U.S. Forest Service Sued Over Coal Mine Expansion

Environmental groups are taking their legal fight against the carbon dioxide produced from burning Wyoming coal to a new agency, the U.S. Forest Service. They sued the Forest Service on Tuesday to contest the expansion of 1 the world's largest coal mines. The Forest Service approved expanding the North Antelope Rochelle Mine on the Thunder Basin National Grassland in October. WildEarth Guardians, the Powder River Basin Resource Council and Sierra Club say the Forest Service didn't adequately consider how burning coal affects the climate. Burning Wyoming coal to produce electricity releases a large share of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Previous lawsuits linking Wyoming coal and climate change targeted the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The Wyoming Mining Association says environmentalists are seeking all possible avenues to attack the coal industry.