Investigative Report of Coal Self-Bonding in Wyoming

The OIG completed an investigation to determine if Peabody Energy Corporation (Peabody) submitted false statements to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) to obtain self-bonds for coal mines on Federal leases in Wyoming and to determine if the WDEQ acted appropriately in the review of those applications.We did not find any false statements submitted by Peabody. Further, we found the WDEQ acted appropriately in the review of Peabody’s self-bonding applications.We issued this report of investigation to the Director for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.