Colorado Coal Mine Expansion Permits Upheld by Appeals Court

Federal permits for a Colorado coal mine expansion were upheld by a federal appeals court Tuesday that ruled the US Interior Department didn’t need to investigate the area before issuing approval.

Groups failed to overturn a lower court’s dismissal of their Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act claims after the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled the decision to investigate a permit holder isn’t strictly required under the law.

“The decision to investigate is at least partly discretionary because it turns on how the agency assesses the likelihood of wrongdoing by the operator,” Judge Robert E. Bacharach ...