Federal lands larger than Delaware move closer to coming up for sale to coal mining companies

Federal lands larger than Delaware move closer to coming up for sale to coal mining companies
Federal lands larger than Delaware move closer to coming up for sale to coal mining companies

On Monday, Federal officials took a first step towards reopening large areas of public lands in two western states of new coal sales as part of President Donald Trump’s push Expand American fossil fuel production.

The Ministry of Interior’s proposal comes after the Biden administration, citing climate change, Try to end fuel sales One of the most productive charcoal fields in the country – the River River in northeastern Wyoming and southeast of Montana.

Instead, the Trump administration is considering selling rental contracts to extract coal on more than 2,600 square miles (6800 km) of federal lands in that region, according to documents issued by officials. This is a larger area than Dilayer.

Reflection of the training course on the use of public lands to enhance The American coal industry is fighting He stems from an executive order that Trump signed on his first day in office. It is part of Trump’s wide batch to increase oil, gas and coal extraction from lands and water owned by the public in the United States, even as Republicans Withdrawal energy support Projects.

The Trump’s tax bill last week reduced the payments of kings from 12.5 % to 7 % for coal -based companies on public lands. The draft law also contains an authorization to make it possible to rent 6,250 square miles (16200 square kilometers) – a larger area than Connecticut.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Interior’s landsmarks said that the Monday’s announcement about the rental of the Powder River Pasin Basin was primarily and could change after a general comment period. The agency refused to determine the amount of interest you expect from mining companies or the speedy opening of new mines.

Ashley Burke of the National Mining Association said that coal companies “have a clear interest in additional rental,” but it refused to determine the amount of space they might buy.

“When we see our network extended to its borders with the high demand for energy, we must recognize our reality in energy, which means reflecting the policies of the previous bad perception and punishment,” she said about the changes in leasing during the Trump era.

The Biden Administration has calculated that the end of federal coal sales will reduce the emissions of 293 million tons (266 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide annually. This is similar to emissions of about 63 million gasoline force cars, according to a government analysis.

“The new charcoal rental is not only the necessity of arresting climate change, but the coal factories that were used to burn coal in the crushing river basin are that the most reasonable clean energy comes in the market.”

Scientists say that the emissions of greenhouse gases resulting from the burning of coal are a leading driver for changing climate caused by a person makes the weather more extreme, forest fires are more frequent and destroyed, and water supplies are less reliable.

A federal judge prevented the attempts that were made during the first period of Trump to change the government management plan for the Powder River basin, saying that officials did not analyze the capabilities sufficiently Health effects of charcoal burning.

Fourteen active coal mine in the region formed about 40 % of the total coal production in the United States in 2022.

Some mines Closed Recent years, as facilities have turned into the least dress -up to generate electricity. Companies extracted 512 million tons (464 million metric tons) of coal in the United States last year, which is the lowest in 1964.

But Burke, with the Mining Association, referred to a newly positive industry: more American coal It was exported abroad And an increase in the amount Electricity generated By burning coal during the first four months of 2025 compared to the same period last year.

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