Court Rules on Wyoming Coal and Climate Change

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A court has cast doubt on a longstanding U.S. government argument that blocking coal leasing won't affect climate change because the coal would simply be mined elsewhere.

Friday's ruling by the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver is the biggest win yet for environmentalists trying to block federal coal leases on climate-change grounds.

The Sierra Club and WildEarth Guardians sued to block leasing at two Wyoming mines that supply coal for power plants. The appeals court ruling tells a lower court to seek more analysis from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Mining will continue in the meantime.

The appeals court questioned the BLM argument that blocking the mining wouldn't reduce greenhouse gas emissions because utilities would get coal elsewhere.

The Wyoming Mining Association calls the ruling disappointing.