Energy Companies Big Plans to Exploit American West to Feed Chinas Insatiable Appetite for Coal

So this is why the Powder River Herds had to go?


The coal-rich Powder River Basin, which straddles the Montana and Wyoming border, holds about 800 billion short tons of coal, or 20 percent of our nation's entire reserves. Coal from the area is highly desirable due to its low sulfur content, which often allows coal to be burned without exceeding air limits for sulfur emissions.
As such, companies in the U.S. are working fast to figure out the best way to ship Powder River Basin coal to Asia, and China in particular. It's just a short rail journey from Wyoming to the Pacific Northwest, where a new port is being eyed to become coal ready. These companies are also working hard to open up additional mines in the region, as most of the coal available in the Powder River Basin has yet to be tapped.


Full article here; http://www.truth-out.org/energy-companies-big-plans-exploit-american-west-feed-chinas-insatiable-appetite-coal65530