KAYENTA, Ariz. -- The federal Office of Surface Mining has renewed an operating permit for a northern Arizona coal mine.
The office approved the five-year permit for Peabody Energy's Kayenta Mine earlier this month. The coal is mined from the Navajo and Hopi reservations, and feeds the Navajo Generating Station near Page.
The permit that allows for continued mining and reclamation activities now expires July 6, 2015.
Environmentalists had urged the federal government to deny the permit and now are considering an appeal. They say the mining operation has been depleting water supplies at rates far higher than what Peabody predicted, a claim that Peabody says is light on fact.
The Office of Surface Mining's environmental assessment found no significant impact.
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