Bridger Coal Company closing discussed at RS City Council meeting

Jena Doak, [email protected]

September 21, 2021 — Wyoming could be facing a future without the coal-fired constancy that has been so good to it. The business is diminishing, and hundreds of Wyoming miners have lost their jobs.

Bridger Coal Company’s mining operations will close on November 19, affecting 94 employees and their families. Twenty-eight of these employees are managers, and 68 are union positions. The company has been planning this closure since 2016.

The layoffs were discussed at the Rock Springs City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 21. In an interview with Wyo4News after the meeting, Rock Springs Mayor Tim Kaumo expressed his regret about the loss of high-paying jobs and the loss of families in the community.

“Those are 94 families that will have to frantically search for new employment opportunities or relocate somewhere else,” Kaumo said.

The constant battle against coal is becoming more and more real to Rock Springs. The industry’s growing emphasis on green energy such as wind and solar minimizes the need for coal. Another thing disturbing the fate of coal is the impression that many people have of it.

Most of the power plant’s customers are on the west coast.

“Very little of that power goes to this region,” Kaumo said. “Those customers on the west coast have visions of black, smoggy, coal plants.” Their investors, who want green renewables, determine what source of energy they produce.

Despite the bad news, Mayor Kaumo remains confident that coal production will not be altogether wiped out, as it is such a steady source of energy. He is also hopeful that the proposed nuclear project pans out so that many of the positions can be retained.