Dear Guardian,
Today, Arch Coal had planned to start bulldozing roads at
the foot of Colorado’s iconic West Elk Mountains, pushing its coal mining further
into the backcountry at the expense of our climate.
Thankfully, those plans have been thwarted.
Last Friday, a court agreed with us that the U.S. Forest
Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management illegally approved Arch’s mining
plans by failing to account for the cost of more carbon pollution that would
result.
In doing so, the court “immediately enjoined” Arch Coal from
proceeding with its mining, granting a vital reprieve for the 5,000 acre Sunset
Roadless Area, which skirts the northern end of the West Elk Wilderness.
This is a hard-earned game changer. Not only did the court overturn the feds, but
the ruling makes clear that in approving more coal mining on our public lands,
the costs of carbon pollution can’t be ignored.
In 2013, Earthjustice filed suit on behalf of WildEarth
Guardians, High Country Conservation Advocates, and the Sierra Club in a last
ditch effort to save the Sunset Roadless Area and make a stand for the climate.
For several years now, we’ve been working tirelessly with
our partners to keep Arch Coal at bay in western Colorado.
Last Friday, we won, Arch Coal lost, and the verdict is that
the federal government can no longer ignore the costs of carbon pollution. In our work to safeguard our climate from
coal mining throughout the American West, this is a significant precedent.
Today is a great day for our public lands and for our
climate.
