The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel reports that in August 2014 Colorado mines had already produced 15.5 million tons. Production totaled nearly 40 million tons in 2004 and just under 23 million tons last year.
Officials say the drop in production can be attributed to mining cutbacks at Peabody Energy's Twentymile Mine in Routt County and at Bowie Resource Partners' Bowie No. 2 Mine in Delta County.
According to the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, Twentymile production fell to 2.5 million tons through August, from 4.9 million for the same period last year. The Bowie mine produced about 1.4 million tons, down from 1.8 million.
