WE Soda cuts Green River mine staff by 350 as shift to solution mining begins

Thirty-five hundred workers will be let go at the Westvaco trona mine near Green River in early 2027. Sweetwater County Treasurer Mark Cowan estimates the layoffs will reduce the State Permanent Mineral Trust Fund's revenue by approximately $4 million each year.

WE Soda, the London-based company that acquired the mine in 2025, announced Wednesday that it is switching to solution mining. This method involves dissolving trona in water underground rather than extracting it from the surface. The company stated that this process is cheaper to operate. WE Soda also plans to lower its total production of soda ash. It will reduce exports to Asia and South America because Chinese competitors are selling the chemical at a lower price.

Trona is the raw mineral used to create soda ash, Wyoming's largest export. The chemical is a key ingredient in manufacturing glass, soap, and paper. The transition to solution mining will take place over the next two years.

Cowan noted that Sweetwater County serves as a primary economic driver for the state. He said the county alone will lose $1 million in revenue. The cuts will impact local schools, teachers, and families whose members work in other industries that depend on the mining sector.

“It'll affect schools and teachers and part of those families that are working in other industries that aren't going to be able to do that as well,” Cowan said. He argued that the county must pursue the best available economic development opportunities. “We cannot continue to be hamstrung by regulation or rules or things that are beyond our control,” he added.

Gov. Mark Gordon and Gov.-elect Eric Barlow issued a joint press release expressing concern for the miners and their families. They described soda ash mining as a vital legacy industry for Sweetwater County and Wyoming. “Today’s announcement regarding the reduction in miners is terrible news for this cornerstone industry,” the statement read.

The two governors said the state is working with the federal government to strengthen the soda ash market going forward.