In the news today…
Mining:
- Bloomberg Law reports MSHA rejected two unions’ call from earlier this month for the agency to create an emergency temporary standard protecting miners from infectious diseases.
- E&E Greenwire reports the Bureau of Land Management announced it will prepare an environmental impact statement for the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota near the nation’s most visited wilderness area.
- Bloomberg Green reports Anglo American Plc is advancing plans to convert its fleet of giant diesel-fueled mine trucks to hydrogen power as the company seeks to burnish its green credentials.
Coal:
- Energy News Network reports coal’s decline has forced staunchly anti-Obamacare politicians to reconsider Medicaid expansion, while rural communities depend on telehealth more than ever.
- Inside Climate News reports 80 local, regional and national organizations on Monday rolled out a National Economic Transition Platform to support struggling coal mining cities and towns, some facing severe poverty, in Appalachia, the Illinois Basin, Montana, Wyoming, Arizona and elsewhere.
Energy:
- Utility Dive reports the American Energy Innovation Act introduced earlier this year could come back to the Senate floor as early as July.
- E&E Greenwire and Politico Pro report nuclear and carbon capture amendments have been added to the NDAA.
EPA:
- Inside EPA reports a new study by the Harvard School of Public Health aims to bolster the case for EPA to tighten its fine particulate matter (PM2.5) national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS).
World News:
- E&E Climatewire reports efforts by Japan’s popular 39-year-old environment minister to curb the government’s support for coal-fired power may be failing.