Court says coal mine expansion permit ignored pollution law

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Montana judge says state regulators ignored the law when they permitted an expansion of a massive strip mine that is the sole source of coal for a large power plant. State District Judge Katherine Bidegaray ordered the Department of Environmental Quality to revisit the 2015 permit to expand the 25,752-acre Rosebud Mine. Thursday’s order came after environmental groups sued over damage to a nearby creek from wastewater that flows out of the mine. Rosebud fuels the Colstrip Power Plant, which burns about 8 million tons of coal annually. It’s unclear what the ruling means for ongoing mine operations. Rosebud’s Colorado-based owner, Westmoreland Mining, did not immediately respond to the ruling.