In a contentious move, the Trump administration has authorized the expansion of the Bull Mountain coal mine, notorious for past scandals, including drug trafficking and worker safety violations. This decision aims to bolster the coal industry in line with Trump’s energy strategy but has drawn ire from environmental advocates who fear it will worsen climate change and harm local communities.
Trump Administration Approves Controversial Coal Mine Expansion Amid Legal and Environmental Concerns
Trump Administration Approves Controversial Coal Mine Expansion Amid Legal and Environmental Concerns
The Trump administration has greenlit the expansion of a scandal-plagued Montana coal mine, prompting backlash from environmentalists and raising questions about regulatory integrity.
June 6, 2025, 1:32 p.m. ET
By Hiroko Tabuchi
The Trump administration has officially approved the controversial expansion of the Bull Mountain coal mine in Montana, despite its troubled past and significant opposition from environmental groups. This development comes as part of President Trump’s broader initiative to breathe new life into the struggling coal industry, cutting short a necessary federal environmental review process in favor of immediate action.
Previously embroiled in allegations ranging from bribery to cocaine trafficking, the Bull Mountain mine has a checkered reputation, raising concerns about the impact of this expansion on both workers and the environment. The decision is expected to prolong the mine’s operation by an additional nine years, allowing it to extract around 60 million tons of coal, which will primarily be exported to Asia, as stated by the Interior Department.
“This is what energy leadership looks like,” insisted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, highlighting Trump’s national energy emergency declaration that has paved the way for expedited permitting processes. Critics, however, are questioning the legitimacy of this emergency and the potential consequences of sidelining comprehensive environmental reviews.
Environmental groups have decried the decision as reckless and harmful, asserting that it ignores previous violations by the mine concerning safety and pollution regulations. The Sierra Club and Earthjustice have voiced strong objections, warning that expanding coal extraction not only exacerbates local health risks but also contributes significantly to global climate change, given that coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel.
"This is yet another disastrous decision by an administration that does not respect the rule of law," stated Shiloh Hernandez, a senior attorney at Earthjustice. "The expansion will inflict further harm on the residents of the Bull Mountains and deepen the climate crisis."
In a twist, Signal Peak Energy, the mine's operator, has been actively suing the federal government to hasten the approval process for its expansion plans. Previously, a federal judge dismissed their claim to expedite the review of the mine’s federal coal leases, which had initially set a completion timeline for May 2026. With the recent greenlight from the Trump administration, this timeline has been dramatically shortened.
The controversial decision aligns with Trump’s executive orders designed to advance coal mining across the nation, prioritizing drilling and extraction activities on federal lands at the expense of environmental safeguards. As the administration clears the path for increased fossil fuel production, the implications of this expansion remain a topic of heated debate among policymakers and activists alike.
Hiroko Tabuchi has over two decades of experience reporting on environmental issues across major global cities, contributing to the discourse on pollution and ecological policy.
By Hiroko Tabuchi
The Trump administration has officially approved the controversial expansion of the Bull Mountain coal mine in Montana, despite its troubled past and significant opposition from environmental groups. This development comes as part of President Trump’s broader initiative to breathe new life into the struggling coal industry, cutting short a necessary federal environmental review process in favor of immediate action.
Previously embroiled in allegations ranging from bribery to cocaine trafficking, the Bull Mountain mine has a checkered reputation, raising concerns about the impact of this expansion on both workers and the environment. The decision is expected to prolong the mine’s operation by an additional nine years, allowing it to extract around 60 million tons of coal, which will primarily be exported to Asia, as stated by the Interior Department.
“This is what energy leadership looks like,” insisted Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, highlighting Trump’s national energy emergency declaration that has paved the way for expedited permitting processes. Critics, however, are questioning the legitimacy of this emergency and the potential consequences of sidelining comprehensive environmental reviews.
Environmental groups have decried the decision as reckless and harmful, asserting that it ignores previous violations by the mine concerning safety and pollution regulations. The Sierra Club and Earthjustice have voiced strong objections, warning that expanding coal extraction not only exacerbates local health risks but also contributes significantly to global climate change, given that coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel.
"This is yet another disastrous decision by an administration that does not respect the rule of law," stated Shiloh Hernandez, a senior attorney at Earthjustice. "The expansion will inflict further harm on the residents of the Bull Mountains and deepen the climate crisis."
In a twist, Signal Peak Energy, the mine's operator, has been actively suing the federal government to hasten the approval process for its expansion plans. Previously, a federal judge dismissed their claim to expedite the review of the mine’s federal coal leases, which had initially set a completion timeline for May 2026. With the recent greenlight from the Trump administration, this timeline has been dramatically shortened.
The controversial decision aligns with Trump’s executive orders designed to advance coal mining across the nation, prioritizing drilling and extraction activities on federal lands at the expense of environmental safeguards. As the administration clears the path for increased fossil fuel production, the implications of this expansion remain a topic of heated debate among policymakers and activists alike.
Hiroko Tabuchi has over two decades of experience reporting on environmental issues across major global cities, contributing to the discourse on pollution and ecological policy.
