(Otter Creek Valley in southeastern Montana, photo credit: Alexis Bonogofsky)
Today, coal mining giant Arch Coal, which filed for bankruptcy protection in January, pulled the plug on its controversial Otter Creek mine proposal that would have opened up over 8,000 acres in southeastern Montana to coal mining.
The project has been a source of tension for decades between the coal giant and the Montanans who would have been most impacted by its approval, including ranchers and members of the Northern Cheyenne tribe. Hunters, anglers, and conservation groups also opposed the project due to the impacts expanded mining would have on wildlife, habitat, cultural resources, recreation, and the economy.
Arch cited "capital constraints, near-term weakness in coal markets and an extended and uncertain permitting outlook" as the reasons for pulling its application for a permit for the proposed mine.
The reality is that the death of the Otter Creek Mine is a win for Montana, for our country, for our climate, for our wildlife, for their habitat, for our limited water resources, and for the communities who pulled together to fight this project.