The Department of Interior on Thursday took the next step in its evaluation of how the federal government distributes coal leases.
Earlier this year, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced a moratorium on new land leases for coal production to review the entire federal coal program for possible reforms.
On Thursday, that review began in earnest with the Bureau of Land Management filing notice of its intention to do an environmental impact statement. That will involve meeting the public several times over the next four months in meetings in Wyoming, Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington.
“As we undertake this review, we look forward to hearing from the public on a wide range of issues, including how, when and where to lease federal coal, how to account for the environmental and public health impacts of federal coal production,” said Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze, “and how to ensure that American taxpayers earn a fair return for the use of their public resources, including whether current royalty rates should be adjusted.”
The Obama administration has been criticized by congressional Republicans as attempting to kill coal as an energy source as part of the president’s climate change goals. Fossil fuels, such as coal, are blamed by many scientists for causing climate change.
The review would be the first comprehensive look at the federal coal program in 30 years, Kornze said.
He said he believes coal will continue to be an energy source for the country and important questions need to be answered, such as whether taxpayers are getting a fair return for private companies mining public lands and how the process can be more transparent.
“Coal will continue to be an important domestic energy source in the years ahead and we are undertaking this effort with full consideration of the importance of maintaining reliable and affordable energy for American families and businesses. But we haven’t undertaken a comprehensive evaluation of the federal coal program in more than 30 years. It’s time for a top-to-bottom review,” Kornze said.
