Federal judge blocks proposed expansion at MT s largest coal mine
Judge nixes Spring Creek coal mine expansion in Montana
By: Jay Kohn
and last updated 2021-02-05 11:16:32-05
Montana s largest coal mine has hit a major legal setback.
Late Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Watters of Billings blocked the proposed expansion of the Spring Creek Coal Mine located near Decker in southeastern Montana.
Watters ruled that in granting the new permit, the U.S. Office of Surface Mining ignored the climate, environmental, and health consequences of additional coal mining.
The 117-million-ton expansion was approved by the Obama administration and would have extended the operating life of the mine for another 6.5 years.
Judge orders US officials to weigh coal mines climate costs gjsentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gjsentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Jennifer Kocher and Mark Christensen, County 17
New Campbell County Attorney Mitch Damsky is making good on his promise to look into some of the more nefarious dealings by out-of-state coal companies, setting his sights first on former Blackjewel CEO Jeff Hoops.
On top of leaving the county on the hook for $16 million in ad valorem taxes after the company’s bankruptcy in 2019 that exposed the tangled – and alleged deceitful – underpinnings of his fossil fuel empire traversing 32 mines, several states and an undisclosed number of shell companies, Damsky said that Hoops left a lot of ruined lives in his wake as he and his family profited handsomely.
Vinson & Elkins Names 5 New Partners
HOUSTON, Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ Vinson & Elkins announces the promotion of five lawyers to its partnership, effective January 1, 2021: Matt Falcone in Houston; Katherine Frank in Dallas; Jessica Peet in New York; Quentin Smith in Houston; and Emilie Stewart in London. We are pleased to recognize the excellent client service these lawyers provide on complex transactions and disputes, V&E Chairman Mark Kelly said. They have shown adaptability and creativity through challenging times and we appreciate their dedication to the firm s success.
The new partners represent five of the firm s key practice areas: complex commercial litigation, energy transactions and projects, finance, mergers and acquisitions and capital markets and restructuring and reorganization.