US Opens Public Lands to ‘Responsible Coal Development’ – By Eric Mack (Newsmax) / Feb 26 2020
The Trump administration reinstated its policy of opening public lands to “responsible coal development,” according to the Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday.
“Under President [Donald] Trump’s leadership, the Department of the Interior has ended the war on American energy and coal, which allows local communities to prosper,” Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Casey Hammond wrote in a statement.
“Coal is and will continue to be a critical part of our nation’s energy portfolio, and we are committed to the responsible development of our abundant resources and advancing American energy independence, jobs, and economic growth.”
Trump issued an executive order to take important steps to promote clean and safe development of its energy resources, including coal, lifting the pause implemented by the previous administration.
The move drew expected rebukes from environmentalists, according to The Hill.
“The result of this environmental review was cooked from the start — the Trump administration tried to end the coal moratorium three years ago, but was so sloppy that a judge told them to try again,” The Center for Western Priorities’ Jennifer Rokala said in a statement, per The Hill.
“Instead of ensuring our public lands are part of the climate solution, the former oil lobbyist in charge of the Interior Department is trying to open even more places for drilling and mining,” she added, per the report.
Continue to article: https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/bureau-land-management-coal/2020/02/26/id/955922/
