The Western Coal Traffic League (WCTL) is a voluntary association comprised of consumers of coal produced from United States mines located west of the Mississippi River. WCTL was founded to advocate the interests of consumers of western coal. Beginning in 1977, WCTL has advanced and protected the interests of western coal consumers before the United States Congress, the United States Departments of Commerce, Interior, Justice and Transportation; federal and state courts; and numerous federal and state regulatory departments and agencies including the U.S. Surface Transportation Board, the Bureau of Land Management and the Federal Trade Commission.
These engagements have included challenges to the imposition of increased federal royalties on coal; opposition to the attempted consolidation of coal producers; opposition to mergers by western railroads; opposition to undue taxes for the reclamation of western mines; and opposition to various unfair and unreasonable practices by western railroads in connection with their haulage of western coal. Because WCTL is committed solely to the interests of coal consumers, its membership does not include producers or transporters of western coals. WCTL members include publicly traded companies, local governments, cooperatives, and government authorities. Collectively they purchase, transport, and consume over 200 million tons of western coal each year.
