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In a cold morning in late February, Mark was repaired in front of the sun to watch the tongue on his farm in southeast Montana. He was concerned that the breach ice block could put its livestock and property in the accelerating water path carrying ice boards the size of the dinner table.
He was comfortable to find that his fence and river civilizations were damaged; He said that his livestock was frightening, but well, he said. For three decades of livestock raising his property, about 20 miles south of Miles City, Montana, born in Icalaka, has grown, accustomed to synchronization with threats from the mother nature, but also noticed its intensification and acceleration.
“As I am old, it is difficult to deal with all the unique climate change deals that we are exposed to,” he said. About 10 years ago, a hurricane has been separated by Fix farm, and was reduced by the barn surfaces and home. Remember the winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
“I thought,” What is the heck? We do not have this kind of things in Montana. “
In February, the Northern Plains Resources Council, the Montana Environment Organization to the presidency, joined the presidency, to other environmental groups and tribes in a request submitted to the US Boycott Court in favor of Wyoming to allow them to join the lawsuit in a lawsuit against the Land Administration Office due to two plans to manage resources issued by the agency last year. However, the case was not intended to fight BLM plans, but to ensure that the agency defends it.
The plans, one in Bovalo, the Wyoming office, and the other in Miles City, Montana's office, directed to stop issuing new lease contracts in coal mining in the powder river basin, a mineral rich formation that extends to southeast Montana and northeastern Wyoming.
The Northern Plains Resources Council was concerned that with President Donald Trump's return at the White House, the agency will not defend the plans of resource management in the court. She joined the northern Shayan tribe, whose reservation is at the top of the formation in southeastern Montana, a group of environmental activists from Navago Club, which carries metal rights in the pelvis, and other environmental groups who participated in this anxiety.
Then, in April, Trump signed an executive order aimed at American charcoal renewalWhich was the functions and dirat of bleeding for decades as mining became more efficient, and facilities have turned into cheaper methods of generating electricity, such as natural gas, and even winds and solar energy increasingly. Trump directed the Minister of the Interior to give priority to coal rental as “using the primary lands for public lands with coal resources”, asking federal agencies to think Announcement of reducing air pollution restrictions Coal energy plants.
Coal mining appears to be ready to return in the powder river basin.
A BLM spokesman said in an email that the agency “is currently working to review these resource management plans, according to relevant executive and secretarial orders,” and added in a separate email message that “BLM is committed to supporting natural resources in America and innovation.”
However, burning coal is one of the most expensive methods appreciation.
“We will continue to try to defend these plans until they are no longer present mainly.”
Melissa Hornin, Western Environmental Law Center
“A lawyer at the Western Environmental Law Center, which represents many parties that seek to interfere in Montana Welling,” said Melissa Horpin, a lawyer at the Western Environmental Law Center, who represents many parties to interfering in Montana Welling, a lawyer at the Western Environmental Law Center, which represents many parties that seek to interfere in Montana Welling, and is retracting the Trump administration “seeking to back down from (two resource management plans) and they want to issue a fixed new decision” with Trump's energy policy. Since Trump was sworn in in January, Horbin said that the federal government had made suggestions to remain on issues that require the Trump administration to defend the policies that were entertained when Biden was president, which could happen in an attempt to maintain resource management plans in Bovalo and Miles.
She said, “We will continue to try to defend these plans until they no longer exist.”
Wyoming is confident that these plans will be replaced. In early March, Scott Heiner, a legislator in the House of Representatives, represents parts of Lincoln's provinces, Suiteouhir and Utta in the southwest of Wyoming, He said Cowboy State Daily, which started Wyoming to study the construction of the new “coal factory” using $ 10 million in bitter dollar dollars to help finance a project that has not yet been announced.
“With the new administration, I think they will turn (resource management plan) in Boufalo,” said the BLM Field Office, which stopped new charcoal rental contracts in northeastern Wyoming, “and I think there will be more opportunities to take out coal here in Wyoming.” During the Trump era, Heiner sees “an opportunity to stimulate coal mining.”
River Powder, where mining companies reports Billions in annual revenue and hundreds of millions of profit41 % of American coal produces, according to the Energy Information Administration Data From 2022, for decades, while charcoal was shipped from the River Powder basin throughout the United States as fuel for electricity plants, societies in northeastern Wyoming have benefited from tax revenues in industry.
But the tensions between the local benefits of coal and cost, dirt and the production of greenhouse gases that heat climate means that they are facing an uncertain future, even under the auspices of the Trump administration friendly, leads some societies in the region to start an attempt Diversify their economy beyond the coal industry.
However, for many on Earth, this future still includes mining coal.
Defending “good decisions”
Environmental protection advocates and original groups who want to see the latest BLM resource management plans in their place remain, they say environmental damage that comes from mining and burning coal excludes continued extraction.
