Dear Editor:
As if Wyoming hasn’t suffered enough from regulatory overreach recently — think what the BLM is trying to do in the Southwest or the Powder River Basin — we’re facing another catastrophic potential outcome.
This time it’s the Office of Surface Mining that single-handedly has the power to extend or end the life of our coal mines and the vital middle-class jobs they create.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) has released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating several alternatives for Spring Creek Mine’s future, many of which would drastically limit coal production.
This could seriously affect Wyoming workers, local businesses and entire counties, while setting a terrible precedent for future mining across America.
While the Spring Creek mine is just over the border in Montana, nearly all of its 265 full-time miners live in Wyoming, which means they put their children in our schools, spend their money in Wyoming businesses and pay taxes that benefit our communities.
In 2023 alone, the mine spent $106 million on local goods and services, supporting our small businesses and communities.
The extractive industry is the last source of quality middle-class jobs in America – where a kid can come out of high school and actually earn a wage and feel a sense of dignity and economic empowerment – and we bowl protect them at all costs.
I cannot stress this enough, these are not nameless, faceless people. These are our friends, neighbors and family. These are people who want no more than what any average person wants – to provide for themselves and their families, knowing that they are contributing to society and society.
Going down a path where the future of these jobs is very uncertain is an outcome we cannot accept. We must fight back and force these bureaucrats to understand that we cannot afford to lose our fellow citizens.
The best path forward is for OSMRE to select the proposed alternative course of action, which would allow the mine to continue to mine coal from its entire federal lease for the next 15 years. This option will ensure the mine remains viable, preserve jobs and economic benefits for Wyoming residents, and keep the region’s economy strong.
I encourage all Wyoming residents to submit public comments to OSMRE in support of the proposed alternative course of action. Comments can be sent to SCM_LBA1_EIS@wwcengineering.com.
The deadline for comments is October 22. Let’s stand together to protect these jobs and our way of life.
Kind regards
Rep. Cyrus Western
Housing district 51