CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — For the first time, nobody has bid on a federal coal tract offered for sale in Wyoming after the company that initially sought to mine the location determined that it couldn’t do so profitably. Read the full story here.
In the Northwest, rising coal exports to Asia stir huge fight
DECKER, Mont. — At Spring Creek Mine, a broad black seam of coal, reaching depths of 80 feet, runs like a subterranean river through arid, sagebrush-covered hills. This is a world-class seam formed from the remnants of ferns, grasses and other plants that flourished here more than 50 million years ago, when this part of Montana was a humid marsh. Read …
In Montana, ranchers line up against coal
COLSTRIP, Mont. — Out in these windy stretches of cottonwood and prairie grass, not far from where Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer ran into problems at Little Bighorn, a new battle is unfolding over what future energy development in the West will look like. Here, rancher Wallace McRae and his son, Clint, run cattle on 31,000 acres along Rosebud Creek, …
Coal miners protest at Arch Coal meeting in Wyoming
WRIGHT, Wyo. — About 20 coal miners from all over the country descended upon a small coal town in northeast Wyoming on Thursday. Active and retired miners — together under the United Mine Workers of America banner — gathered in front of the Wright Hotel shortly after 7 a.m. The group, an assembly of workers from across the Appalachian region …
State should deny coal project permits to protect the Columbia River Gorge: Guest opinion
As elected officials in the Columbia River Gorge, we are frequently asked to weigh in on projects that affect our local quality of life. Few, however, present such potentially adverse economic and environmental effects as the continuing expansion of coal shipments. Only a few trains currently transport coal through the gorge, and already we’re seeing the damage caused by coal …
Stop the Coal Trains
You might have heard the talk: Coal interests are pushing to make the Pacific Northwest a 24-hour conveyor belt linking coal mines in Montana and Wyoming with Asian markets clamoring for cheap, dirty power. The most urgent fight is currently taking place just north of Bellingham at Cherry Point, the site of a proposed coal-export terminal that would be the …
Is it morally wrong for the U.S. to export coal?
Is it morally wrong for the U.S. to export coal? That’s a question some people are asking in the Pacific Northwest. The region has become a transit route for coal dug up in states such as Wyoming and shipped to Asia. Those experts are growing fast. NPR’s Martin Kaste has this story about the backlash. Read the full story here.
Guest opinion: Coal train plans need careful study
As much as 150 million tons a year. More than 260 trillion pounds. Nearly 700,000 train coal cars. Any way you measure it, that’s a lot of coal. Read the full story here.
Over 150 Missoulians turn out for Coal Hard Truth Forum
Those worried about potential leaps in the number of coal trains rolling through Missoula have a small window of opportunity to get changes made, according to a former coal mine manager. Read the full story here.
A Look at the Full Costs of Coal Export Terminals in WA and OR
Six different coal terminals are being proposed in the Pacific Northwest, from north of Bellingham to Grays Harbor to Coos Bay. The companies proposing the terminals hope to capitalize on the ever-increasing energy demands of China and India. Establishing terminals on the West Coast would potentially help expedite the process of getting coal that’s mined in Montana and Wyoming into …