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A federal appeals court on Wednesday ended a nationwide ban on new federal coal leases, but it's not clear that new leasing will resume any time soon.
The moratorium originated during the Obama administration, was rescinded by then-Interior secretary Ryan Zinke during the Trump administration, and was reinstated by a court in 2022. A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found that the 2022 ruling was moot, since the Zinke order had been effectively rescinded by President Biden's Interior secretary, Deb Haaland.
While the mining industry called the latest ruling a victory, it does not require the Biden administration to resume coal leasing. A coalition of Tribal and environmental groups called on the Biden administration to put an end to the federal coal leasing program entirely.
“Now that the court has ruled that the Trump administration decision to restart coal leasing was revoked, we need the Biden administration to step up and live up to its promises to protect our climate, conduct a long overdue review of the federal coal leasing program, and make thoughtful plans for the future of public lands," said William Walksalong, the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Administrator.
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When U.S. senators and representatives, members of the military, the vice president and members of the Cabinet take the oath of office, they say, ‘I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.’ It doesn’t say, ‘and domestic only when they’re affiliated with a foreign entity.’”
