News
BLM Moves Forward with Major Coal Project in Powder River Basin
The Bureau of Land Management is advancing a key coal project in the Powder River Basin that has the potential to unlock access to more than 440 million tons of federal coal. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.
A final environmental impact statement for the proposed West Antelope III coal lease-by-application project has been released by the Bureau of Land Management. According to the BLM, the lease area covers about 3,500 acres next to the existing Antelope Mine in Campbell and Converse counties. The project allows Navajo Transitional Energy Company to expand its operations and continue supplying low-cost, reliable energy from federal lands. The agency will hold a public hearing on the project’s fair market value and maximum economic recovery on Wednesday, September 3 from 6 to 8 pm at the Town Hall in Wright.
The action aligns with President Donald Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order which establishes that it is the policy of the United States to encourage energy production and exploration on Federal lands and waters.
Mark Steingass
August 26, 2025 at 11:21 am
This demonstrates real ignorance in light of the fact major fires are burning everywhere across the globe and in the United States…coal is wonderful but like many things used in excess will create problems. Moderation of use or CO2 damage control is warranted
BRIAN HUEBNER
August 27, 2025 at 5:04 pm
And how are these major fires started? So China should be a ball fire with all their coal fired plants? Would things be different with wind and solar alone? Of course not. With CO2 making up .04% of the atmosphere, cut that in half and the human race is in real trouble. I would be more concerned living anywhere close to a DuPont plant and their PFOA/S they dump in the water. At least our state will benefit.
mark steingass
August 28, 2025 at 10:18 am
so far 4,000 acres of land has burned in the WY Willow Creek fire alone with 0% containment while nationally 4.2 million acres of land have burned in the USA this year and counting….the oceans are getting warmer and vegetation is being destroyed by fire…04% seems small but has significant consequences on climate for many reasons even small C02 increased concentrations will have major impacts
Dennis Fox
September 2, 2025 at 10:42 pm
Man is such a tiny influence on the climate, as to be insignificant.
Want to see the biggest driver of climate change ever?
Just go outside at noon and look up. That bright yellow ball of fire in the sky has always been the main factor behind climate change.
The climate has and will always “change.” And mankind has almost zero to do with it.
The week-minded have been fooled again by the climate hoax. Just like the Russia Hoax. The border is “secure” hoax. And president “autopen” was mentally competent.
Oh and the locally famous Hoaxes of “Higher Taxes are good for you” and “drinking water contaminated with fluoride is good for you” too.
The left should try very hard to not get “fooled” again.
Mark Steingass
September 3, 2025 at 11:20 am
I agree that the sun is a major driving factor in climate change. The question is how does mankind deal with climate change going forward?…it’s not “dig baby dig” as you have stated above…and again you are ill informed and completely wrong that “mankind has almost zero to do with it.”… if what you say is true then the University of Wyoming and the US Forest Service and scientists across the globe would not be researching ways to mitigate the problem of high concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere…you continually go down the same path with illogical terms like climate hoax, etc….you sound like a scratched record.
Mark Steingass
August 31, 2025 at 11:34 am
Major fires due to climate change can be started anywhere for various reasons how quickly we respond to the potential increase of future fires in an efficient manner will be the question…China has increased occurrence of fires in some areas but they also have decreased occurrence of fires in other areas through fire management due to manpower provided, mitigation and planning…as a result of increased atmospheric C02 levels and related climate changes the University of Wyoming Atmospheric Science Department is currently studying carbon emissions from wildfires in conjunction with the US Forest Service…as for PFAS dumped in water? yes that should be a concern…benefit to the state?…short term $.$$ yes…if C02 levels in the atmosphere continue to increase the world climate impacts will only intensify and Mr Fox’s statements about “borders secure and keeping American cities safe”…and “dig baby dig” without regard to rising atmospheric C02 levels…will only make the world less secure…please read my other comments….atmospheric C02 levels are at issue and a concerning problem for mankind …Mr Fox is ill informed
Nan Gile
August 28, 2025 at 6:18 am
Spot on.
Dennis Fox
August 26, 2025 at 5:04 pm
America should be energy independent. That prevents being reliant on other Countries for our energy and reduces the need for US military intervention overseas.
I’d much prefer our military keeping our own borders secure and keeping American cities safe.
It’s an America First policy to keep our troops home and “dig baby dig.”
BTW, plants produce the oxygen that we breath in, after first consuming the CO2 that animals exhale. It is a normal, natural process that is neither damaging, dangerous, nor in need of “control.”
Like the “water cycle” it is a divinely created symbiotic system.
Jacquie Hamilton
August 29, 2025 at 10:39 am
Mr Fox, your comments are exactly correct!!!
Mark Steingass
September 1, 2025 at 10:17 am
Dennis Fox is not correct by any stretch of the imagination and neither are you….increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere are detrimental to the environment and national security and need to be mitigated ASAP either by carbon capture or moderation in the burning of coal….coal fired power plants are rapidly becoming outdated and soon will not be able to compete with newer technology
Mark Steingass
August 30, 2025 at 10:59 am
Dennis Fox, your comment is laughable….if burning coal was such “a normal, natural process that is neither damaging, dangerous, nor in need of “control.” then the University of Wyoming wouldn’t be currently spending $58,000,000 (million dollars) in CO2 mitigation….like I mentioned in my first comment….”Moderation of use or CO2 damage control is warranted”
Dennis Fox
August 29, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Thank-you. When the environmental whackos make these absurd comments, it is incumbent upon us (the vast majority who know the truth) to point out the error of their ways.
