COAL MINING IN THE POWDER RIVER BASIN

1. The primary industry in the Powder River region is coal. It is the single largest source of coal mined in the United States and contains one of the largest deposits of coal in the world. Most of the active coal mining in the Powder River Basin actually takes place near the Cheyenne River. Because of the Powder River Basin, Wyoming has been the top coal-producing state in the United States since 1988. (Source: SourceWatch website) 2. The Pwder River BAsin is home to the Cheyenne tribe of Native Americans, whose lives have changed drastically as a result of the industry. The region, once home to numerous Native tribes and then family ranches, now includes numerous coal mines, power lines, rail lines, and oil and gas wells. Bison and cattle have been replaced by draglines and trucks displacing habitat 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Indigenous tribal nations in the area are affected by the pollution caused by this industry, which raises serious concerns about the protection of surface and ground water supplies, irrigation systems, wildlife, and the health and welfare of their communities. While the development has led to some environmental gains, according to the journal Race, Poverty and the Environment, most of these have benefited the coal companies themselves. The pollution caused by the coal mining has also impacted tribal life adversely. 3. According to the Powder River Basin Resource Council, air quality surrounding the Powder River Basin strip mines has drastically decreased as a result of frequent toxic emissions related to coal blasting. The advocacy group Urban Habitat asserts that the "link between unsustainable energy consumption in the Americas and the destruction and desecration of Indigenous homelands and culture is undeniable." The San Francisco Chronicle agrees: "The new coal will spew nearly 4 billion tons of carbon pollution into our air — the equivalent of building 300 new coal-fired power plants...Burning coal produces all kinds of other toxic chemicals linked to serious health problems. In fact, coal pollution contributes to four of the five leading causes of death in the United States, and is responsible for an estimated 300,000 preventable birth defects each year." According to the American Lung Association, 24,000 people a year die prematurely because of pollution from coal-fired power plants. And every year 38,000 heart attacks, 12,000 hospital admissions and an additional 550,000 asthma attacks result from power plant pollution. Coal plant polution can also trigger asthma attacks, particularly in children. Indeed, asthma strikes 1 out of every 10 school children and is the number one illness that causes kids to miss school in the United States. Children are at the greatest health risk from air pollution because they are more likely to be active outdoors and their lungs are still developing.