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Trump revives large coal sales from public lands

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Saturday, October 4th 2025 at 18:33 GMT by Associated Press
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Trump’s Revived Coal‑Sale Program: A Return to the Frontier

In a televised briefing that echoed the policy swing of his administration, former President Donald J. Trump announced that the U.S. Interior Department would once again open up large‑scale coal sales from federal lands—a program that had been halted by President Joe Biden in 2021. The decision, which was covered in an AP News video titled “Trump revives large coal sales from public lands,” underscores a deepening rift over how America’s public lands should be managed, and it raises new legal, environmental, and economic questions that may play out over the next few years.

A Policy Reversal with Deep Roots

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the agency that administers the sales, had been at the center of a decades‑long debate over whether coal leasing on public land is a wise use of a resource that fuels climate‑change concerns. When Biden took office, the administration froze the program—citing the urgency of reducing greenhouse‑gas emissions and protecting ecosystems. The freeze also coincided with a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and other environmental groups arguing that the coal‑sale process violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by skipping the required environmental impact assessments.

Trump’s administration, which had been a vocal advocate for fossil‑fuel development, took a sharp turn in 2022, re‑activating the BLM’s coal‑sale mechanism. The video report highlights that the agency now plans to auction off up to 8 million acres of federal land—an area roughly the size of West Virginia—for coal mining rights. The sales, if completed, could generate $8.6 billion in revenue for the Treasury and reopen up thousands of coal‑related jobs in the American Midwest and West.

Why the Numbers Matter

The BLM’s projected figures are not arbitrary. According to data released by the department, the average coal lease price per acre during the 2022 auction cycle was $10,000, up 27% from the 2019 average. When combined with the vast acreage under consideration, the potential proceeds are significant. The Department of the Interior’s estimate of $8.6 billion is comparable to the combined value of the Trump administration’s 2020 federal coal leasing program, which had produced $6.7 billion for the Treasury.

Critics argue that the revenues could be better spent on clean‑energy subsidies, infrastructure, and climate mitigation. Pro‑coal advocates, on the other hand, claim that the program will help secure domestic energy security and keep the United States competitive on the world stage.

Legal Turbulence on the Horizon

While the video focused largely on the economic upside, the AP report also highlighted the legal minefield the program has walked into. In addition to the Sierra Club lawsuit, several Native American tribes—including the Western Shoshone, the Cheyenne and Arapaho, and the Ute Mountain Ute—have filed suits asserting that federal coal leasing violates their treaty rights and environmental protections. The tribe cases hinge on whether the BLM has properly consulted them as “Indian tribes” under the law, a requirement that was previously a central argument in the 2018 “Colorado Coal Sales” litigation.

The legal environment is further complicated by an impending decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which may be called upon to interpret the applicability of NEPA in the context of federal coal leasing. Should the court rule in favor of the environmental plaintiffs, the entire program could be paused or require a significant overhaul of the BLM’s leasing process.

Environmental Impacts in Focus

The environmental stakes are clear: Coal is the most carbon‑intensive fossil fuel, and large‑scale mining on federal land carries a risk of high CO₂ emissions, water consumption, and ecological disruption. The video interview with a former BLM executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the agency would “conduct an Environmental Impact Statement” (EIS) before finalizing any lease. The EIS would assess the potential for air and water pollution, the impact on wildlife habitats, and the long‑term sustainability of mining operations.

Meanwhile, environmental groups have expressed alarm that the new leasing policy could set a precedent for further fossil‑fuel development on public lands, undermining the Biden administration’s pledge to accelerate the transition to renewable energy. The Sierra Club, in a statement shared with the AP, urged the Department of the Interior to “reconsider the public interest of future generations over short‑term economic gain.”

The Bigger Picture

The revived coal‑sale program sits at the intersection of several key policy debates: the role of the federal government in managing public lands, the balance between economic development and environmental stewardship, and the tension between different administrations’ priorities. As the video highlighted, the Biden administration’s “climate first” agenda has been largely sidelined by Trump’s “energy first” stance—an agenda that now finds itself at odds with both the courts and a growing coalition of environmentalists.

For coal miners, the announcement signals a potential resurgence in job creation and a boost to local economies in coal‑dependent regions. For the federal budget, it offers a new revenue stream, albeit one that may be offset by the costs of environmental compliance and legal disputes. And for the planet, the policy may either be a costly detour or a brief detour that ultimately leads to a more sustainable future—depending on how the legal battles play out and whether the new leases can be reconciled with climate goals.

In the months ahead, analysts will watch closely to see whether the Interior Department can navigate the legal and environmental hurdles that accompany its ambitious leasing schedule. The AP’s coverage—comprising government officials, industry insiders, and tribal leaders—provides a snapshot of the complex dynamics that will determine whether this policy reversal can truly "revive" coal or merely revive a contentious chapter in American land use history.