President Trump on Tuesday signed a series of executive orders bolstering coal plants and production. |
In the order, Trump will define coal as a “mineral,” allowing it to benefit from a previous executive order bolstering mining that — among other things — used presidential wartime authorities to expedite production. That order also requires federal agencies to speed up approvals for mines and prioritize mining on federal lands — which may now extend to coal.
Under the new coal-specific order, the administration will also seek to exclude coal projects from environmental reviews. And it will direct the administration to prioritize coal production on federal lands.
In addition, Trump exempted dozens of coal plants from Biden-era limits on toxic substances, including arsenic and mercury. And, he pledged to use the Justice Department to go after states whose laws or policies inhibit coal.
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Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
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