Wyoming leads the nation in clean coal production and we should be thankful to live in such an energy dominate state.
Hats off to all the men and women who produce clean coal and bring it to market, so the rest of us can enjoy the light and heat it provides.
Mark Steingass
August 30, 2025 at 11:12 am
Like I mentioned in my first comment….”coal is wonderful but like many things used in excess will create problems. Moderation of use or CO2 damage control is warranted”…. this is why the University of Wyoming is studying ways to mitigate the affects of related climate issues that CO2 is creating (fires, floods, hurricanes extreme weather issues)….The University of Wyoming has received nearly $60,000,000 (60 million dollars) in grant funding for ways to mitigate the damage to our environment from C02 emissions while globally over $30,000,000,000 (30 billion dollars) has been spent according to a 2024 report by Oil Change International, with the United States leading the spending. Global investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS) hit a record $6.4 billion in 2023 alone.
Dennis Fox
September 2, 2025 at 4:55 pm
Just because a university is “studying” something does not mean it’s a problem. It just means someone knows how to write a grant request for our tax-payer supplied money.
The climate hoax is a huge waste of time, money and energy.
Better to put an end to our endless foreign interventions and seriously reduce spending on the welfare/warfare state that’s about to bankrupt us.
We’re 36 trillion in debt! That’s the real problem.
Mark Steingass
September 3, 2025 at 11:16 am
You are being erratic and missing the point of this Sheridan Media article regarding the 440 million ton BLM coal lease and how this potential lease will further impact global warming without CO2 mitigation. If what you say were true then BWX Technologies (BWXT) a nuclear technology manufacturer Virginia and the city of Gillette (so called energy capitol of the nation) with it’s vast coal reserves would not be in talks exploring the potential building a nuclear microreactor power plant near Gillette. Coal fired power plants are old technology and whether they survive in the future will depend on whether CO2 emissions can be mitigated with regard to the impacts of global warming and still be competitive with newer technology.
Dennis Fox
September 3, 2025 at 3:42 pm
Logic and reason always appear “erratic” to brain-washed libs.
The truth is that CO2 is a completely harmless by-product of breathing and producing energy. Without producing energy, civilization goes dark and we freeze to death.
Mankind is doing absolutely nothing of significance to “change” the climate. Global cooling, then global warming and now “Climate Change” are all hoaxes designed to scare us out of our money. Only fools buy into these hoaxes.
Gillette is only hedging it’s bets in case a future Dumb gets into office and tries to ban clean coal again.
Fortunately, the odds of a dim getting into the oval office again is slim.
Mark Steingass
September 4, 2025 at 9:54 am
More erratic statements from you regarding climate change…you contradict yourself…as stated yesterday on 9-3-25 at 3:42 PM you stated…”Global cooling, then global warming and now “Climate Change” are all hoaxes”….while just one day earlier on September 2nd at 10:42PM you stated that there is climate change….you stated….”Just go outside at noon and look up. That bright yellow ball of fire in the sky has always been the main factor behind climate change.” Mr Fox seek help.
Dennis Fox
September 5, 2025 at 12:03 am
Climate change is caused primarily by the sun, NOT by anything man does.
The hoaxers said in the 70’s that an ice age was coming. then they switched to the “Global warming” hype. When the world neither froze nor fried (as they had predicted) they changed to the current “Man-caused Climate Change” hysteria.
It’s all a scam and scare tactic to get more gov’t (i.e. taxpayer) money to fund their cushy university studies. Anyone buying into these hoaxes and scams is a fool.
Dennis Fox
September 4, 2025 at 5:35 pm
For the Truth on the climate hoax, plz see a new book by Mark Keenan entitled “Climate CO2 Hoax”. It details that CO2 is a non-toxic, naturally occurring element that is essential to All Life on Earth. CO2 is correctly called “Plant Food” and is not a pollutant.
As usual, your posts are filled with ad hominem attacks and never provide counters to my scientific facts.
Your obsession with me is troubling. It’s called OCD and your projections reveal who should really be seeking guidance.
Please get back on your meds and stop attacking innocent posters on this site.
Personal attacks are specifically banned on this website.
Mark Steingass
September 5, 2025 at 9:38 am
Since you are an active Sheridan Media submitter and past Sheridan County public office seeker and obviously feel you have valid and worthwhile ideology, political beliefs, political agenda and facts to offer in this public forum let the people of Sheridan County decide again…run for public office another time in the near future for the electorate voters in yet another referendum vote see how the general public feels about your ideology.
Dennis Fox
September 5, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Already done, thanks. Got elected in ’24.
And the wins I’ve been part of, or led, include abolishing the food tax in ’06, stopping the 2013 property tax hike and removing toxic fluoride from city water.
All toll we’ve saved millions of dollars with lower taxes and now drink pure water.
I don’t espouse “ideology” per say, other than adhering to the Dec of Independence, the US and Wyo. constitutions and of course the Republican Platform and the Bible.
Liberation from a state-high 6% Sales Tax is next.
We are demanding Tax relief and a break from insanely high taxes.
And all we have to do is VOTE.