In the news today…
Mining:
- North of 60 Mining News reports from reinstating the Roadless Rule in the Tongass Forest to replacing the General Mining Law of 1872, federal regulations being proposed by President Joe Biden threaten to rain on a parade of strong metals prices, growing demand for critical minerals, and robust investments into mineral exploration and mining across Alaska.
- The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports the West Virginia Senate adopted a resolution Thursday urging the federal government to allocate $8 billion to West Virginia to reclaim forfeited mine sites and support struggling coal communities.
Minerals:
- The News Herald reports experts want the Biden administration to get serious about safely mining minerals for use in green technology.
- Mining.com reports a report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources presented before the House of Commons rang the alarm bell on how important it is for Canada to secure a supply of critical minerals, particularly in the face of China’s dominance.
Coal:
- E&E Greenwire reports in a step that escalates tensions surrounding West Virginia’s coal regulations, conservation groups threatened to sue the Interior Department yesterday over its oversight of mines in the state that contaminate drinking water.
- Argus reports coal exports out of Hampton Roads, Virginia, rose in the May to the highest level in more than a year, reflecting some of the recovery in seaborne metallurgical and thermal coal.
- The Wall Street Journal reports coal prices have climbed to their highest level in a decade, making the fuel a hot commodity in a year when governments are pledging reductions in carbon emissions.
Energy:
- Reuters reports Texas’s grid operator frightened residents last week when it said it had very little reserves to cover demand spiking as temperatures soared. This summer could produce more scary times.