Westmoreland Appeal in Mine Expansion Bid Gets Booted From Court

The Ninth Circuit said Friday that it lacks jurisdiction to hear an appeal of lower court decision sending a request for a Montana coal mine’s expansion back to the Interior Department.

Westmoreland Rosebud Mining LLC will have a chance to obtain Interior’s approval of its request to expand the Rosebud coal mine near Colstrip, Mont., or, if the government denies the request, it can appeal that decision, the appeals court said in an unsigned, unpublished order.

• The mine exclusively supplies coal to the Colstrip Power Plant, which is one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters in the Western US
• A ...