Trump administration approves 2 coal mining projects in Utah
Posted Feb 14, 2019 05:52:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Trump administration has approved two coal mining projects in southern Utah, including one near a national park.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the mining projects in a news release Thursday declaring “the war on coal is over” and touting new jobs they will create.
A $12 million project by Alton Coal Development LLC will mine coal on land about 10 miles west of Bryce Canyon National Park. The Interior says approvals of two lease modifications at a Sufco mine in Utah will extend the mine’s life by five years.
Conservation groups oppose the mining projects.
The Trump administration’s pro-coal policies to date have failed to stop the industry’s ongoing slide, as electric utilities across the U.S. continue to turn to cheaper and cleaner alternatives such as natural gas, solar and wind.
Brady McCombs, The Associated Press
