Matthew Brown

Associated Press

President Joe Biden suspended oil and gas lease sales in his first days in office — a move later blocked by a federal judge — and faced pressure from environmental groups to take similar actions on coal.

Climate Impact of Coal Sales from U.S. Lands Scrutinized

Almost half the nation's annual coal production is mined by private companies from leases on federal land.

This Feb. 21, 2012, file photo, shows equipment in the oil fields of the Uintah Basin, southeast of Vernal, Utah.

Trump Administration Cuts Oil, Gas Fees

The temporary breaks are intended to help companies with workforce problems or other issues due to the pandemic.

In this Nov. 7, 2019, file photo, the first panels of levee border wall are seen at a construction site along the U.S.-Mexico border, in Donna, Texas.

Border Work on Track; Rural Towns Fear Virus Spread

Major construction projects are moving forward along the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico.

In this April 4, 2013, file photo, a truck carrying 250 tons of coal hauls the fuel to the surface of the Spring Creek mine near Decker, Mont. The Navajo Nation will not financially back bonds a tribal energy company needs for a trio of newly acquired coal mines off the reservation, the tribal president said Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, explaining that it's too risky and his administration wants the company to move away from coal. The Navajo Transitional Energy Co. recently bought Montana's largest coal mine and two mines in Wyoming at auction after Cloud Peak Energy declared bankruptcy.

Tribe Won't Back Energy Company's New Mines

The Navajo Nation wants its energy company to move away from coal.

In this April 4, 2013 file photo, a truck carrying 250 tons of coal hauls the fuel to the surface of the Spring Creek mine near Decker, MT.

Deal Reached at Shuttered Montana Coal Mine

The Navajo Transitional Energy Company shut down the mine Thursday after Montana regulators insisted the company waive its immunity as a tribal entity from future lawsuits.

In this April 4, 2013 file photo, a truck carrying 250 tons of coal hauls the fuel to the surface of the Spring Creek mine near Decker, MT.

Navajo Company Shuts Coal Mine in Dispute

The dispute concerns whether the mine's new owner should be immune as a tribal entity from future lawsuits for environmental violations or reclamation costs.

In this April 20, 2013 file photo, male greater sage grouse perform mating rituals for a female grouse, not pictured, on a lake outside Walden, Colo. A federal judge on Wednesday, Oct.16, 2019, has temporarily blocked the Trump administration rules that eased restrictions on oil and gas drilling and other development on portions of seven U.S. Western states.

Judge Blocks Trump from Easing Energy Rules

The ground-dwelling greater sage grouse is at the center of a bitter conflict between the administration and conservationists.

Operating Oil And Gas Well 516019729 743x472 (1)

Cleanup of Abandoned Wells Costs U.S.

The GAO has identified almost 2,300 abandoned wells that have not produced oil or gas since 2008.

In this file photo, a dragline excavator moves rocks above a coal seam near Decker, Montana.

Mine Expansion Gets Backing After Sale

The sale would make the Navajo the third largest coal producer in the United States.

Oil Rigs And Brightly Lit Industrial Site At Night 510477582 4256x2832

Trump Barred from Taking Panel's Advice

Since its inception, the Royalty Policy Committee has been criticised for being stacked with members who are biased towards the energy industry.

This undated file photo shows Barrick Goldstrike Mines' Betze-Post open pit near Carlin, Nev. A three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled Friday, July 19, 2019, that state and federal programs ensure mining companies take financial responsibility for their pollution.

Court Upholds Mine Pollution Rule

The mining industry has a legacy of bankrupt companies abandoning polluted sites and leaving taxpayers to cover cleanup costs.

- In this Feb. 13, 2018, file photo, automobile traffic waits at a train crossing as train cars that carry oil are pulled through downtown Seattle. Attorneys general for North Dakota and Montana have petitioned the Trump administration Wednesday, July 17, 2019, to overrule a Washington state law that imposes safety restrictions on oil shipped by rail from the Northern Plains.

States Push Back on New Rail Law

The measure followed a string of fiery and explosive oil train derailments over the past decade.