National Coal Council Reestablished as National Advisory Committee on Coal
[Click image to enlarge]
The National Coal Council will be reestablished under a new name and with a revised mandate, the Department of Energy said Monday.
The council’s charter lapsed more than two months ago, “in light of DOE’s commitment to fully evaluate the need to expand the scope of advisory work of the committee,” read a notice published in the Federal Register.
While the council will continue to advise the Secretary of Energy on “general policy matters relating to coal issues,” according to Monday’s notice, its charter “has been modernized to reflect matters currently faced by the coal industry, workers, and communities.”
It will now be called the National Advisory Committee on Coal.
The National Coal Council had previously been criticized by environmental groups for allegedly favoring industry. Many such groups, including the Powder River Basin Resource Council, praised the DOE’s decision to update the charter instead of renewing it.
A press release issued jointly with the Western Organization of Resource Councils and Democracy Now, on the day that the charter expired, denounced the previous council as “merely a vehicle for the coal industry.”
The group’s called for the federal government to establish a fairer and more representative committee to advise Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on coal.
“We ask that any new council be balanced with members who represent landowner, taxpayer, environmental, and public health interests. It’s vital that people and communities impacted by the coal industry have a voice on this advisory council,” Bob LeResche, a Powder River Basin Resource Council Board member, said in a statement at the time.
Monday’s notice indicated that “well-balanced representation” would be a priority.
Members, it read, will be selected “from all sections of the country, all segments of the coal industry, including large and small companies, and commercial and residential consumers.”
Other interests, including environmental remediation and regional development, will also be represented.
Source: Casper Star Tribune
Be in-the-know when you’re on-the-go!
FREE eNews delivery service to your email twice-weekly. With a focus on lead-driven news, our news service will help you develop new business contacts on an on-going basis.
CLICK HERE to register your email address.
