The U.S. Department of the Interior has approved a mining plan modification for the Rosebud Mine located in Rosebud and Treasure counties, Montana. The decision authorizes the extraction of approximately 33.75 million tons of federal coal, extending the mine’s operational life through 2039.
This approval, issued by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), represents the second-largest federal coal mine expansion approved since the start of the second Trump administration.
The Northern Cheyenne Tribe, whose reservation lies just south of the Rosebud Coal Mine, has actively opposed continued expansion of coal mining in the area. Their concerns revolve around water degradation, air and climate impacts, cultural and ecological damage, and the protection of tribal sovereignty and future sustainability.
In Decbember 2023, the Montana Supreme Court blocked an expansion of the Rosebud Mine, which supplies coal to the Colstrip power plant. In its ruling, the court vacated an eight-year-old permit that would have allowed the company to extract 12 million tons of coal from a section of the mine in southeastern Montana.
The decision centers on environmental concerns related to water quality impacts on the East Fork of Armells Creek—an intermittent stream that ultimately feeds into the Yellowstone River. The Montana Environmental Information Center and the Sierra Club challenged the permit, arguing that mining operations in a 49-acre parcel known as AM4, located in Area B of the mine, would significantly increase salinity levels in the creek. This, they contended, would impair one of the stream’s designated beneficial uses: supporting aquatic life.
The expansion is expected to sustain over 300 jobs and contribute significantly to Montana’s economy. Coal from the Rosebud Mine supplies the nearby Colstrip and Rosebud power plants, which together have a generation capacity exceeding 1,500 megawatts—enough to power more than one million homes. The continued operation of the mine supports regional energy reliability and affordability.
Federal royalties from the expanded operations are projected to exceed $9 million annually.
About the Author: “Levi \”Calm Before the Storm\” Rickert (Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation) is the founder, publisher and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded Best Column 2021 Native Media Award for the print\/online category by the Native American Journalists Association. He serves on the advisory board of the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net.”
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
