The Federal Government has allowed coal mining on federal lands without acknowledging the huge contribution the mining, transportation and burning of coal plays in climate change. A recent court ruling could change all that.
The second largest US coal producer, Arch Coal, had received the okay to build roads for exploration through Colorado’s Gunnison National Forest. It would lead to the eventual expansion of their West Elk Mine and 10 million tons of the dirty fossil fuel. The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management had looked only at benefits in terms of jobs and taxes. They ignored environmental factors like climate change - even though federal agencies have developed methods to assess these costs and have been doing just that for years.
The court action was brought against the project by Earthjustice, High Country Conservation Advocates, Wildearth Guardians and the Sierra Club. U.S. District Court Judge R. Brooke Jackson stopped the incursion into the forest’s 5,800 acre Sunset Roadless Area with a 36-page order. The ruling may have a far reaching impact on other federal lands.
The Earth Justice Blog:
http://earthjustice.org/blog/2014-july/a-win-for-roadless-forest-climate?utm_source=crm&utm_content=button
The Court Ruling:
http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/91%20-%20Order%20on%20Merits%20%282%29.pdf