By Nancy Sorenson

October 12, 2019 - Troubled times continue to grow in the Powder River Basin. This summer two large coal companies declared bankruptcy, impacting four large coal mines in Wyoming. While Cloud Peak and Blackjewel’s respective bankruptcies played out very differently, they do point out that Wyoming’s coal industry is in trouble.

The US coal industry, including Wyoming, has been in trouble for years. We felt this pain three years ago when Arch, Alpha, and Peabody all filed for bankruptcy, and we’re feeling it again this year. The coal market has been declining since 2008, and we must start thinking about what’s next for our state.

To help our communities around eastern Wyoming get to “what’s next,” we could use some help. We need something to bridge this gap between a fully-employed Wyoming coal industry where the mines are operating at capacity, and the future when they are closing. Whether that happens in six months or 20 years, we really don’t know. We can’t continue to pin our hopes on a robust coal economy—those days are over.

We may think we have years to figure out this whole new-economy plan, but putting off real discussions doesn’t prevent the inevitable. It just makes us less prepared. It’s like when we look at things in our rear view mirrors: Objects may be closer than they appear. We may not have as much time as we think.

Our coal communities need solutions now, which is why the bi-partisan RECLAIM Act, HR 2156, is so important. The bill simply expedites spending $1 billion in already-collected Abandoned Mine Land funds to assist communities like ours that are struggling in the face of the coal industry’s decline. This money is earmarked to help transition our communities to sustainable new economies by spurring economic activity.

Wyoming is a top recipient of AML funds, and we have used those funds well since 1977. We have reclaimed over 25,000 acres of land and restored these mined-out areas for other use, such as agriculture, recreation, and wildlife habitat. AML funds have also helped restore miles of impaired streams, and the state has also allocated AML monies to address many other impacts.

Just last year, more than 550 people were employed by AML contracts all around the state. These are good jobs that provide economic growth. More AML funds could put the employees laid off in the bankruptcies to work. And in the meantime, our state leaders can work on finding ways to permanently diversify our economy and our state revenue stream.

The RECLAIM Act is not a permanent fix for Wyoming’s coal woes, but it is an opportunity for Wyoming and other coal states to help create jobs and fund some economic development. Whether we like it or not, the U.S. coal industry is standing at the edge of a cliff, but it doesn’t need to take us all over the edge. We need a bridge. Our Wyoming delegation in DC needs to support and push for the passage of the RECLAIM Act for the benefit of Wyoming and other coal communities.