In Climate Move, Obama to Halt New Coal Mining Leases on Public Lands

New York Times ^ | January 14, 2016 | CORAL DAVENPORT

[reaganaut1]

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration will announce on Friday a halt to new coal mining leases on public lands as it considers an overhaul of the program that could lead to increased costs for energy companies and a slowdown in extraction, according to an administration official.

The move would represent a significant setback for the coal industry, effectively freezing new coal production on federal lands and sending a signal to energy markets that could turn investors away from an already flailing industry. President Obama telegraphed the step in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, saying, "I'm going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."

Last year, Mr. Obama used his executive authority under the Clean Air Act to complete regulations that would limit carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants, the nation's largest source of planet-warming pollution. Republicans have attacked the rules, which could lead to the closing of hundreds of coal plants, as a "war on coal." A halt to new leases would go even further by leaving coal unmined.

The action is certain to further inflame a political debate over the federal government's control of public lands, most recently illustrated by an armed takeover of a wildlife refuge in Oregon. About 40 percent of the nation's coal is mined on public land, and most of that land is in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming.

"It appears that they're going after the federal coal leasing program with the intention of keeping coal in the ground," said Luke Popovich, a spokesman for the National Mining Association.

[reaganaut1]

Coal mining regions of the country have already been hit hard. About 1/3 of electricity is still generated from coal. Obama always makes thing worse.

[Paladin2]

Not good for Buffet’s BNSF..

[Olog-hai]

Never mind this “federal land” concept. It’s “owned” by the executive department. Pure socialism.

[LeonardFMason]

Scumbag Joe Manchin will be outraged and still vote with the Democrats 95% of the time.

When will West Virginia wake up.

[Sacajaweau]

Let me suggest...After this idiot leaves office....Turn all those lands over to the state in which they lie...and let the states either sell or lease the lands to mining companies.

[bigbob]

A real President would be adding new leases and looking for ways to decrease public land ownership.

[Olog-hai]

The concept of the executive department owning land is actually out of the Communist Manifesto. Especially leasing the land afterwards.

Abolition of property in land, and application of all rents of land to public purposes.

First on the list of ten planks of communism, no less.

[DiogenesLamp]

In Climate Move, Obama to Halt New Coal Mining Leases on Public Lands

Since his decisions are based on the made up superstition of "global warming", this makes as much sense as throwing someone into a volcano to insure a good harvest.

Obama is an Ignorant Primitive fool.

[ManHunter]

Is it my imagination or are more and more daily headlines reading like Mullah Obama - piss be unto him - is a total dictator? “Obama to Halt...”, “Obama to Mandate...”, “Obama to Sign Executive Order...”, “Obama to Stop...”, etc.

[Foundahardheadedwoman]

Obama is no fool, by his lights he is doing exactly what he said he would. He is destroying every industry he touches, this is intentional. Look at what he is doing to the Marines as we speak. He is setting us up for either a takeover by another country or we will be his serfs.

[DiogenesLamp]

A fool will do as well. Yes, Obama is a fool. All you have to do to realize he's a fool is look at his private life and his private finances before he became a token public official.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Yes, but the only way to make “alternatives” look affordable is to make conventional energy sources necessarily skyrocket.

[Dick Bachert]

QUESTION 1: How much land is owned and controlled by Washington?

ANSWER: See the map below.

QUESTION 2: WHY??

ANSWER: Anyone...anybody...HELLLOOOO!  (crickets)

FACT THAT SHOULD CONCERN US ALL: The federal government owns or controls more land in the nation that there is east of the Mississippi. That's a great way to, if not totally destroy the states, erase their borders and the STATE sovereignty the Founders attempted to preserve.

What does the Constitution authorize?

Article 1, section 8 Clause 17: "The congress shall have power...to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dock-yards, and other needful buildings;"

Notice that all the structures mentioned are defensive in nature. Have recent federal governments been defending the country -- REALLY defending this place??

That clause has been twisted by decades of liberal congresses and allowed by a quiescent government school indoctrinated public just like they've twisted and we have also allowed, for example, the welfare, interstate commerce and other clauses to sweep into federal control just about every human activity in this formerly free nation.

Several really smart freedom lovers saw this coming 2 centuries ago! "...the natural tendency of things is for government to gain Ground and for liberty to yield...let no more be heard of Confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution." Thomas Jefferson

"(centralized government) will destroy the state government, and swallow the liberties of the people." Patrick Henry

May I be so bold as to suggest that millions do something that would scare the hell out of these ignorant, power-grabbing politicians and petty bureaucrats? That would be to READ and UNDERSTAND the approximately 4,400 words in OUR national charter, the Constitution? It's available FOR FREE ON-LINE EVERYWHERE!

You'd need to explain it to them as most of them NEVER HAVE!!

Oh yeah -- one more thing: While I still support Trump because he's probably the only guy with the cajones to muck that fetid stable on the Potomac, he REALLY NEEDS TO BETTER EXPLAIN HIS SEEMINGLY UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT FOR "EMINENT DOMAIN" which is more and more being applied in an UNJUSTIFIABLE MANNER to enrich connected developers and entities.

[butlerweave]

Obama didn’t become President to Help the US

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

On this map, why are Indian reservations listed as “Federal Land”?

[Buckeye McFrog]

When will West Virginia wake up.

When there's no more money left to cook meth or buy Mexican heroin.

[Eagles6]

he's cut the coal industry's throat and the UMW still supported him in 2012.

Here in SW PA it's been devastating.

[VerySadAmerican]

Obama, and those who support him and work for and with him, know exactly what they’re doing. He has a year remaining to finish “fundamentally changing America”. He will destroy us by the end of the year.

The republicans are obviously in agreement with him since they did nothing to stop him. And the military won’t do anything because the republican sat on their asses while Obama removed anyone who might stand in his way from their commands.

Now he owns the military, the courts and congress.

[acapesket]

I either heard or read the other day that George Soros is buying up drowning coal companies. Sorry that I cannot cite that, I have forgotten where it came from, but it stuck in my craw like a rusty nail.

[george76]

UN Agenda 21 ( Let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the list.)