America’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is moving ahead with plans to lease rights to over 2,900 Mt of coal adjacent to surface mines in Wyoming’s Powder River Basin (PRB). The agency’s path forward became clear with the recent release of an environmental impact statement (EIS) for six lease tracts consisting of 22,000 acres in the Wright Area and, separately, two final records of decision to lease almost 320 Mt under a separate final EIS for South Gillette. Additional decisions are expected from BLM in coming weeks that will clear the way for coal mining in two additional tracts near Gillette.

“This (Wright Area decision) is probably the biggest coal leasing decision that’s ever been proposed by the federal government,” said Jeremy Nichols, energy and climate change director for WildEarth Guardians. The decisions to expedite PRB coal leases prompted environmental groups like his to stiffen their resistance to coal production in the region by citing potential harm from additional concentrations of greenhouse gases.

In lawsuits pending in federal court, WildEarth Guardians, the Sierra Club and other activist organisations argue for changes in coal leasing policy that would enable BLM to consider more easily climate change and other impacts of coal combustion as a condition of approving any coal leases on federal land.

State officials, however, have encouraged BLM to be more responsive to economic conditions by moving more quickly on leasing decisions. Gov. Dave Freudenthal (D) last winter urged federal agencies to expedite leases for oil, coal and gas before meeting with BLM officials this summer to encourage faster action. “A lot of this stuff is just sitting there waiting for someone’s signature,” said Freudenthal.