In response to Arch Resources’ announcement to close the Coal Creek Mine, Powder River Basin Resource Council’s Chair Marcia Westkott had this statement:
“We remain concerned that the reclamation plan is not aligned with the closure date of the mine, and we call on our regulators to ensure timely and effective reclamation at the mine. Just last year the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) renewed Coal Creek’s permit without requiring an updated, realistic reclamation plan in light of the mine’s declining production, and now we are faced with its closure in the next 18 months.
“Coal Creek is just one more indication that coal mines throughout the Powder River Basin are facing significant losses, so it’s high time that bonds and sureties are reviewed—and secured—so Wyoming taxpayers are not left paying the cost for inevitable reclamation. This closure also heightens the long-standing need to develop a plan to ensure mine workers receive the assistance needed to transition to new careers.”
- Marcia Westkott, Chair, Powder River Basin Resource Council
