Governor Gordon and Governor-elect Barlow issue the following statement regarding today’s announcement from Sweetwater County:
“Soda ash mining is a vital, legacy industry for Sweetwater County and Wyoming. Today’s announcement regarding the reduction in miners is terrible news for this cornerstone industry. These mines have long been a critical part of Sweetwater County’s workforce economy. As Governor and Governor-elect, we are especially concerned for the miners and their families in southwestern Wyoming and are working diligently to bring resources to address the impacts of these reductions.
WE Soda points to low-cost Chinese exports as well as production and transportation costs as reasons for this decision. We need to understand those pressures and identify practical steps on both the state and federal level that can be taken immediately to strengthen Wyoming’s competitiveness and protect national security. Meanwhile, the industry itself is also going through changes in mining practice, transitioning from hard rock mining to solution mining, which will improve the global competitiveness of Wyoming’s trona mines.
We are in discussions with the federal government, producers, utilities, workforce services, transportation stakeholders, and others to look at all options for strengthening the market for this critical material at the same time as we are working to mobilize resources for the families and communities that will feel the brunt of these decisions.
Already our Department of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance, the Department of Family Services, and Western Wyoming Community College, among others, are coordinating with representatives of WE Soda to confront the inevitable consequences of this announcement. We will continue to work to do all we can to help displaced workers and their families find the resources they need and have asked Workforce Services to be available to that end. We have also reached out to local and statewide union leaders and will continue to discuss the issues affecting their members.”