Rather recently, the Department of Interior mentioned that the Bull Mountains coal mine in Montana has been approved for the mining and modification plan. Signal Peak Energy can recover more or less 57,000,000 tons of coal. This 57,000,000 figure is made up of 22,8 million tons of federal coal and another 34,5 million tons of non-federal coal. While there is a stance that extracting so much federal and non federal coal could mean further job creation which is always beneficial, many American energy critics does not see the positives and believes that this is exploitation of resources.
What the mine offers?
On offer is a total of 57 million tons of coal that can be extracted and that can provide the possibility of ensuring power for about a million homes. Where the catch comes in is that from all of that extracted from the mine located in Musselshell and Yellowstone counties, a full 98% would go towards exports.
Critics are yet again of the opinion that if coal is merely going to be sent overseas, declaring a state of “national energy emergency” that does not resonate at all with the approval of mining activity in the Bull Mountains mine. While negative criticism from energy enthusiasts is to be expected, mining activity will lead to more than $1 billion in local, state, and county economic benefits. With 250 laborers being employed, there are several benefits of following this energy initiative.
Arguments pertaining to exploitation
What seems like an initiative to ensure that the U.S. itself will require far less from China and Russia due to the more constant energy source from the resumption of mining activity, has received much backlash from critics.
Criticism from Montana Environmental Information Center and Earthjustice is that although the domestic energy crisis has been mentioned, this initiative is unlawful. The main concern put forward by these critics is that of the environmental impact statement (EIS) which was completed under emergency procedures.
The company, Signal Peak, has fallen under the rader of critics who argue that the company has been linked to cases of criminal misconduct as per an investion completed back in 2023 by the New York Times. Further concerns raised was that mining activity at the Bull Mountains coal mine could lead to the damage of valuable water sources.
While Russia and China team up to blow the white desert, the U.S. definately has to look at what can be done to ensure energy independence from countries like Russia and China.
The fine line between energy indepedence and a state of emergency
The debate is between whether the Bull Mountains mining activity will lead to the country depending far less on other countries in turn resolving the energy issue or not. With the resumption of mining activity underground comes the possibility that cave-ins that crack the earth will result. Mining activity will lead to the draining of water from which not even 1% of the water that was drained can be replaced.
While economic benefits are on offer, mining efforts carry a heavy price tag too. The mining and adaption plan has complety ignored local communties and eliminated these communities fully from the decision making process. While energy policy seems to be adjusted too, it remains questionable as to whom the energy policy is reshaped for.
The debate is ongoing, but the Bull Mountains mine surely is a symbol of the 57 million tons of coal that is yet to be extracted,. Whether the millions of tons of coal found deep underground is an asset or a liability remains yet to be seen. Only time will tell what the pure motivating factor is behind the coal extraction activities and whether such mining activities could very well define America’s energy potential in the future. While the biggest treasure in history was found in America glowing at the bottom of the ocean, there is clearly treasure that needs to be extracted in this mine.
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