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The Trump administration has initiated the process to reopen the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Eastern Montana for new coal leasing, reversing a 2024 Interior Department decision that halted leasing due to declining demand and the climate crisis. Earthjustice contends that this move, alongside a budget bill slashing coal royalty rates and mandating permit approvals, prioritizes corporate profits over public health and climate goals. The briefing notes that wind and solar power surpassed coal in the U.S. in 2024 and warns that coal mining continues to threaten the air, water, and health of frontline communities, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

A coalition of 54 organizations opposes budget reconciliation recommendations from the House Committee on Natural Resources that would expand coal leasing on federal lands, reduce royalty payments for coal companies, and mandate the approval of specific mining projects. The authors argue these measures contradict climate goals and economic trends, noting that coal produces less than one-fifth of U.S. electricity but over half of the electric power sector's CO2 emissions. Specifically, they oppose the mandate for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to make four million acres available for leasing, the reduction of maximum royalty rates to 7 percent, the expansion of the Bull Mountains coal mine in Montana, and the reopening of the Powder River Basin to new leasing.

Earthjustice reports a series of legal victories in 2024, including a landmark settlement to decarbonize Hawaii's transportation system by 2045, the cessation of coal leasing in the Powder River Basin, and a historic Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruling requiring Peru to remediate lead pollution in La Oroya. The organization also secured wins against cryptomining operations in New York, fossil fuel infrastructure expansion in New Jersey, and the loss of wetlands protections following the U.S. Supreme Court's Sackett v. EPA decision, notably helping Colorado pass legislation to reinstate wetland protections in May 2024. Additionally, the report highlights efforts to regulate PFAS in plastic containers, limit lead wheel weights, and protect endangered species such as the Cook Inlet beluga whale and Pacific sardine.

The document calls for the immediate phase-out of the U.S. federal coal leasing program, citing a 2021 study stating that 90% of global coal reserves must remain unextracted by 2050 to meet a 1.5°C climate target. It highlights two recent court victories: one re-imposing a moratorium on new coal leasing on federal lands until a comprehensive environmental analysis is completed, and another striking down resource management plans for the Powder River Basin. The author asserts that the Biden administration must now address the harm from existing leases, noting that as of 2021, the Bureau of Land Management administered 299 federal coal leases across approximately 458,600 acres.

Earthjustice criticizes the Biden administration for defending a Trump-era policy that overturned a 2016 coal-leasing moratorium. Despite a court ruling that the decision to end the moratorium failed to account for climate impacts, the administration continues to process new lease applications while U.S. coal consumption rose 14% in 2021. The document highlights that as of 2021, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) administered 299 federal coal leases across approximately 458,600 acres, and over 40% of U.S. coal is produced on public lands. Earthjustice calls for the administration to internalize the environmental and social costs of mining and to stop defending resource management plans in the Powder River Basin that ignore the public health impacts of burning publicly-owned coal.

The document argues that the US shift away from coal has occurred without adequate planning, leaving workers and communities to face economic upheaval. It proposes a support package including wage replacement, educational benefits, and community infrastructure investments, estimating the cost between $33 billion and $83 billion. The brief identifies 462 'coal counties' and highlights the need for environmental remediation of mine and plant legacies to enable future economic diversification.

The document argues that the United States, as a top fossil fuel producer with a resilient economy, must phase out extraction faster than the global average to meet Paris Agreement goals. It introduces three principles: reducing production at a pace consistent with climate protection, accelerating phase-outs in economically resilient communities, and safeguarding human rights and the environment. The authors apply these principles to U.S. coal and onshore oil, identifying the Appalachian Basin and California's San Joaquin basin as high-priority areas for rapid wind-down due to high carbon intensity, lower relative economic dependence, and significant environmental or social harms.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of the coal industry in the United States, detailing the transition from underground to surface mining and the shift toward low-sulfur coal. It highlights the severe ecological damage caused by mountaintop removal and the public health risks associated with coal combustion, including the emission of sulfur dioxide, mercury, and carbon dioxide. The guide also discusses the economic decline of coal due to the rise of natural gas and renewables, while noting the energy-intensive nature of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Federal coal program via a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). This scoping report identifies key areas for reform, including increasing royalty rates to ensure fair market value, accounting for greenhouse gas emissions through carbon budgets or royalty adders, and improving lease process efficiency. The document summarizes extensive public input and proposes several combination packages of policy options to be analyzed in the Draft PEIS, alongside 'no action' and 'no leasing' alternatives.

The US coal industry has faced a sharp decline driven by the shale gas revolution, increasing competitiveness of renewables, and federal environmental regulations. This transition has led to significant job losses and bankruptcies among major coal producers, particularly impacting regions like Appalachia and the Powder River Basin. To mitigate these effects, the Obama administration introduced the Power Plus Plan to fund economic diversification and worker retraining. However, low-income households still face high electricity costs, and bankrupt companies have shifted reclamation and pension liabilities to state budgets.

The research finds that phasing out U.S. federal fossil fuel leases could reduce global CO2 emissions by approximately 100 million tonnes per year by 2030. The impact is most immediate for coal, where it could leave 4 billion short tons of coal in the ground by 2040. Oil and gas impacts are more gradual due to longer project lead times, but could eventually leave 7 billion barrels of oil and 30 trillion cubic feet of gas undeveloped by 2040. The study concludes that such supply-side measures are a significant complement to demand-side policies like the Clean Power Plan in meeting Paris Agreement targets.

Coal mining accounts for 8 percent of global methane emissions. While significant potential exists for abatement through degasification and ventilation air methane (VAM) oxidation, progress is hindered by policy, financial, and technological barriers. In China, legal frameworks and conflicting safety/emission standards create hurdles, while India lacks resource assessments. Russia faces issues with licensing and inefficient degasification systems. In the US, split-estate ownership on federal lands and a lack of federal mandates limit viability. The report suggests that while large-scale investment is available, a lack of small-scale funding for design and demonstration is a primary obstacle, proposing revolving funds and micro-loans as solutions.