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Federal judge temporarily rejects Rosebud expansion – Daily Montanan

['Keith Schubert', 'More From Author', '- February']

Date: 2022-02-16 00:00:00

The expansion is expected to yield approximately 70.8 million tons of recoverable coal and extend the operational life of the mine by eight years, according to the federal court filing. Coal from the mine is sent almost exclusively to the Colstrip Power Plant, the filing said. In November 2018, the Montana Department of Quality and the Federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement jointly issued the final Environmental Impact Statement on the mine expansion. In June 2019, the Office of Surface approved the expansion request. Shortly after the approval, the Montana Environmental Information Center, Indian People’s Action, 350 Montana, Sierra Club, and WildEarth Guardians filed suit over the expansion, alleging the approval violated the National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act. In October, a Montana district judge halted plants expansion plans saying the Department of Environmental Quality ignored state and federal rules.

And last Friday, United States Magistrate Judge Timothy Cavan ruled that the Office of Surface Mining failed to take a “hard look” at cumulative impacts to surface waters, the potential costs of greenhouse gas emissions and water withdrawals from the Yellowstone River. “Once again, a court has found that the Office of Surface Mining is cutting corners and ignoring the harm that the Rosebud Mine is causing to water quality and quantity. It’s a relief that the court recognized this large mine expansion will make those problems worse,” said Anne Hedges, director of policy and legislative affairs with the Montana Environmental Information Center, in a news release about the court’s decision.

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