Ahem; DM&E RR is engaged in building a new line to supplement the curreent DM&E and BN&SF rail lines out of Wyoming's Powder River Basin, strictly to accomodate coal trains.
Basin Energy, a generating coop that sells power to other upper Midwestern electrical coops has mines near (like next to) some of their power plants in ND. Near those mines are more mines owned by regular coal mining companies, which supply coal to Midwestern and Northeastern power plants.
That is just part of the current & expanding WY, ND, & SD coal mining industry. There's plenty more coal mining elsewhere in the west.
I know in the past Environmentalists and O.S.H.A. has caused the mining industry alot of headaches.
President FDR outlawed gold mining in the US because of the "emergency of World War II". My understanding that this shut down most gold mines in the US never to re-open.
West Virginia and Pennsylvania used to coal mining areas, but I don't know the current status.
I was unaware of the efforts out West!