Protecting The Public From Coal Mine Pollution

Earthjustice filed a lawsuit in 2011 against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to limit coal mine pollution, including methane, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and soot. Despite the availability of technology to capture or burn methane, the EPA denied a petition in 2013. Subsequently, in 2014, the Obama administration introduced an initiative to reduce methane emissions and tasked the Bureau of Land Management with studying pollution limits.

• Coal mines contribute 10% of national methane emissions, a gas 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide, and emit nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, and soot, which is the primary cause of premature deaths linked to air pollution.
• Existing technology allows coal mines to reduce or eliminate pollution, specifically methane, through methods such as flaring, capturing for pipeline use, or on-site burning for electricity generation.
• Following a 2011 lawsuit by Earthjustice and environmental groups, the EPA denied the petition in 2013; however, the Obama administration later launched a methane reduction initiative in 2014 and directed the Bureau of Land Management to study pollution limits.

APA

Earthjustice (2013). Protecting The Public From Coal Mine Pollution. https://earthjustice.org/case/coal-mines-clouding-america-s-air

Chicago

Earthjustice. Protecting The Public From Coal Mine Pollution. 2013. https://earthjustice.org/case/coal-mines-clouding-america-s-air.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Earthjustice |title=Protecting The Public From Coal Mine Pollution |date=1 May 2013 |url=https://earthjustice.org/case/coal-mines-clouding-america-s-air |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{earthjustice2013protecting, author = {{Earthjustice}}, title = {{Protecting The Public From Coal Mine Pollution}}, institution = {Earthjustice}, year = {2013}, month = may, url = {https://earthjustice.org/case/coal-mines-clouding-america-s-air}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }