119-S-362 Journalist Public Summary
A short, plain‑language overview of S. 362 (119th Congress), which would authorize mining of specified federal coal tied to the Bull Mountains Mine plan and direct fast Interior approval; supporters cite jobs and local revenue, opponents cite water, land, and climate harms; the bill has been reported by committee and is moving toward potential Senate floor consideration. (congress.gov)
Public Summary: S. 362 — Bull Mountains Mining Authorization
Headline Summary: A Montana-focused bill to green‑light mining on 800 acres of federal coal tied to the Bull Mountains plan and to require the Interior Department to sign off quickly. (congress.gov)
What It Does: S. 362 authorizes mining of federal coal under lease MTM 97988 on specified tracts in Musselshell County, Montana, and tells the Secretary of the Interior to approve the Bull Mountains Mine No. 1 “Amendment 3” plan within 30 days of enactment. In short: it aims to speed and secure federal approval for part of the mine’s operations. (congress.gov)
Why It Matters: Supporters say it would protect jobs and local tax revenue linked to the Bull Mountains Mine near Roundup; federal documents describe Amendment 3 as enabling recovery of tens of millions of tons of coal, reflecting the scale at issue. Opponents argue the mine has harmed local water and land and that Congress shouldn’t short‑circuit environmental review. (daines.senate.gov)
Who’s For It:
- Sen. Steve Daines (R‑MT), the sponsor, says the mine is the “lifeblood” of Musselshell County and frames the bill as protecting Montana jobs and energy production. (daines.senate.gov)
- Sen. Tim Sheehy (R‑MT), the cosponsor, backs the project as part of an “America First” energy push and job protection for Montana. (sheehy.senate.gov)
- Interior/OSMRE actions in 2025 approved the related mining plan modification after completing an EIS and Record of Decision, which supporters cite as momentum for continued operations. (osmre.gov)
Who’s Against It:
- Environmental and local agriculture groups (e.g., Earthjustice, Northern Plains Resource Council, Western Environmental Law Center) cite damage to springs and wells, land subsidence risks, and climate concerns; they have pursued litigation and complaints over the mine’s impacts and permitting. (earthjustice.org)
What’s Next: Congress.gov shows the bill was heard in committee on March 12, 2025 and ordered reported on April 9, 2025; your docket indicates the committee later filed a written report and the bill was placed on the Senate calendar on February 11, 2026, making it eligible for floor consideration. If the Senate passes it, the House would need to act (an identical House bill, H.R. 931, exists) before it could go to the President. Note that public trackers can lag behind the Senate’s daily calendar. (congress.gov)
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