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At Hearing in Grand Junction, Colorado, Obama Administration Called on to Keep Coal in the Ground, Advance a Just Transition
Contact: Jeremy Nichols, (303) 437-7663, jnichols@wildearthguardians.org

Grand Junction, Colo.—As the U.S. Department of the Interiormoves to reform the way our publicly owned coal is managed, WildEarth Guardiansis stepping up its calls for the Obama Administration to put an end to miningand help workers and communities transition.

“The coal industry is collapsing, people are losing jobs,and towns are in decline, yet with reforms underway, we have a tremendousopportunity to shift the focus to helping communities move on,” said JeremyNichols, Climate and Energy Program Director for WildEarth Guardians. “Thereality is, coal is going away, but that doesn’t mean we turn our backs onworkers and the need for a just transition.”

At a public hearing today in Grand Junction, Colorado, theInterior Department is slated to take comments on its coal reform efforts. WildEarthGuardians intends to speak out in favor of ending the federal coal program andhelping the American West move on from fossil fuels.

WildEarth Guardians has been an outspoken critic of coalmining in the western United States, citing its impacts to the climate, a positionthat has drawn fire over the years. All told, more than 11% of all U.S.greenhouse gas emissions can be traced back to the mining of publicly ownedcoal, most of it in the American West.

WildEarth Guardians has won several lawsuits challengingcoal mining in the western U.S. and most recently overturneda mine expansion in western Colorado.

Although urging the Obama Administration to keep coal in theground, Guardians has been calling for “Just Transition” to ensure a move awayfrom coal is coupled with support for communities and workers.

“Keeping coal in the ground shouldn’t mean leavingcommunities and workers hanging,” said Nichols. “We’re here to say we cansafeguard our climate and help coal towns throughout the American West move onfrom coal to more prosperous and sustainable economies.”

In digital billboards launched in May in several westerncities, WildEarth Guardians has been delivering the message that “coal minershave helped keep the lights on, now it’s time for us to help them transition.”The billboard directs people to the website, Just-Transition-Now.org,which urges people to call on President Obama to make “Just Transition” apriority.

Today’s hearing comes as the U.S. Department of the Interiorhas launched a sweeping review of the federal coal program. Last month, theInterior Department kicked off a public comment period and heldpublic hearings in Casper, Wyoming, Salt Lake City, Knoxville, Tennessee, andSeattle.

Grand Junction is the final public hearing to be held in thewestern United States.

The reform efforts come on the heels of mounting controversyover the federal coal program, particularly over the climate impacts ofauthorizing more coal mining and over whether Americans are receiving a fairreturn as publicly owned coal is leased and mined.

The public hearings also come as the coal industry is insteep decline. Because of excessive debt, declining demand, geologic realities,and businessmodels that rewarded executives for poor business practices, companies areflailing. In the last year, Peabody Energy and Arch Coal—both major Coloradoproducers and the first and second largest coal companies in the U.S.,respectively, filed for bankruptcy.

Industry’s decline is hitting hard in Colorado. Two mines in the North Fork Valley have shutdown, companies have laidoff hundreds, and production in the state is expected to hit a 40-yearlow.

“The coal industry’s decline is leaving a trail of disasterhere in the western United States,” said Nichols. “It’s time to move on, but weneed to take deliberate and effective steps to make that happen, includingmaking sure coal companies themselves pay up and ensuring the InteriorDepartment helps advance transition.”

As public hearings unfold, Guardians is calling for peopleto support a four point “JustTransition” plan, which includes:

• Raising royalty and rental rates that are assessed for publicly owned coal production and invest the increased returns into community support initiatives.

• Establishing an Economic Transition Fund, which would be sustained by an increase in reimbursement fees charged by the Interior Department when processing coal-related applications.

• Setting deadlines for full coal mine reclamation to ensure taxpayers are not on the hook for cleanups, to restore fish and wildlife habitat, and to secure reclamation jobs.

• Prioritizing support and assistance to help communities transition.

“We have an obligation to ensure that as we’re confrontingthe coal industry, we’re also advancing a meaningful transition,” said Nichols.“Instead of sitting idly by while the coal industry collapses, we’re steppingup to say we want to do everything we can to help communities and workers getthe support they need to move on.”