• Former President Donald Trump lifted the prohibition.
• Private corporations mine over half of the nation’s yearly coal production through leases on federal land.
• President Joe Biden banned oil and gas lease sales during his first week in office.

A federal judge reinstated a restriction on coal leasing from federal lands that was put in place during the Obama administration.

Former President Donald Trump lifted the prohibition.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris’ decision on Friday requires government officials to perform a new environmental evaluation before resuming coal sales from public lands. According to the judge, the earlier government examination of the programme during the Trump administration did not fully evaluate the climatic damage caused by coal’s greenhouse gas emissions, among other repercussions.

Private corporations mine over half of the nation’s yearly coal production through leases on federal land, primarily in Western states such as Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado.

Despite a number of power plants closing down over the last decade due to pollution concerns and changing economic situations, coal burning for electricity is one of the leading sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States.

According to government figures, the coal programme brought in almost $400 million in royalties and other payments to federal and state budgets last year. The programme supports thousands of jobs and enjoys the support of business groups, Republican members of Congress, and politicians from coal-producing states.

President Joe Biden banned oil and gas lease sales during his first week in office, although this was eventually overturned by a federal judge. Environmentalists also pressed him to take similar action against coal.

Last year, the Biden administration launched an investigation into the climate damage caused by coal mining on federal lands, as it intensified scrutiny on government fossil fuel sales that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. However, no modifications have been disclosed as a result of the review.

“This decision gives the Biden administration the opportunity to make good on its commitment to seriously battle the climate crisis,” Earthjustice attorney Jenny Harbine, who represented environmental groups and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe in the case, said of the ruling. “No progress has been made to reform the program or do what’s needed to phase out existing leases.”

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