The Bureau of Land Management moves forward with leasing of 630-acres of federal coal in North Dakota
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DICKINSON, N.D. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Dickinson Field Office has signed a finding of no significant impact and decision record on an environmental assessment that analyzes potential impacts from leasing 630-acres of federal coal in North Dakota to BNI Coal, LTD.
“The leasing of federal coal is a prime example of how the Trump Administration has ensured America’s energy independence,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Casey Hammond. “This lease will support hundreds of jobs in North Dakota and further bolster the state’s economy.”
The comment period on the environmental assessment ended on October 8, 2020. The proposed lease tracts are adjacent to the company’s existing Center Mine in Oliver County, southwest of Center. The tracts contain an estimated 6.97 million tons of federal coal.
“The BLM’s record of decision will allow North Dakota to continue to provide clean and reliable baseload power to our region. Thanks to the joint investments by our industry and the North Dakota Industrial Commission’s Lignite Research, Development and Marketing Program, which enabled innovations like DryFining and Project Tundra, our coal-fired power plants are among the cleanest in the nation,” said Governor Doug Burgum. “We are grateful for the BLM’s recognition and acknowledgement that North Dakota’s all-of-the-above approach to energy development is essential to ensuring resiliency in our power grid.”
“Coal is a critical energy resource, supporting good jobs in North Dakota and helping ensure the affordability and reliability of the grid,” said Senator John Hoeven. “This lease supports the continued operations of the Center Mine and the Milton R. Young Station, which is home to Project Tundra, a next-generation energy technology we are working to advance that will enable us to continue relying on our state’s abundant coal reserves while also reducing emissions. We appreciate the efforts of BLM to finalize this lease, and we will continue our work to provide needed regulatory relief and support technology development to secure the coal industry’s future.”
“Coal production creates high-quality jobs, valuable revenues for North Dakota’s communities, and a reliable source of energy for our country,” said Senator Kevin Cramer. “I am glad to see the Bureau of Land Management move forward on this lease, and I hope our coal producers continue receiving positive news such as this.”
Approval of BNI’s proposal to lease the Federal coal resources will maintain America’s energy independence and directly preserve 177 jobs at the Center Mine and 175 at the Milton R. Young Power Station which is supplied coal from the mine. BNI’s operation also supports an estimated 500 indirect jobs that are dependent on the mine.
The coal lease application is part of BNI’s ongoing mining operation and would not extend the life of the mine. The coal within the project site is owned by the federal government and is within the current mine planning area.
More information is available on the BLM e-Planning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov. Search using the NEPA number: DOI-BLM-MT-C030-2017-0088-EA.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.