The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is revising the environmental analyses for mineral leasing in eastern Montana and north central Wyoming following legal challenges from conservation groups.
The region includes part of the coal-rich Powder River Basin.
The proposed changes respond to successful lawsuits the groups brought against the BLM in 2020 and 2016 that allege the agency violated national environmental law by failing to explore the impacts of fossil fuel development over millions of acres of land and mineral rights.
Anne Hedges is executive director with plaintiff Montana Environmental Information Center.
“Finally, they really are taking a look at how developing coal impacts public health, how developing coal impacts our climate,” said Hedges.
The updates include land use alternatives of no-coal leasing and limited leasing along with evaluating the possible effects from coal and oil and gas development. Public input is due in August.
