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Wednesday, October 30, 2013
WildEarth Guardians Thwarts Peabody Coal Plans for Largest Mine in New Mexico
Climate, Chaco Canyon Safeguarded from Strip Mining
Contact: Jeremy Nichols (303) 437-7663
McKinley County, New Mexico—WildEarth Guardians this week overturned a Peabody Energy plan to expand the El Segundo strip mine in northwestern New Mexico, the largest coal mine in the State, winning a reprieve for the climate and nearby Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
“This is a win for clean energy and a safe climate in New Mexico, as well as the cultural integrity of the Chaco landscape,” said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians’ Climate and Energy Program Director. “These strip mining plans were misguided from the start; thankfully, they’re thwarted for the time being.”
In early 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved an application from Peabody Energy for a new coal lease at the company’s El Segundo strip mine. The mine is located 15 miles east of Crownpoint and only 30 miles south of Chaco Culture National Historical Park and is visible from within the Park.
Yesterday, the Interior Board of Land Appeals reversed the Bureau’s coal leasing decision.
The strip mine has been producing more than 8 million tons of coal annually, more than any other mine in New Mexico. The mine’s coal is shipped and burned in power plants in eastern Arizona, including the Springerville, Cholla, Apache, and Coronado power plants. The new lease would have added 11.2 million tons of coal to the mine’s reserves, covering 640 acres (equal to one square mile). According to Peabody, the lease would have enabled the company to ultimately access 143 million tons of coal.
In approving the new lease, the Bureau of Land Management neglected to take into account the impacts of shipping and burning El Segundo coal in Arizona power plants, contrary to federal environmental laws. The agency instead asserted without any support that there would be “no significant environmental impacts.”
In total, the El Segundo coal lease would have led to the release of more than 23 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 4.3 million passenger vehicles. This carbon would have come even as atmospheric concentrations of carbon are exceeding 350 parts per million, the level considered safe for humanity.
“We can’t possibly begin to tackle global warming by stripping more coal from the ground,” said Nichols. “With New Mexico bearing the brunt of climate change in the southwest, including diminished rivers, extreme weather, and soaring fire risks, every ton of coal kept in the ground is a ton of progress made toward safeguarding the people and places of the southwest.”
In August, Guardians challenged the Bureau’s decision before the Interior Board of Land Appeals, detailing how the Agency failed to meet its legal obligations to safeguard the environment. On October 24, the Bureau of Land Management filed a request for a “voluntary remand,” conceding that its decision was fatally flawed.
On October 29, the Interior Board of Land Appeals set aside the Bureau of Land Management’s decision and remanded it back to the Agency, nullifying the coal lease decision.
It is unclear whether the Bureau of Land Management will attempt to reissue the El Segundo coal lease. For the time being, the lease is on the rocks and not going anywhere.
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