Arch Coal bids $86 million for Montana's Otter Creek coal

Arch Coal Inc. has bid $86 million plus future royalties for the right to mine a half-billion tons of state-owned coal in southeastern Montana near the Wyoming border.

Developing a mine could take years and would also require construction of the proposed Tongue River Railroad -- a project fiercely fought by environmentalists and area landowners.

Read the full story from the Casper Star-Tribune here .