“More than 100 years ago, we have been affected by different types of resources extraction on our land,” said Robin Jackson, CEO of Diné Care, an environmental, environmental organization located in the southwest of the four in Navajo Nation. Jackson, Diné, the tribal name of the Navajo people, said that any benefits of mineral extraction – usually from Navajo land that rent to companies – pale compared to “the cumulative effect of air and water we have, our lands and our public health.”
Although Jackson does not live near the powder river basin, she is concerned about the Navago imprint there. Navajo Transitional Energy Company, a power company with its only shareholder is Navajo Nation, it has three coal mines in the Powder River Basin, which is spreading coal under Crow and North Cheenne reservations in Montana.
Jackson said, “We are very disappointed in the trend (NTEC) to take more fossil fuel development, and not to reduce carbon emissions-especially with coal, which does not seem to be a long-term return source of our tribe” with the continued demand that it is all over the world. “They need to address the climate crisis, and do not emit more carbon emissions, and do not emit more greenhouse gases. In fact, they must find other sources of revenues that will be sustainable in the long run.”
The idea that one of the tribe can harm the other is part of the reason why Diné Care has moved to defend the BLM decision to stop issuing rental contracts in the future. Jackson said the NTEC operations in the basin “exploitatively towards other tribes and affect the lands of their traditional ancestors, and traditional cultural characteristics.”
North Shayan, the Ghurab tribe and NTEC did not respond to the interview requests.
Fix, Montana Rancher, is concerned that more coal mining will continue to exacerbate the effects of climate change, and called on BLM decision to stop issuing a new rent in the “proper logic” region in a press release Announcing the intervention proposal.
“Perhaps this charcoal will never be developed because we will renew energy sources,” he said. “We have better ways to do things now than charcoal.”
Although renewable energy has grown significantly in the market share, natural gas was the main perpetrator for the decline in coal demand over the past decade.
If the Trump administration moves to stay in the case or begin to issue new resource management plans in Miles City and Bouvalo, a long -time endeavor, environmental and tribal groups are planning to continue to combat new coal rental contracts.
Jackson said: “There were some good decisions that occurred in the previous administration and we could not leave it,” Jackson said.
The birth of mining?
There are some in the area who hope to see coal mining, even if it is never used to generate electricity. Rosti Bell, director of the Economic Transformation Office in Gillett, said who is Work to diversify the region's economy. Bell said that the Campbell province had received a grant from the Economic Development Department during President Biden's era to build Wyoming Innovation Center In Gillette, which is looking for ways to use charcoal for viable products, such as bricks, rather than use it as fuel to generate electricity. Bell said that ending mining in the powder basin contradicts this effort.
“Why, as you know, allow us to conduct research on our resource, then tell us that we cannot use our resource?” Bell's request. “This does not make sense.”
Travis Deti, Executive Director of Wyoming Mining Association, agreed with Bell. “We must be able to reach our coal resources, and we have to reach our resource away in the future,” he said.
FIX does not want to use user -filled coal basin powder alongside combustion. “Many of our groundwater layers in this charcoal,” he said. Mining removes water from the surface under the surface, which limits the ability of livestock breeders to water livestock near. “It does not matter what you are developing for it, you still end up taking water away.”
DETI estimated that the current mining operations in the pelvis will cover the demand for coal over the next fifteen years, but it is already talking about all this offer. The new mining will pave the way for the other coal factory to reach online in Wyoming.
“It is a very exciting time for the charcoal,” he said.
“Trump came and gave Blanche card to large coal companies and said,” You are with all young men – all men who work on the ground are trying to gain a livelihood. “
Mark Akas, Montana Ranshir
Such a facility will be the first new coal factory that was built in the United States more than a decade, and the first in Wyoming will include carbon capture, which may increase the cost of consumers, but providing a new marketing supplier-carbon dioxide.
“Carbon dioxide is valuable, and it can be used,” said religious. He pointed to “enhancing oil recovery”, as the company injects underground carbon dioxide to stimulate the production of the oil field, for example.
Daily said that he does not necessarily believe that carbon dioxide contributes to climate change, but if the reduction of carbon dioxide in the production of electricity is the place where the market is heading, “there is no reason for your inability to do that” to continue drilling and burn coal.
Fix does not share DETI optimism.
“Trump has entered and gave Blanche's power to major coal companies and said,” Heck with all young men – all the players working on the ground are trying to gain a livelihood. “American companies get farewell, and the rest of us will have a hell of time.”
It worries that more mining in the region will lead to the leadership of multi -generational livestock breeders from the ground, but it has found some condolences in the difficult economy of coal, which may prevent mining companies from opening new pits in the River Powder. He had a message to Trump managers and federal land directors who wanted more coal mining in the powder river basin.
“He stopped giving bulletins to institutional coal mines,” he said. “Don't only take care of your wealthy friends. Everyone took care of.”