Governor Gordon Releases Statement on NTEC Sovereign Immunity Waiver

Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon announced Thursday that the State of Wyoming has reached an agreement on a Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity between the State, and the Navajo Transitional Energy Company. Governor Gordon said that the agreement now clears a pathway for NTEC to take the necessary steps to apply for the transfer of permits to mine at the Antelope, Cordero Rojo and Young’s Creek coal mines.

The Governor said the agreement is consistent with the requirements in the Wyoming Environmental Quality Act and the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act. Gordon said that he applauded the efforts of the Department of Environmental Quality and the Attorney General’s office, who originally identified concerns about sovereign immunity. The Governor closed his statement by saying that the State has been negotiating the contents of this waiver continuously since September, when NTEC purchased the mines, and that he looks forward to a long and productive future for NTEC in Wyoming.