nixes More Coverage in Fremont County Rights Case

Wyoming Liability Pool Reaches Limit – Nixes More Coverage in Fremont County Rights Case

by Rone Tempest October 30, 2010

“If Fremont County wants to pursue an appeal,” said Liability Pool executive director Mark Pring. “They will have to do it on their own.”

Thumbnail image for Voting Rights Case Drags on in Fremont County:  At What Cost to Other Counties and Towns?

Voting Rights Case Drags on in Fremont County: At What Cost to Other Counties and Towns?

by Rone Tempest October 26, 2010

The pending claims in the Fremont lawsuit are the largest in the Local Government Legal Liability Pool’s 23-year history. The issue of how much the pool—and therefore Wyoming counties and …

Thumbnail image for A Legacy of Prejudice: Lawsuits, Failed Pacts Tell Ugly Story

A Legacy of Prejudice: Lawsuits, Failed Pacts Tell Ugly Story

by John Lancaster August 30, 2010

RIVERTON–As a child in California, Helsha Acuña was so sensitive about her Native American heritage—her father was Apache, her mother Aleut—that she sometimes tried to pass herself off as Italian. …

Thumbnail image for Racism on the Rez: Federal Judge Backs Tribes

Racism on the Rez: Federal Judge Backs Tribes

by Rone Tempest August 12, 2010

Lander—In an important Wyoming civil rights case, a federal judge rejected two voting schemes proposed by Fremont County as perpetuating “separation, isolation, and racial polarization in the county.”

Instead, U.S. District …

Thumbnail image for Wind River Voting Rights Case County Plan  Before Federal Judge

Wind River Voting Rights Case County Plan Before Federal Judge

by WyoFile July 26, 2010

In April Cheyenne U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson ordered Fremont County to scrap its at-large system for electing county commissioners to address historic under-representation by the Native American population …

Thumbnail image for Fort Washakie 911: Law Enforcement “Surge” on Tribal Lands

Fort Washakie 911: Law Enforcement “Surge” on Tribal Lands

by John Lancaster June 28, 2010

FORT WASHAKIE—Mike Shockley is used to working alone. An officer in the Bureau of Indian Affairs police, he was until recently one of just two assigned to night patrols …

Thumbnail image for Heralded Pact for Tribal Grass-fed Beef Ends

Heralded Pact for Tribal Grass-fed Beef Ends

by John Lancaster June 21, 2010

THERMOPOLIS—Indians and whites have been doing business together since the time of Columbus—almost invariably to the Indians’ detriment. But the announcement last year that the Northern Arapaho tribe had been …

Thumbnail image for “Dusting the Hurt Off…” The Creation of a Girls’ Protection Society

“Dusting the Hurt Off…” The Creation of a Girls’ Protection Society

by John Lancaster May 3, 2010

ARAPAHOE—The girls were familiar with loss. Like too many of their classmates on the Wind River Indian Reservation, they come from broken families and have witnessed first-hand the havoc that …

Thumbnail image for Wind River Tribes Win Big Voting Rights Case

Wind River Tribes Win Big Voting Rights Case

by John Lancaster April 30, 2010

Lander—A federal court decision ordering Fremont County to scrap its system of electing commissioners on a county-wide basis is a major victory for Native Americans who have long complained they …

Thumbnail image for Subdividing the West: Wyoming at Planning Crossroads

Subdividing the West: Wyoming at Planning Crossroads

by Gregory Nickerson March 22, 2010

Property owners like the Banburys are at the center of an ongoing debate over land use and planning in Wyoming, a state protective of private property and the rights of …

Thumbnail image for D-Day For Sage Grouse Listing: Test of Wyoming Policy

D-Day For Sage Grouse Listing: Test of Wyoming Policy

by Emilene Ostlind March 3, 2010

By Emilene Ostlind
LARAMIE – Wyoming’s greatly-used, little-appreciated sagebrush ecosystem and one of Gov. Dave Freudenthal’s most elaborate initiatives are rapidly approaching a critical milestone.
At the end of the week, …

Thumbnail image for New Johnson County Land Wars

New Johnson County Land Wars

by Samuel Western September 23, 2009

118 years after that famous massacre, the county again finds itself in the middle of a fight. It’s a quieter battle this time, waged in courts and county offices…

Thumbnail image for Feds Gone Wild, Part III: RIP, RIK? New Bill Would Kill Industry’s Darling

Feds Gone Wild, Part III: RIP, RIK? New Bill Would Kill Industry’s Darling

by WyoFile September 16, 2009

For more than a decade, West Virginia Democratic U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall watched powerlessly as the Bush administration and a Republican Congressional majority made Royalty in Kind the main method …

Thumbnail image for Feds Gone Wild Part II: A True Story

Feds Gone Wild Part II: A True Story

by WyoFile September 1, 2009

When President Bill Clinton signed the Federal Oil and Gas Royalty Simplification and Fairness Act of 1996 into law in Jackson Hole, his Washington, D.C.-based Minerals Management Service director, Cynthia …

Thumbnail image for Feds Gone Wild

Feds Gone Wild

by Laton McCartney September 1, 2009

On a cold, blustery January 28, 2009, the newly appointed Secretary of the Interior of the United States, Ken Salazar, arrived at the headquarters of Minerals Management Service at the …

RIK’s Wyoming Connections

by WyoFile August 9, 2009

Since Royalty in Kind became a priority for the oil and gas industry in the late 1990s, a handful of  Wyomingites have played key roles  in making in-kind royalties part …

Thumbnail image for Should Wyoming Rethink Investments? Despite Recession, Time May Be Right

Should Wyoming Rethink Investments? Despite Recession, Time May Be Right

by Ben Gose July 29, 2009

Are Wyoming’s leaders being too conservative with the billions of dollars in our permanent funds?

It sounds like a crazy question to be asking today, as the country muddles through the …

Pat Hacker, Wyoming Democrat: Union Man and Practicing Mormon

by tom January 12, 2009

CHEYENNE — People who know Pat Hacker know a big, lumbering man who talks constantly and seems to enjoy any task at hand. In high school, he must have been …

$100-million GE-Wyoming Coal Project Found Willing, Discreet Partner In Wyoming

by Rone Tempest November 17, 2008

It started with oil shale

The story behind the new $100-million GE-Wyoming coal gasification project goes back to the early 1980s when a then-California-based energy company, Tosco, was trying to extract …