U.S. Interior Department Leasing More Coal Despite President's Climate and Clean Energy Commitments

9.3 Million Tons Sold Yesterday, 147 to be Sold Next Week, 167 Million Tons for Sale in September Leasing Portends Hundreds of Millions of Tons of Carbon Dioxide, WildEarth Guardians and Others Continue Call for Coal Moratorium

Denver—Despite President Obama’s commitment to combat climate change, his own Interior Department, headed by new Secretary, Sally Jewell, is blazing forward to sell million tons of federal coal for burning in power plants worldwide, prompting WildEarth Guardians and others to renew their call for a federal coal leasing moratorium.

"Sally Jewell's coal frenzy is threatening our climate and our country's clean energy future," said Jeremy Nichols, WildEarth Guardians' Climate and Energy Program Director. "At a time when even our President is calling for action to combat climate change, it's unconscionable that the Interior Department would be so dismissive of our nation's need to curtail carbon pollution."

Yesterday, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management sold 9.3 million tons of coal to Peabody in New Mexico. Next Tuesday August 20th, Interior is slated to sell 147 million tons of coal in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, the largest coal producing region in the U.S. And on September 17th, Interior is slated to sell another 167 million tons in the Powder River Basin.

All told, Sally Jewell is blazing ahead to sell more than 300 million tons of coal for one reason: to be burned. When burned, this coal threatens to release more than 538 million tons of carbon dioxide, equal to the amount of carbon pollution released every year by 112 million cars.
 
Next week’s coal lease sale is especially significant. Called Maysdorf II North, the 147 million ton coal lease is slated to be sold to Cloud Peak Energy to expand the company’s Cordero Rojo mine. Cordero Rojo is the third largest coal mine in the United States and Cloud Peak Energy is the largest exporter of coal from the Powder River Basin.
 
According to the Bureau of Land Management, Cloud Peak already has 11 years of coal reserves at its Cordero Rojo mine. In spite of this, Interior is still charging ahead with the coal sale. The Maysdorf II coal lease will mark the largest coal lease sold so far under the watch of Sally Jewell, who was confirmed as Interior Secretary in May of this year.
 
When burned, the coal would release more than 277 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, enough to fuel more than 78 power plants for an entire year.
 
WildEarth Guardians has already filed suit in federal court to stop these coal leases. In the meantime, Guardians and other groups have launched efforts to rally public support for stopping these coal lease sales. In alerts slated to be released this week and next, Guardians and other groups are mobilizing their members to call on Interior Secretary Jewell to stop selling more coal. The alerts follow on the heels of a letter sent by a coalition of national, regional, and local groups to Jewell in mid-July calling for a moratorium on new coal leasing. The Secretary has yet to respond to this letter.
 
The calls to action comes on the heels of President Obama’s call for carbon reductions during a June 25, 2013 speech before Georgetown University students. This nationally significant speech called for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Less than two weeks after this speech, the Interior Department announced its plans to sell the Maysdorf II North coal lease.
 
The leasing of federal coal is a significant blow for the climate. Because a lease conveys the right to mine, the sale of a federal lease virtually guarantees that coal will be mined and burned.
 
The lease sold yesterday was the El Segundo coal lease, which would expand Peabody’s El Segundo coal mine in northwestern New Mexico. Coal from this mine primarily fuels power plants in Arizona.  WildEarth Guardians has appealed to overturn this lease before the Interior Board of Land Appeals.
 
Next week’s sale of the Maysdorf II North coal lease comes even as Guardians has challenged in federal court the Bureau of Land Management’s Environmental Impact Statement supporting the coal lease. Cloud Peak Energy, the company seeking the lease, has signaled its intent to vastly increase coal exports from the Powder River Basin, meaning the Maysdorf II North coal lease is likely destined for overseas burning.
 
In September, Interior plans to sell the Hay Creek II coal lease, which would expand Kiewit’s Buckskin coal mine in the northern Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Kiewit is an international construction and mining company.


 

All active news articles