KEMMERER — The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is reviewing a request from Kemmerer Operations LLC to make changes at the Kemmerer Mine that aim to improve worker safety and reduce air pollution. The company is seeking to modify how coal is stored and moved at the site, located about five miles southwest of Kemmerer.

According to a letter from Kemmerer Operations to the DEQ, the proposed changes are in response to a growing safety issue at the bottom of a deep pit, where coal removal has slowed due to limited storage space. This slowdown has created a risk of slope instability along a 700-foot highwall, which poses a danger to workers.

“Our coal removal operation has progressed to the bottom of the pit and because we can’t sell the coal fast enough, the reduced coal removal rate creates a safety hazard,” wrote Colton Sandall, environmental supervisor for Kemmerer Operations.

“The operation is currently at the base of a 700-foot-high wall, which creates a slope stability risk that magnifies the longer mining activity remains at that location,” Sandall added.

To address the issue, the company has requested a temporary increase in coal stockpile limits for the next three years.

“Our proposed plan to help keep people safe is to mine at a faster rate by emptying the pit into already permitted stockpiles,” Sandall stated.

“We anticipate another pit with similar circumstances in 2026–2027, posing the same need to minimize safety risk by getting the coal out quickly,” he added.

Kemmerer Operations proposes to expand the capacity of three coal stockpiles — known as the I-Area, North (1-UD), and South (2-UD) — to 100,000 tons each. At the same time, it plans to eliminate a separate stockpile used for highwall mining. These adjustments are expected to cut airborne dust emissions known as PM10.

The emission reductions are based on established air quality models and do not include additional dust suppression from chemicals the company plans to use.

“While its primary purpose is fire suppression, we expect it to reduce fugitive dust emissions as well,” Sandall noted. “We have not, however, accounted for such reductions in our emission calculations.”

Before any changes are approved, the DEQ’s Division of Air Quality is offering the public a chance to review the proposal and submit feedback. All relevant documents — including the permit request, state analysis, and technical data — are available online at https://openair.wyo.gov by searching Facility ID F026358 and Permit Number P0039809. Printed copies can also be viewed at the Lincoln County Library and the Lincoln County Clerk’s Office in Kemmerer.

People who want to comment must do so in writing by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. Comments may be mailed to the Division of Air Quality in Cheyenne, or submitted online at http://aq.wyomingdeq.commentinput.com. Email submissions will not be accepted.

A public hearing will only be scheduled if significant public interest is demonstrated or if a person directly affected by the proposal requests one.

As the DEQ evaluates the request, the public has an opportunity to weigh in on how best to balance environmental concerns with worker safety at one of Lincoln County’s largest industrial operations.