Page 6 - AT

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 13 december 2018
States cite climate worries in push to stop U.S. coal sales

By MATTHEW BROWN within its rights to end it.
Associated Press “We view this as a legal is-
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Four sue and believe this is an
states that say burning coal open-and-shut case,” said
will hurt their residents as Conor Bernstein with the
it makes climate change mining association, which
worse are trying to stop the has intervened in the case.
Trump administration from Growing concerns over
selling vast reserves of the climate change have put
fuel that are beneath pub- a spotlight on the once-
lic lands. obscure coal leasing pro-
Attorneys for California, gram, which has gone
New Mexico, New York largely unchanged and
and Washington argue the not been through a major
coal sales have been short- environmental review since
changing taxpayers be- 1979.
cause of low royalty rates The Obama administration
and cause pollution that blocked the sale of new
puts the climate and public leases in 2016 out of con-
health at risk. cerns over climate-chang-
The states were joined by ing greenhouse gases from
conservation groups and burning coal and to review
Montana’s Northern Chey- royalty rates paid by min-
enne tribe in a lawsuit that In this Sept. 26, 2011, file photo, raw coal from a coal mine pours off of a conveyer belt near ing companies for federal
seeks to revive a coal leas- Trinidad, Colo. coal.
ing moratorium imposed Associated Press Interior Secretary Ryan Zin-
under President Barack sales in recent years and administration must con- views were needed for the ke withdrew the morato-
Obama. The moratorium a precipitous drop in de- sider reducing coal mining line to comply with federal rium in March 2017. He said
blocked new lease sales mand for the heavily pollut- in the Powder River Basin laws. the Obama administra-
from federal lands that hold ing fuel. of Wyoming and Montana Some of those same laws tion’s environmental review
billions of tons of the fuel. U.S. lands in Western states to help combat climate are at the center of the would cost “many millions
U.S. District Judge Brian Mor- including Wyoming, Mon- change. coal moratorium dispute. of dollars,” and improve-
ris is presiding over a Thurs- tana, Utah and Colorado The judge has played the The states and their al- ments to the program
day hearing on whether are a major source of coal role of spoiler to Trump on lies want push to stop fur- could be made without
the moratorium should be for mining companies. another Obama admin- ther leasing and resume prolonged study.
reinstated. There are 7.4 billion tons istration policy reversal — a sweeping review of the California Attorney Gen-
The Trump administration of the fuel in roughly 300 the contentious Keystone program’s environmental eral Xavier Becerra said Zin-
said in court filings that leases administered by the XL oil sands pipeline from effects. Government attor- ke’s actions fly in the face
ending the moratorium Bureau of Land Manage- Canada. Trump approved neys and the National Min- of a government report re-
last year was of critical im- ment . the pipeline last year, but ing Association say the re- leased last month that pre-
portance to the economy. Morris, who was appointed Morris blocked it temporar- view started under Obama dicted dire consequences
That claim comes despite by Obama, recently ruled ily in March. The judge said was a voluntary step and from climate change for
the slow pace of lease in a separate case that the further environmental re- the Trump administration is the U.S. economy.q

Nebraska city keeps paying Kobach to defend immigration rule

By JOSH FUNK could defend the ordi- Kobach didn’t immediate-
Associated Press nance he wrote against ly respond Wednesday to
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — An new challenges and an- phone messages from The
eastern Nebraska city will swer any enforcement Associated Press, but he
continue paying former questions that come up. has previously defended
Kansas Secretary of State “As Fremont continues to his work for small cities as
Kris Kobach at least $10,000 grow, if there ever would being part of a mission he
a year to defend its immi- be a challenge, the City believed in.
gration ordinance even Council wanted to have In addition to helping com-
though the last legal chal- Kris Kobach in their corner,” munities such as Valley
lenge to the rule ended in Getzschman said. Park, Missouri and Fremont
2014. Fremont’s City Coun- The city of 26,000 people is craft ordinances related
cil unanimously approved about 35 miles (56 kilome- to immigration, Kobach
its annual agreement with ters) northwest of Omaha. served on President Don-
Kobach on Tuesday. Since Fremont voters twice sup- ald Trump’s commission on
2010, the city has paid ported the rule that bans combating voter fraud that
the Republican, who lost In this Oct. 6, 2018 file photo Republican Kansas gubernatorial renting homes to immi- was shut down after a bevy
candidate Kris Kobach addresses the crowd during a campaign
his bid to become Kansas rally in Topeka, Kan. In this Oct. 6, 2018 file photo Republican grants living in the country of lawsuits challenged it.
governor this fall, a total of Kansas gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach addresses the illegally and requires em- In Kansas, Kobach cham-
$101,817.29. crowd during a campaign rally in Topeka, Kan. ployers to use a federal on- pioned a state law that
Kobach earned more than Associated Press line system to check wheth- had required proof of citi-
$800,000 in legal fees from migration work over more Getzschman said the city er prospective employees zenship to register to vote.
several communities, in- than a decade. wants to maintain its con- are permitted to work in In June, a federal judge
cluding Fremont, for his im- Fremont Mayor Scott tract with Kobach, so he the U.S. struck it down.q