President Donald Trump expedited the country’s first environmental review of a major coal mine project and it happens to be in Utah.
The final environmental impact statement for the Skyline Mine project in central Utah analyzes the proposed Little Eccles lease by application and the Flat Canyon lease modification submitted by Canyon Fuel Company, LLC, which has been the operator of the Skyline Mine since 1981.
“This is a critical step in unleashing the full economic potential of our coal resources and delivering reliable, affordable energy to American families,” said the Interior Department’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess on Wednesday.
“President Trump made it clear that we will not tie up American energy in red tape. Under his leadership, we’re cutting delays, boosting production, and putting miners back to work.”
The federal agency said the Skyline Mine project plays a vital role in sustaining good-paying jobs and supporting local economies across central Utah.
By moving forward with responsible coal leasing, the agency said it is strengthening domestic supply chains, supporting American workers and ensuring that rural communities benefit directly from the energy resources on public lands.
The action supports Executive Order 14261, “Reinvigorating America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Industry,” and advances the Trump administration’s priority to increase domestic energy production and restore American energy independence.
The BLM will soon open a public comment period on the fair market value and maximum economic recovery of the federal coal contained in the proposed lease area. The agency will also announce an in-person public meeting in the Federal Register and post details alongside the final environmental impact statement on the BLM National NEPA Register.
A pingpong of regulations
In 2016, as much as 75 million tons of Utah’s recoverable coal sought by mining companies were called into question after then-Interior Secretary Sally Jewell issued a halt to any new federal coal leases.
Under the directive by Jewell, the federal agency said it was pushing pause on the federal coal program for three years due to concerns raised by the Government Accountability Office, the Interior’s inspector general and members of the public.
At issue was royalty payments critics say need to be increased, environmental protections for streams that merit improvements and questions over meeting safety concerns.
The move drew outcry from frustrated coal miners who asserted not only their industry was being attacked, but their very livelihoods.
A public hearing in Salt Lake City drew hundreds of coal miners dismayed at the moratorium.
The Trump effect
In April this year, however, Trump gave a shot of adrenaline to the industry when he signed an executive order to delay the closure of some coal-fired power plants and lift the moratorium.
At the time, the mining industry expressed gratitude.
“Despite countless warnings from the nation’s grid operators and energy regulators that we are facing an electricity supply crisis, the last administration’s energy policies were built on hostility to fossil fuels, directly targeting coal. The explosive growth and parallel energy demands of artificial intelligence and electrification have rendered that path not just unsustainable but plainly reckless,” said Rich Nolan, president and chief executive officer of the National Mining Association.
Coal remains a component of the U.S. energy portfolio and in Utah, according to the Energy Information Administration, the state derives 46% of its net electricity generation from coal. That is down from 75% in 2015.