In the news today…
Coal:
- Bloomberg Law reports the price tag for cleaning up modern coal mines in Appalachia is between $7.5 billion and $9.8 billion—vastly more than the $3.8 billion known to be set aside for the job in bonds, an environmental group estimates in a new report.
- Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Appalachia has a multibillion-dollar coal mine reclamation problem. A report released Wednesday highlights just how daunting it is.
- E&E Greenwire reports a nonprofit law firm in Kentucky urged the Labor Department today to crack down on levels of silica dust in coal mines to combat resurgent cases of black lung disease.
- E&E Climatewire reports coal generation across the world is surging, and suppliers are enjoying some of the highest prices in a decade, but climate concerns remain.
Energy:
- Mining.com reports the surging, post-pandemic U.S. economy is driving an unexpected boom in coal, the latest sign that demand for the dirtiest fossil fuel remains resilient.
- Wall Street Journal reports a new twist on an old financial tool is helping electric utilities shut down money-losing coal-fired power plants, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and often lowering costs for consumers.
Minerals:
- S&P Global reports the leading U.S. minerals science agency said uranium is not qualified for inclusion on the federal list of commodities essential to national and economic security, though the agency did not state whether it should be removed from that list.
- Mining.com reports a group backed by German car-making giants Daimler AG and Volkswagen AG has started a study into the environmental impact of lithium mining in Chile, the second-largest supplier of the key ingredient in rechargeable batteries.