MWNB

That decision by the Department of Labor was based on a review of evidence that concluded that “female firefighters, more likely than not, face heightened risks for breast, uterine and ovarian cancers… due to the toxic exposures they face in their work.”

Environmental groups are worried that a short portion of the recently adopted US House rules package could expedite the transfer of public land to states – and ultimately to private entities.

Using infrared trail cameras, cell phone location data and fitness tracking apps, Montana-based Headwaters Economics is able to more accurately estimate usage and economic impacts.

Wildland firefighters and their advocates pushed hard for permanent pay raises before Congress’ holiday recess. What firefighters got instead was yet another last-minute extension of temporary raises.

Researchers pored over roughly four dozen papers that assessed exposure to various carcinogens on the fireline. They identified 31 carcinogens – including asbestos, volatile organic compounds like benzene and crystalline silica.

The Bureau of Land Management has approved a major wind energy project on public lands in South Central Idaho. It has faced strong opposition, especially from descendants of Japanese Americans unjustly incarcerated during World War II.

Early polling suggested heavy Native support for Republican President-elect Donald Trump. The Indigenous Journalists Association, one of several groups to criticize the methodology, called it “misleading and irresponsible.” In the newly released poll, 57% of respondents said they supported Democrat Kamala Harris compared to just 39% for Trump.

Researchers were looking at PM 2.5 pollution, made up of particles with diameters at least 30 times smaller than human hair. They found that for every additional microgram from wildfires per cubic meter of air on average over rolling 3-year periods, patients faced an 18% increase in the odds of a dementia diagnosis. The figure for non-wildfire PM 2.5 was just 1%.

Nationwide, the sector accounted for some 2.3% of GDP, or the value of final sales of goods and services. That figure is even higher for every Mountain West state, and about twice that in Montana and Wyoming.

Federal wildland firefighters have enjoyed substantial temporary raises for several years. But they’ve only been kept in place by a series of stopgap measures from Congress, and now advocates are hoping to get a permanent fix before President-elect Trump takes office.