BROOKWOOD, Ala.—The Trump administration plans to expedite the permitting and environmental review process for a significant coal mine expansion in central Alabama. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to accelerate “critical mineral” infrastructure projects.
Officials assert that the change aims to reduce dependency on foreign countries. However, Warrior Met, the company behind the mine, exports most of its Alabama coal to international steelmaking markets.
The Blue Creek mine expansion, one of the largest in Alabama’s history, is among 20 projects designated as “transparency projects” over the past two months. It will be featured on the federal government’s permitting dashboard as it undergoes regulatory processes. For more information on the permitting dashboard, visit the dashboard.
The dashboard, established by the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST), is intended to provide public access to the environmental review and authorization schedules of these projects. The administration claims this transparency fosters accountability and efficiency.
In the past, the FAST-41 dashboard facilitated projects supporting tribal nations and those focused on renewable energy and infrastructure. The program’s scope and priorities have evolved with each administration.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum showcased support for the Alabama project by visiting a Warrior Met mine in April and touring the Blue Creek facility under construction. During the visit, Burgum emphasized the administration’s commitment to fossil fuel production but did not address Warrior Met’s safety and environmental issues.
Warrior Met’s coal, primarily for steel production overseas, accounted for 37% in Europe, 43% in Asia, and 20% in South America as of March 2025, according to a corporate filing.
The Blue Creek expansion involves longwall mining, a method where machines shear coal walls, leaving vast empty spaces and causing land subsidence. This method has caused significant damage in Alabama communities, exemplified by a home explosion in March 2024 due to methane seepage.
Reports indicate that a West Virginia woman was injured in a similar explosion above a longwall mine. The Blue Creek project aims to boost Warrior Met’s coal output by 60%, primarily for international markets, with potential taxpayer support reaching $400 million.
Warrior Met is seeking permission to mine publicly owned coal for the project. The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans an environmental assessment covering 14,040 acres of federal minerals in Tuscaloosa County. The project involves the extraction of approximately 57.5 million tons of public coal reserves.
Government scoping documents mentioned an analysis of climate change impacts, but federal guidance on this issue remains uncertain. A executive order by Trump disbanded the Interagency Working Group on the Social Cost of Greenhouse Gases, previously established to analyze carbon emissions’ economic impact.
Public comments to BLM have raised concerns about the project’s greenhouse gas emissions and its contribution to the climate crisis.
The draft environmental impact statement for the Blue Creek project will be released on May 30, according to BLM.
Other projects added to the FAST-41 program by the Trump administration include:
- Resolution Copper Project
- Stibnite Gold Project
- McDermitt Exploration Project
- South West Arkansas Project
- Caldwell Canyon Mine Project
- Libby Exploration Project
- Lisbon Valley Copper Project
- Silver Peak Lithium Mine
- Michigan Potash
- NorthMet
- La Jara Mesa
- Roca Honda
- Greens Creek Surface Exploration
- Stillwater Mine
- Polaris Mine
- Becky’s Mine Modification
- 3PL Railroad Valley Exploration
- Grassy Mountain Mine
- Amelia A&B
Original Story at insideclimatenews.org