U.S. Halts New coal Leases on Federal Land

U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Friday ordered a pause on issuing new coal leases on federal land in another step by the Obama administration to control climate change in the first major review of the country's coal program in three decades.

The pause could last three years, Jewell said, while officials determine how to protect taxpayers' stake in coal sales from public lands and how burning coal could worsen climate change.

Federal land accounts for over 40 percent of U.S. coal production.

The review is the latest move by the administration to combat climate change using executive authority rather than wait for Congressional action.

Republican lawmakers were quick to criticize the reform effort, accusing the administration of "ravaging" coal country.

"Congress will continue to fight back against the president's ruthless pursuit of destroying people's low-cost energy sources in order to cement his own climate legacy," said House Speaker Paul Ryan.

President Barack Obama, in his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday, hinted at Friday's announcement, saying he would "change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet."

Jewell said the review will examine concerns flagged by the Government Accountability Office and the Interior Department's Inspector General, as well as members of Congress and the public.

"We have an obligation to current and future generations to ensure the federal coal program delivers a fair return to American taxpayers and takes into account its impacts on climate change," she said.

Jewell said the Interior Department will also adopt measures to boost transparency of federal coal leasing.

Measures include creating a public database to show the carbon emitted from fossil fuels developed on public lands, posting online pending requests to lease coal or reduce government royalties, as well as capturing methane emissions from mines.

Jewell said the pause will not apply to existing coal production and that the government will allow mining of metallurgical coal used in making steel, as well as emergency leases if more reserves are needed for power generation.

"We have plenty of coal," Jewell said, adding that reserves already under lease are enough to sustain current levels of production from federal land for 20 years.

Reporting by Valerie Volcovici