"Public Lands: Coal Leasing Sputters Despite Trump's Promises"

"The Trump administration frequently claims it ended the 'war on coal.'

Last week, when the Interior Department rolled out its latest justification for renting federal land to coal companies, acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Casey Hammond said lifting the Obama-era coal leasing moratorium 'allows local communities to prosper.'

The numbers tell a different story.

Since former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke officially halted the leasing pause at President Trump's command, national coal production has fallen, and so has demand for new coal."

Dylan Brown reports for Greenwire March 3, 2020.