WASHINGTON – The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is seeking public comment on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for a mine plan modification at Rosebud Mine, operated by Westmoreland. The 45-day public comment period will open when the draft SEIS is published in the Federal Register.
OSMRE prepared the SEIS to further analyze the environmental impacts of a proposed mine plan modification at Rosebud Mine’s Area F. OSMRE had previously prepared an environmental impact statement in 2018 for this mining plan modification, which the District Court of Montana found inadequate in 2022.
Westmoreland’s proposed mine plan modification would disturb an estimated 4,288 acres to produce an approximately 71.3 million tons of federal coal. The draft SEIS analyzes three alternatives, including the operator’s proposed action. The mine employs 320 people and is in the northern Powder River Basin near Colstrip, Montana, and the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation.
In addition to the 45-day public comment period, OSMRE will hold a public meeting at the City of Colstrip City Hall, City Council Chambers, Colstrip Municipal Building located at 12 Cherry Street, Colstrip, Montana, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. MST on Jan. 8, 2025, to receive comments on the draft SEIS. Instructions and deadline to submit public comments are available in the Federal Register notice.
Following the close of the 45-day comment period, OSMRE will prepare the final SEIS.
For more information, visit www.osmre.gov/laws-and-regulations/nepa/projects.
— OSMRE —
OSMRE carries out the requirements of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 in cooperation with states and Tribes. OSMRE’s objectives are to ensure that coal mining activities are conducted in a manner that protects citizens and the environment during mining, to ensure that the land is restored to beneficial use after mining, and to mitigate the effects of past mining by aggressively pursuing reclamation of abandoned coal mines. For more information, visit www.osmre.gov or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.