The Trump administration gave several towns relying on oil, gas and coal a boost by cutting royalty payments and expanding projects. East Carbon is a coal town, one of only a few hundred still hanging on. Emery County Coal Resources, which is a subsidiary of American Consolidated Natural Resources, owns Lila Canyon Mine and did not reply to several requests for comment. Utah relies heavily on coal for energy: 61% of the state’s electricity net generation came from coal-fired plants. But Porter said Emery County Coal Resources, the company that runs the mine, has a solid plan to extinguish it.

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