Editorial Board
The Government Should Get Out of the Coal Business
The U.S. is considering what to charge for new coal leases. Here's a better idea: Don't sign any. Ever.
Not for sale.
Photographer: Luke SharettSix months into a three-year moratorium on new coal leases, the federal government is considering how much to charge for them when the ban expires. The price, which has long been well below market value, stands to rise drastically. But here's a better idea: Stop issuing coal leases altogether, at any price.
The public-health stakes alone justify a permanent moratorium. Air pollution from coal-fired power plants caused an estimated 13,000 deaths in 2010, as well as 20,000 heart attacks and almost 10,000 hospitalizations, at a cost of more than $100 billion.