The U.S. Interior Department approved a plan by Signal Peak Energy to expand coal mining, providing exports for Japan and South Korea, the agency said on Friday, as it responded to President Donald Trump's energy-emergency directives.
The approval authorizes the Montana-based coal company to recover 22.8 million metric tons of federal coal and 34.5 million tons of adjacent non-federal coal and extend the life of the Bull Mountains mine by nine years.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is also co-chair of Trump's Energy Dominance Council, said unlocking more federal coal enables the U.S. to bolster ties with allies abroad.
"President Trump’s leadership in declaring a national energy emergency is allowing us to act decisively, cut bureaucratic delays and secure America's future through energy independence and strategic exports," he said.
On January 20, Trump declared an energy emergency to speed permitting, roll back environmental protections and withdraw the U.S. from an international pact to fight climate change.
Signal Peak had initially sent its plan to expand its mining operations to the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement in 2020, but it has been under federal review and subject to litigation since then.
The Interior Department completed the environmental impact statement for the mine expansion according to its new policy to speed such reviews to a maximum of 28 days.
Burgum this week joined Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin in Alaska to promote an LNG project, as well as other energy exports destined for Asian markets.
The Bull Mountains mine in Montana, located in Musselshell and Yellowstone counties, employs over 250 workers and primarily supplies Japan and South Korea.
Environmental groups have tried to block the expansion of the mine over concerns about its water use and greenhouse gas emissions.
“It’s utter hogwash that we have to sacrifice the climate, water resources, wildlife and area ranching operations in order to send coal overseas to be burned by foreign countries,” Anne Hedges, executive director of the Montana Environmental Information Center, said in a statement.
