News of layoffs never goes down easy. It’s an unfortunate event we in Sweetwater County have dealt with in the past. So when news broke last week of 700 coal miners and employees in Campbell County being without jobs after Blackjewel suddenly closed the doors on its Eagle Butte and Belle Ayr mines, we understand what those workers and their families now face. Many of us have been there too.
While Blackjewel may ultimately find a way to reopen the mines, this event couldn’t be a more clear signal to Wyoming’s leaders that they need to find ways of creating a more diverse and stable economic bedrock for the state’s residents to build their lives upon. Coal is still a major employer in Wyoming, yet the state needs to wean itself away from that industry as it’s top economic generator. Some moves at the state level, such as ENDOW’s continuing efforts and the Wyoming Legislature’s passage of 13 laws specifically geared towards blockchain technology do point to work being done in this regard, but our biggest fear is these initiatives are the exception and not the rule. Wyoming has talked about economic diversity in the past and those voices suddenly quieted down when the state entered into another boom and dealt with the problem of having massive budgetary surpluses, as the last oil-and-gas boom proved during the mid 2000s.
If Blackjewel is unable to reopen those mines, that means 700 people will have to find other work. With that many people, simply retraining them all for other jobs in the Campbell County area wouldn’t be feasible. While some would likely find other employment, the reality is many of those people would have to relocate. Some to locations in Wyoming, while others would leave the state. However, both the county and the state stand to lose a lot -- the school district loses funding because of decreased enrollment, businesses in Campbell County lose revenue because fewer customers and the city, county and state would lose tax revenue because of lower sales tax collections and a decrease in the county’s tax valuation. This is as close to a worst-case scenario as Wyoming has likely seen in a long time.
While a more diversified economic base wouldn’t be the solution to every one of these problems, it would go a long way in ensuring a sudden shift in economic fortunes doesn’t completely cripple a town or county. It’s a goal leaders in Sweetwater County and the state should continue working towards.
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