Nat Shoaff, Senior Attorney, Nathaniel.Shoaff@sierraclub.org, (415) 977-5610
Caleb Heeringa, Senior Press Secretary, caleb.heeringa@sierraclub.org, (425) 890-9744
Today, more than 18,000 Sierra Club members and supporters submitted comments urging the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to end coal leasing on public lands and instead focus its energies on reducing climate pollution while ensuring a just and equitable economic transition for workers and communities.
The review, picking up an earlier process originally launched in 2016 before being illegally cancelled by the Trump Administration, would be the first time the agency has ever analyzed the climate impacts of the federal coal program as a whole. In addition to climate change, Sierra Club and other conservation groups urged BLM to focus on whether taxpayers are receiving a fair return under the current system, which has long been plagued with loopholes that allow coal executives to avoid paying royalties that support local communities and fund the cleanup of abandoned mines.
The review is likely to make clear that continued leasing is inconsistent with the country’s climate goals. Escalating extreme weather disasters made worse by climate change recently led international climate scientists to call for the complete phase out of coal in the electricity sector.
The coal industry has been in steep decline for many years as utilities turn to cheaper energy options, making this review a prime opportunity to help guide an orderly transition away from coal for workers and coal-dependent communities. BLM continues to approve new leases and mine expansions covering billions of tons of more coal, while granting lower royalty rates for many existing mines.
Bill Corcoran, Director of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign, issued the following statement:
"The federal coal leasing system shortchanges taxpayers while exacerbating the climate crisis. President Biden is right - climate change is ‘code red for humanity,’ and we're out of time to act. When you’re in a hole, the first step is to quit digging - it’s time to stop handing public lands over to the fossil fuel industry.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.