Lawsuits target 4 coal mines

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SEEKS TO STOPWORK AT SITES IN 3 STATES

Coal industry representatives say lawsuits against mines in three Western states could have consequences across the U.S. as environmentalists seek changes in how mining is approved on federally owned reserves.

In civil cases unfolding in Colorado, NewMexico andMontana, the groupWildEarth Guardians asserts coal companies benefited from lax oversight by federal regulators.

The group says the U.S. Department of Interior approved mining plans without enough public involvement and gave little heed to the pollution caused by digging, shipping and burning coal.

The group asked the courts to stop mining until the plans are redone.

The cases involve the San Juan coal mine in NewMexico, the Colowyo and Trapper mines in Colorado and the Spring Creek mine inMontana.

Combined, they employed about 1,200workers and produced 27 million tons of coal last year, according to federal records.

Attorneys for the federal government denied the environmentalists’ claims and have asked the courts to dismiss the cases.

NewMexico-basedWildEarth Guardians has a lengthy record of litigation against the coal industry.

All sides in the three lawsuits agree the consequences in those cases could be particularly farreaching.

If the government’s defense is unsuccessful, mines across the U.S. would be threatened, according to the National Mining Association.

TheWashington, D.C.-based mining association, representing hundreds of companies, has intervened in theMontana case on behalf of Spring Creek operator Cloud Peak Energy, ofWyoming.

Jeremy Nichols with WildEarth Guardians said that while mining has its benefits, the government can’t ignore the costs of producing and burning large volumes of coal. Heavy traffic and delays of an hour slowed holiday motorists early Sunday afternoon heading home from the mountains on eastbound Interstate 70.

But by 5 p.m. traffic flows returned to normal and warnings about long delays were removed from the Colorado Department of Transportation’s website.

Traffic along eastbound I-70 began slowing as early as 7 a.m., and from 9 to 10 a.m. 2,662 vehicles traveled through the eastbound lanes of the EisenhowerJohnsonMemorial Tunnel.

By 11 a.m. to noon, more than 11,500 vehicles traveled through the eastbound tunnel. CDOT enacted safety metering for a short time at the tunnel.

Heavy traffic caused delays on eastbound between Silverthorne and C-470. The slowest stretch was from west of Georgetown to the U.S. 40 exit.