In recent days, the Biden administration has released two decisions on the future of mining in the Powder River Basin.
The basin, which includes portions of Wyoming and Montana, produces 43 percent of the nation’s coal.
The administration said it would
not allow new leasing to take place in the area, citing climate change impacts. Ongoing mining operations, which are expected to last through 2041, would not be affected.
In environmental studies earlier this year, federal officials found that barring new coal leasing in the area would prevent a significant quantity of planet-warming emissions.
Stopping new leases in the Wyoming portion of the basin is projected to prevent nearly 283 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering the Earth’s atmosphere between the years 2041 and 2048.
That’s the equivalent of taking 61 million gas-powered cars off the road for a year.
However, the incoming Trump administration is likely to reverse the decisions and open the area up for new coal leasing again.
Read more at TheHill.com.
