It's official: After 13 years, swine CAFOs are banned — permanently — in the Buffalo River watershed after the Arkansas Legislative Council reviewed and approved the environmental rules containing the permit moratorium. Story in the @arkansasadvocate.com to come. #arpx #arenviro
Third time was the charm. The first lithium royalty was set by the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission yesterday, bringing commercial lithium extraction one step closer to reality. #arenviro #arlithium
Commissioner Wohlford just moved to approve the 2.5% royalty proposal. Discussion starting now. Stay tuned. #arlithium #arenviro
We're getting started here in Magnolia for the third lithium royalties hearing. Stay tuned for updates. #arenviro #arlithium
Tomorrow we'll have the third lithium royalties hearing in 18 months here in Arkansas. Haven't been following the story, but want to know what the deal is? I just wrote an explainer breaking down the major players thus far and all the key points you'll need to know. Read here:
#arenviro #arlithium
New from me: Arkansas’ Division of Environmental Quality will begin testing surface water for PFAS using $1.8 million in grant money from NRC. It’s the first known state effort to identify sources of PFAS contamination in Arkansas. Read more in the @arkansasadvocate.com
#arenviro
The latest from me for @arkansasadvocate.com: Amendments to SB290 would maintain the Buffalo River watershed’s permit moratorium for hog farms, earning the support of state regulators and the governor. Read below. #arpx #arenviro
arkansasadvocate.com/2025/04/10/b...
NEWS: SB290 was amended to maintain the existing Buffalo River watershed permit moratorium for swine farms, according to its sponsor. The bill now has the support of Gov. Sanders and the Division of Environmental Quality. More from me in @arkansasadvocate.com soon. #arpx #arenviro
Update from the Arkansas Senate: SB290, which could strike a swine farm moratorium in the Buffalo River watershed, passed the upper chamber and will now go to the House.
#ARenviro #arpx
I might have changed jobs but the lithium stories have followed. The latest lithium news from me:
#ARenviro #ARlithium
I spoke with the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Mark Johnson, and he likened his bill to driver’s licenses:
“You get, you know, 23 speeding tickets, and they take it away from you,” Johnson said.
#ARenviro
Latest from me: David’s Burgers owner conceded after townhall yesterday that the small-scale slaughterhouse he wants to place in predominantly Black neighborhood in North Little Rock likely won’t have support to move forward; will reevaluate options. #arenviro www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/fe...
Latest from me: Updates on Standard Lithium’s royalty progress and on the status of the $225 million grant it received from the US gov’t. #arenviro #arlithium
www.arkansasonline.com/news/2025/ja...
Latest from me: Standard Lithium will go it alone in next lithium extraction royalty application; to be filed with the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission in next few months. More coming soon. #arenviro #arlithium
From Rep. Steve Crowell, who reps Lafayette County in the legislature, on the Standard Lithium grant: “This is an exciting initial step toward the lithium economic boom that South Arkansas has been striving for.“ #arlithium #arenviro
In other news, DEQ announced it was working to revamp the state’s solid waste management plan. My story on that will come soon with more specifics but, I’m curious, do the Arkansans on here have a positive perception of solid waste management in their communities? Comment below. #ARenviro
