Federal government authorizes expansion of mine that supplies coal to Montana’s largest power plant

The federal government has authorized a nearly 1,900-acre expansion of the mine that supplies Montana’s largest power plant with coal.

The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement announced Tuesday that it has approved an expansion of the Rosebud coal mine near Colstrip that is expected to open access to 34 million tons of federal coal.

The expansion reflects the Interior Department’s “focus on energy independence, rural prosperity and permitting certainty,” according to a press release the Interior Department and OSMRE issued jointly. The agencies also wrote that the decision will provide Westmoreland Mining, which employs about 300 people, with enough coal to keep the mine open through 2039. In recent years, the Rosebud Mine has produced about 7,300 tons of coal per year.