Montana Coal Miners Face Off Against Environmental Activists

The Seattle Times reported that increased coal export activity from Montana has placed the state at the forefront of “one of the Northwest’s biggest environmental battles in a decade.” While companies like Cloud Peak Energy Inc. (NYSE:CLD) are keen to mine the state’s coal and export it to Asia, environmental groups are launching large-scale campaigns against the movement.

As quoted in the market news:

“We ought to do all we can to control our own use of coal,” said Denis Hayes, chief executive of the Seattle-based Bullitt Foundation and the organizer of the first Earth Day. “But we don’t accomplish much if we export it to Asia. The atmosphere is indifferent.”

To support the exports, the coal industry has stitched together a coalition that reaches from the maritime unions in Washington to Montana’s Crow Tribe, which last year signed an agreement with Cloud Peak for the development of up to 1.4 billion tons of coal on reservation lands. Proponents say the region stands to gain jobs, a dynamic new Pacific Rim trade and multibillion-dollar investments in mines, railroads and export terminals.

Click here to read the full report from The Seattle Times.