Feds want to ensure coal companies can clean up land they damage

Los Angeles Times: The federal agency that oversees surface coal mining said Wednesday that it would consider drafting new rules to ensure that coal companies can afford to clean up land they damage – though the announcement is not likely to lead to change soon.

The announcement, by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, comes as the nation’s largest coal companies have declared bankruptcy amid a steep downturn in the coal market, putting at risk their ability to meet legal obligations under the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, which requires them to pay to restore, or reclaim, land they have mined.

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