Political Quotes

“Mines in Colorado's Third Congressional District provide not only critical jobs, they also provide the reliable, affordable electricity on which countless Americans rely. The future of one such mine, operated by Colowyo in Moffat County, is now in jeopardy after a Federal judge sided with a radical environmental group notorious for filing lawsuits, at the expense of taxpayers who often end up footing their litigation bill. I am urging the Department of the Interior to take swift action to prevent the impending closure of the Colowyo mine, and I want to thank Senator Cory Gardner for his partnership in this effort. On May 8, 2015, the Federal district court for the district of Colorado issued an order determining that the Office of Surface Mining failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act in 2007, when it issued a mine plan for approval of the Colowyo coal mine. The court gave OSM 120 days to be able to prepare a new analysis and issue a new decision. If OSM does not complete the process in 120 days, the court stated that it would vacate the mine plan, effectively shutting down the mine on September 6. Unfortunately, despite repeated insistence from myself, Senator Gardner, county officials, and the surrounding local communities, this administration decided against appealing the court's ruling. We have to ask the question: Does not the executive branch have a duty to defend its permitting actions? Of course, it does.…”