COLSTRIP — President Joe Biden’s administration is taking actions that may accelerate the closures of heavily polluting coal power plants and the mines that supply them. This has reignited Republican rhetoric about a supposed “war on coal” leading up to the November election.
The battleground in the political fight over coal is in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming and Montana, an area with the largest coal mines in the nation. It’s also home to the Colstrip Generating Station in Montana, a massive power plant that emits more toxic air pollutants than any other facility of its kind in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA recently finalized rules that could result in the shutdown of the Colstrip Generating Station or require it to spend around $400 million to clean up its emissions in the coming years. Another proposal from the U.S. Interior Department could halt new leasing of taxpayer-owned coal reserves in the Powder River Basin, casting uncertainty over mines like Westmoreland Mining’s Rosebud Mine, which supplies about 6 million tons of fuel annually to Colstrip.
During his first run for the White House eight years ago, Donald Trump capitalized on populist anger against government regulation by highlighting anti-coal measures taken under former President Barack Obama. The recent actions against coal have brought this issue back into focus for Republicans looking to challenge Biden in the upcoming election. Some Democrats in coal-producing states also express concerns.
Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines voiced opposition to the new rules, stating that they will harm jobs and communities like Colstrip. He emphasized the importance of the upcoming election in determining the outcome of these regulations.
Supporters of the crackdown on pollution from coal plants argue that it is long overdue. The origins of these efforts can be traced back to amendments to the Clean Air Act in 1990, which mandated the EPA to establish standards for pollution reduction technologies.
Dr. Robert Merchant, a pulmonologist from Billings, highlighted the clear research data linking pollution from plants like Colstrip to various health issues, including cancers, developmental delays in children, and heart attacks. He emphasized the need to address the health impacts of these facilities.
Representatives of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe called on the Biden administration to implement pollution rules to safeguard air quality on their reservation near Colstrip.
