Courts reject environmental lawsuit to block Navajo coal mine expansion

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court said environmental groups cannot sue to block expansion of a coal mine owned by the Navajo Transitional Energy Co., because the company is an arm of the Navajo government and thus immune from civil suits.

pollution settlement

As Southwest water managers grapple with climate change, can a ‘grand bargain’ work?

GREELEY, Colo. – A temporary fix to the Colorado River's scarcity problem has turned attention to how to manage the water supply for 40 million people across the Southwest.


Private drone hampers battle against Museum Fire, which now is 12% contained

FLAGSTAFF – Firefighters continue to try and get the more than 1,900 acre Museum Fire north of Flagstaff under control, but drones are making that effort harder.


Monsoon storms help slow Museum Fire, but raise flood concerns

FLAGSTAFF – The Museum Fire burning one mile north of Flagstaff is now more than 1,800 acres, but rains Tuesday helped firefighters slow the blaze. With more rain in the forecast, though, the threat of flooding is real.


Tourism tension in Instagram age: $1 billion in AZ taxes, challenges to preservation

PHOENIX – Tourism continues to expand in Arizona, a boon for jobs, development and tax revenue, but the growth presents challenges to preserving the natural beauty that draws visitors to the state.


As Museum Fire grows, neighborhoods north of Flagstaff are on edge

FLAGSTAFF – The Museum Fire burning a mile north of Flagstaff has residents in the area on high alert as crews battle the 1,800 acre blaze.


50 years later, Arizona still plays a big role in exploring the universe

PHOENIX – Arizona helped put men on the moon, and the state’s institutions continue to make strides in mapping the cosmos.


Phoenix Sky Harbor switches to desert landscape to save water, money

PHOENIX – Xeriscaping uses native, drought-resistant plants to conserve water. Sky Harbor says the redesign will save Phoenix $400,000 and 5 million gallons annually.


‘Like the chain saw’: Drones have become a lifesaving tool for fighting wildfires

MIAMI – Federal wildfire managers increasingly are turning to drones to monitor blazes across the West in terrains where hotshots’ lives would be at risk.


House panel OKs bills to rein in mining around Grand Canyon, elsewhere

WASHINGTON - Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee beat back a series of GOP amendments before advancing bills to restrict mining around the Grand Canyon and on tribal lands in Arizona and New Mexico, and rein in uranium mining.


‘Non-soon season’: Arizona’s dry heat is delaying the start of summer rains

PHOENIX – Arizona’s rainy season has yet to begin due to a delayed start to crucial weather systems. Though monsoon season holds 30 percent of the Valley’s rainfall, Phoenix has seen none since the start of June.


Ducey not among governors supporting 55 mpg fuel efficiency standards

PHOENIX – Governors of 23 states and Puerto Rico this week urged the Trump administration to adopt a stronger emissions standard for vehicles. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey was not one of those governors.