Coal news and updates

The Biden administration will review coal leasing on federal lands this week, officials said Monday while also announcing a plan to appeal an order that halted a moratorium on oil and gas leasing. 

 

“Interior will release a notice of intent to conduct a review of the federal coal leasing program later this week,” said a statement that was attributed to the Interior Department and not any specific person. 

 

Spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said via email that the review would not include any sort of pause on new federal coal leases like the administration had implemented for oil and gas. 

 

In the statement, which also announced the appeal of a court order halting the pause on issuing new oil and gas leases on public lands and waters, the department argued that this appeal is “important and necessary.”

 

“Together, federal onshore and offshore oil and gas leasing programs are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions and growing climate and community impacts. Yet the current programs fail to adequately incorporate consideration of climate impacts into leasing decisions or reflect the social costs of greenhouse gas emissions including, for example, in royalty rates,” it said. 

 

The department indicated that while the appeal from the Justice Department is considered, federal oil and gas leasing will continue as required by the current injunction. 

 

“Interior will proceed with leasing consistent with the district court’s injunction during the appeal,” the department said. “In complying with the district court’s mandate, Interior will continue to exercise the authority and discretion provided under the law to conduct leasing in a manner that takes into account the program’s many deficiencies.”

 

 

Source : https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment