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Committee adopts Daines bill to keep Bull Mountains mine operating; opponents say reviews still needed
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Summary
The committee approved S.362, legislation to authorize continued operations at the Bull Mountains coal mine and adopted a sponsor’s amendment; critics said environmental and cultural reviews remain outstanding and opposed the bill.
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee adopted S.362, a bill introduced by Senator Steve Daines to authorize continued operation and short-term expansion of the Bull Mountains coal mine, and ordered the measure to be reported favorably to the Senate.
Senator Steve Daines told the committee the bill is a short-term fix to keep the mine producing under a longstanding mine plan while a longer-term solution is developed. “This is a bill that we passed in a bipartisan way, last year to save the Bull Mountains mine... It's simply a short term fix that gives us time to get a long term solution enacted,” Daines said.
A committee member raised concerns about bypassing required environmental and cultural resource reviews. The member said the administration expected to complete those reviews by September and argued the committee should not legislate mine plans in the absence of completed reviews; that member said they would vote against S.362 for that reason.
The committee first proceeded to a voice vote on a Danes amendment; the chair ruled the ayes had it and the amendment passed by voice vote. The committee then conducted a roll-call vote on S.362; the clerk announced the ayes were 13 and the nays were 7 and the measure was adopted and ordered to be reported favorably to the Senate.
Supporters said the bill preserves jobs and local mining continuity while allowing time for required reviews; opponents warned it short-circuits environmental and cultural-review processes. The committee’s favorable report advances S.362 to the Senate floor, where further debate and consideration are expected.
