In the year 1306, King Edward I of England issued a royal proclamation prohibiting the burning of coal in London.
Smoke from the burning of coal was leading to widespread pollution, health problems for Londoners and social unrest. The proclamation is often considered to be the first ever environmental law.
More than 700 years later, President Trump is trying to revive the beleaguered United States coal industry.
On Monday, Trump administration outlined a coordinated plan to increase both the mining and burning of coal, and to roll back regulations aimed at limiting the attendant pollution.
As Brad Plumer and Lisa Friedman wrote: “The Interior Department said it would open 13.1 million acres of federal land for coal mining and reduce the royalty rates that companies would need to pay to extract coal. The Energy Department said it would offer $625 million to upgrade existing coal plants around the country, which have been closing at a fast clip, to extend their life spans.”
And “the Environmental Protection Agency said it would repeal dozens of regulations set by the Biden administration to curb carbon dioxide, mercury and other pollutants from coal plants. The agency would also revise a regulation limiting wastewater pollution from power plants that the industry considers costly.”
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The post Why Trump Wants to Revive the Coal Industry appeared first on New York Times.
