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SW: →State approves Utah's first coal strip mine: added links
===State approves Utah's first coal strip mine===
On October 10, the Division of Oil, Gas and Mining approved a preliminary permit for the [[Coal Hollow Mine]], located on private land just 10 miles south of Bryce Canyon National Park. The mine would be the state's first strip coal mine. [[Alton Coal Development ]] hopes to mine 2 million tons of coal per year for three years. The company must secure a $6 million reclamation bond before receiving final approval of its mining permit.<ref name="stl">Mark Havnes, [http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_13828122 "Environmental groups move to stop strip mine,"] ''Salt Lake Tribune,'' November 20, 2009.</ref>
In November, a coalition of environmental groups filed a petition to block the mine, arguing that the project would damage the region's air, water, wildlife and cultural resources. The groups include The Utah chapter of the [[Sierra Club]], Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, the [[Natural Resources Defense Council]] and the [[National Parks Conservation Association]].<ref name="stl"/>
