The U.S. Interior Department approved a plan by Signal Peak Energy to expand coal mining, providing exports for Japan and South Korea, the agency said recently, as it responded to President Donald Trump's energy-emergency directives.
The approval authorizes the Montana-based coal company to recover 22.8 million metric tonnes of federal coal and 34.5 million tonnes of adjacent non-federal coal and extend the life of the Bull Mountains mine by nine years.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who is also co-chair of Trump's Energy Dominance Council, said unlocking more federal coal enables the U.S. to bolster ties with allies abroad.
"President Trump’s leadership in declaring a national energy emergency is allowing us to act decisively, cut bureaucratic delays and secure America's future through energy independence and strategic exports," he said.
On January 20, Trump declared an energy emergency to speed permitting, roll back environmental protections and withdraw the U.S. from an international pact to fight climate change.
