(Powder River Basin – MFP) The Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday that it will not issue new coal leases in the Powder River Basin, the largest coal-producing region in the United States.
The shift is codified in the supplemental environmental impact statement that the agency issued for plans outlining the agency’s natural resource strategy for areas administered by the Miles City and Buffalo, Wyoming, field offices. The basin includes southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming.
In an emailed release issued by BLM’s Montana/Dakotas office, the agency underscored that the decision won’t apply to existing federal leases. It said the Rosebud Mine, which supplies coal to the Colstrip power plant, could continue operating through 2035. The Spring Creek Mine, located near Decker and operated by the Navajo Transitional Energy Company, could continue operating through 2060, per the agency.
