The Trump administration Thursday approved the expansion of one of the nation’s biggest coal mines, part of an ongoing push to expand the production and use of fossil fuel domestically.
The Interior Department approved a federal mining plan modification by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for the Spring Creek mine in Big Horn County, Montana, operated by Navajo Transitional Energy.
The agency said the decision extends the mine’s operational life by 16 years, and lays the path for the production of about 40 million tons of federal coal.
“The previous administration waged a full-on assault against U.S. energy,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re reversing that course, unleashing American energy, and ensuring our nation’s security and prosperity.”
