OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

DAINES PUSHES BIDEN ADMIN TO COMMIT TO KEEPING MONTANA MINES OPEN

Press Release

Date: Nov. 9, 2023
Location: U.S. Senate
Issues: Natural Resources

"Deputy Director Owens, I want to start with the Bull Mountains coal mine near Roundup, Montana. In December of 2022 Judge Malloy required OSM to complete a new EIS, even though OSM had already completed three environmental assessments. Now originally OSM said they would complete the EIS in July of 2024. Now you're saying June of 2025. It's my understanding that mine will run out of all permitted coal by September of 2024 and will be forced to close unless OSM finishes the required permit. That means jobs, livelihoods.

Look, places where these mines exist are not the same places where the show Yellowstone takes place. These folks oftentimes have to have several jobs to make ends meet, but these are the best paying jobs in these areas. These are places here where folks are struggling right now in many, many ways to make ends meet. But their livelihoods are going to be lost because OSM is dragging its feet.

So, here's my question, Deputy Director. Will you commit to me and the people of Montana that OSM will finish your required environmental review before September of 2024? That's when the mine runs out of coal.

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Yeah, but that's not a commitment. When a guy says, "You're going to try your best," that's different than saying, "We're going to get this done." Because you recognize we're going to close the mine down if we don't get this done.

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So, you know, when we first heard from OSM, they said, "Okay, it's going to be July of 2024," which, that worked, because the mind runs out in September of 2024. And then we come back and say, "Wait a minute, now it's going to be June of 2025." This isn't all going to work, but this isn't, this is just argument number one. We're going to get to two more mines here because I tell you, I think what's happening here is there's folks who want to slow roll this, because they know if time's on their side, they can slow roll this and shut all three of these mines down."


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