2012 Annual Report
In 2012, Western Resource Advocates was again leading the way in working to secure stronger regulations for hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) in Colorado. Our Energy Program is winning long-fought battles over closing coal plants in the West. Our efforts have led to the retirement of coal plants in Northwest New Mexico, as well as advancing plans to retire five coal plants in the Denver area (while transitioning another two to natural gas). Our Water Program is having great success in promoting water conservation and efficiency while halting large, expensive, and unnecessary projects, such as the Flaming Gorge Pipeline (Wyoming and Colorado) and the Lake Powell Pipeline (Utah).
We also played a significant role in convincing the Bureau of Reclamation to focus on conservation efforts in its Colorado River Basin Study, which will impact future water decisions in the entire region. In Utah, Western Resource Advocates convinced a major mineral extraction company to change its practices of dumping high concentrations of minerals back into Great Salt Lake. We have also been the only obstacle to oil shale and tar sands production in Utah—production that threatens to further pollute the air along the Wasatch Front that is already responsible for thousands of cardiovascular-related deaths each year.
To find out more, as well as enjoy the stunning Western paintings of artist Teresa Vito, please read the full 2012 Annual Report.
Regional and national media is increasingly looking to Western Resource Advocates as a primary voice on land, air, and water issues in the West. In 2012, Western Resource Advocates appeared in the media on average once every 16 hours.
