The Obama administration is set announce a halt to any new major coal mining leases on public lands, until it completes an in-depth review to whether fees charged to mining companies give a fair return to taxpayers and reflect the impact coal is having on the environment and human health. In his speech at Georgetown University last week, President Barack Obama said that he would not allow “another generation of Americans to suffer under this burden.” In his State of the Union address earlier in the week, Obama said he would "push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."
The Obama administration is set announce a halt to any new major coal mining leases on public lands, until it completes an in-depth review to whether fees charged to mining companies give a fair return to taxpayers and reflect the impact coal is having on the environment and human health. The halt will send a clear signal to the coal industry, which could lead to increased costs for energy companies and a slowdown in coal extraction, according to an administration official. In his State of the Union address earlier in the week, Obama said he would "push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."