Protect Public Lands and Our Climate from Big Coal
- by: Sierra Club
- recipient: The Bureau of Land Mangement
An astonishing 40 percent of all coal produced in the United States comes from public, taxpayer-owned land. The government recently put a hold on new federal coal leases to study the impact that coal mined on public lands has on our climate. This means we have an unprecedented opportunity to push this country towards a clean energy future and away from dirty fuels.
For decades, the federal government has been leasing taxpayer-owned public lands to fossil fuel companies at bargain-basement rates. Taxpayer-owned land should be used to benefit the public, but the coal it generates puts billions of tons of carbon into our atmosphere, slows the growth of clean energy, and affects the health of communities near coal mines and power plants and everywhere in between. It’s clear the federal coal leasing program is out of date and out of step with our nation’s commitment to stop climate disruption – and we have an opportunity to change that.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is taking public comments on the scope of its study looking at how our public lands are used for coal mining. Tell them it’s time that we keep the coal in the ground and use our public lands to reflect what’s best for our climate and communities.
For decades, the federal government has been leasing taxpayer-owned public lands to fossil fuel companies at bargain-basement rates. Taxpayer-owned land should be used to benefit the public, but the coal it generates puts billions of tons of carbon into our atmosphere, slows the growth of clean energy, and affects the health of communities near coal mines and power plants and everywhere in between. It’s clear the federal coal leasing program is out of date and out of step with our nation’s commitment to stop climate disruption – and we have an opportunity to change that.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is taking public comments on the scope of its study looking at how our public lands are used for coal mining. Tell them it’s time that we keep the coal in the ground and use our public lands to reflect what’s best for our climate and communities.
Thank you for preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) of the Federal Coal Leasing Program. The program is outdated, out of step with our nation’s commitment to act on climate, and fails to account for the damage done to both local communities and the planet. This review is a critical step in ensuring America meets its climate goals and continues to be an international leader on climate and clean energy following the recent signing of the Paris Climate Agreement.
An incredible 40 percent of all coal produced in the United States comes from the federal coal leasing program. Taxpayer-owned land should be used to benefit the public, not to put billions of tons of carbon into our atmosphere, slow the growth of clean energy, and harm communities near coal mines and power plants and everywhere in between.
BLM’s review of the federal coal leasing program must at least evaluate the following:
• Phasing out coal leasing on publicly-owned lands to better protect our climate and public health;
• Incorporating the social cost of carbon into the royalty rate that companies pay for the right to mine taxpayer-owned coal in order to reflect the true cost that mining and burning coal imposes on society;
• Examining how BLM’s decisions to lease taxpayer-owned coal affect wind and solar generation;
• Reevaluating whether the practice of “self-bonding” adequately protects taxpayers given recent high-profile coal company bankruptcies and the $3.6 billion in self-bonds held by coal companies in the U.S.;
• Evaluating BLM’s authority and opportunities - as well as actions other agencies and Congress could take - to help ensure a Just Transition to a clean energy economy, including robust investment in community economic development, protecting worker livelihoods, and replacing any lost tax revenues to aid miners and coal communities.
[Your comment will go here]
It’s time to make sure that use of our public lands and coal that belongs to all Americans reflects what’s best for public health, taxpayers, and our climate. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Sign PetitionSign PetitionAn incredible 40 percent of all coal produced in the United States comes from the federal coal leasing program. Taxpayer-owned land should be used to benefit the public, not to put billions of tons of carbon into our atmosphere, slow the growth of clean energy, and harm communities near coal mines and power plants and everywhere in between.
BLM’s review of the federal coal leasing program must at least evaluate the following:
• Phasing out coal leasing on publicly-owned lands to better protect our climate and public health;
• Incorporating the social cost of carbon into the royalty rate that companies pay for the right to mine taxpayer-owned coal in order to reflect the true cost that mining and burning coal imposes on society;
• Examining how BLM’s decisions to lease taxpayer-owned coal affect wind and solar generation;
• Reevaluating whether the practice of “self-bonding” adequately protects taxpayers given recent high-profile coal company bankruptcies and the $3.6 billion in self-bonds held by coal companies in the U.S.;
• Evaluating BLM’s authority and opportunities - as well as actions other agencies and Congress could take - to help ensure a Just Transition to a clean energy economy, including robust investment in community economic development, protecting worker livelihoods, and replacing any lost tax revenues to aid miners and coal communities.
[Your comment will go here]
It’s time to make sure that use of our public lands and coal that belongs to all Americans reflects what’s best for public health, taxpayers, and our climate. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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