The Trump administration is embarking on one of the oldest and most controversial debates, encouraging coal mining on land owned by the federal government. This is part of the dispute over the wider use of commercial opportunities on public lands.
The intervention sparked outrage among conservationists and many Democrats, exposing deep disagreements over how best to manage 643 million acres of federal land - most of which is in the west - more than six times the size of California.
The mine goes straight to the reservoir. “If we don’t have good water, we cannot do anything,” activists say, as cattle cannot graze.
During the Obama administration, the Department of the Interior addressed the issue of climate change and temporarily banned new leases for coal mining on public land, examining the environmental implications. The Obama administration has also sparked protests from large mining companies by ordering them to pay higher royalties to the government.
President Trump, along with the burning issue of climate change, quickly dismantled these measures with the support of coal companies and other commercial interests. Separately, the Trump Department of the Interior is developing plans to reduce wildlife and historic areas that are now protected as National Monuments, creating even more profit opportunities.
Under Trump, US coal industry gets a new lease on life
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Azovpromstal® 8 August 2017 г. 10:30 |
