A federal judge on Friday reinstated a moratorium on coal leasing from federal lands that had been in place during the Obama administration. The ban was lifted under former President Donald Trump. Friday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Brian Morris requires government officials to conduct a new environmental review before resuming sales of coal from federal lands. The judge said the government’s previous review of the program during the Trump administration had not adequately considered climate damage from carbon’s greenhouse gas emissions, among other impacts. Nearly half of the nation’s annual coal production is mined by private companies from leases on federal land, mostly in western states including Wyoming, Montana and Colorado. FLINT Otter LAWSUIT: JUDGE DECLARES DISMISSAL AFTER APPEAL CANNOT SUCCEED A federal judge reinstated a moratorium on coal leasing from federal lands that was imposed under former President Barack Obama and then lifted under former President Donald Trump, Friday, Aug. 12, 2022.
Burning coal for electricity is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, despite the fact that some power plants have closed over the past decade due to concerns about pollution and changing economic conditions. According to government figures, the coal program pumped about $400 million into federal and state coffers through royalties and other payments last year. The program is responsible for thousands of jobs and has the support of industry representatives, GOP members of Congress and officials in coal-producing states. President Joe Biden had suspended oil and gas lease sales in his first week in office, though such a move was later blocked by a federal judge. And environmental groups have pressed him to take similar action against coal. NEW JERSEY WATER MAIN OUTAGE NEAR NEWARK COULD LEAVE CITY WITHOUT WATER In this Oct. 16, 2014, file photo, fog hovers over a mountaintop as a cutout depicting a miner stands at a memorial to local miners killed on the job in Cumberland, Ky. (AP) Last year, the Biden administration launched a review of climate damage from coal mining on federal lands as it increased scrutiny of government sales of fossil fuels that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. However, no changes were announced due to this review. “This decision gives the Biden administration an opportunity to follow through on its commitment to seriously address the climate crisis,” Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbin, who represented environmental groups and the Northern Cheyenne tribe in the case, said of the decision. “No progress has been made to reform the program or to do what is needed to phase out existing leases.” NEW YORKER’S COLUMN PROPOSES SOILED ‘CULTURE’ WITH CLIMATE PROVISIONS IN SPENDING BILL In this Nov. 9, 2010 file photo, a mine worker stands at the entrance to Signal Peak Energy’s Bull Mountain mine in Roundup, Montana. (AP) But National Union of Mines president Rich Nolan said the industry lobby group would appeal the decision. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “This is a deeply disappointing decision with energy-driven inflation, affordability and energy security for Americans,” Nolan said. “The denial of access to affordable, secure energy during an energy affordability crisis is deeply troubling.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.