Coal miners, state lawmakers, environmentalists and land advocates all came together in Casper today to weigh in on coal.
Over the past decade, around 4.4 billion tons of coal have been mined on federal land, much of it coming from Western states. The Department of the Interior is reviewing its management of this resource under the federal coal program. DOI is collecting public comments on issues like royalty rates and environmental impacts.
Members of the Sierra Club spoke about climate change and coal mine reclamation. Meanwhile, coal miners, local lawmakers and Governor Matt Mead spoke in favor of coal.
“What we see now is federal regulators through one action after another dragging down the industry. States like Wyoming, on the other hand, are striving to keep coal as part of America’s energy mix,” Mead said.
The Bureau of Land Management will be holding similar meetings around the country throughout the summer and is accepting comments in writing through July 28th.