"BILLINGS, Mont. — U.S. officials launched a review Thursday of climate damage and other impacts from coal mining on public lands as the Biden administration expands its scrutiny of government fossil fuel sales that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The review also will consider if companies are paying fair value for coal extracted from public reserves in Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Utah and other states, according to a federal register notice outlining the administration’s intents.

Coal combustion for electricity remains one of the top sources of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, even after many power plants shut down over the past decade because of concerns over pollution.

Almost half the nation’s annual coal production — some 250 million tons last fiscal year — is mined by private companies from leases on federal land, primarily in Western states. "

Matthew Brown reports for the Associated Press August 19, 2021. [2]