Trump officials are moving to quickly approve mining on a large swath of public land in North Dakota to feed the state’s largest coal-fired power plant, an about-face that ends a legal battle that festered under the Biden administration over the project’s climate effects.
At issue is Falkirk Mining’s emergency bid to mine about 800 acres of federal land in McLean County in central North Dakota. Lignite coal from the project would feed the Coal Creek Station, the largest power plant in the Roughrider State.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement this week issued an environmental assessment for Falkirk, arguing that more mining of coal aligns with President Donald Trump’s “energy dominance” agenda. The assessment is now open to a 14-day public comment period. BLM did not immediately respond when asked if the process is being fast-tracked and why.
“This proposed mining supports President Trump’s call to strengthen America’s energy infrastructure by ensuring access to abundant, reliable, and affordable domestic resources,” Jon Raby, the acting director of BLM, said in a statement.
