FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Contact: Eitan Bencuya, 202.495.3047, eitan.bencuya@sierraclub.org
Krista Collard 415.977.5619, krista.collard@sierraclub.org
SIERRA
CLUB STATEMENT ON U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ED MARKEY'S AUDIT REQUEST TO GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE (GAO) FOR COAL LEASING PROGRAM
WASHINGTON- Today Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), the Ranking Democrat on the House
Natural Resources Committee, requested that the Government Accountability
Office (GAO) conduct its first review of the government’s coal leasing program
since 1994.
In Response, Bill Corcoran, Western
Regional Director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign issued this
statement:
"The Sierra Club applauds Rep. Ed Markey for
requesting that the GAO audit the Bureau of Land
Management's leasing of coal in the Powder River Basin. After operating without
any independent oversight for nearly a generation, the federal government's
coal leasing program is in desperate need of review and reform. Federal leases
have allowed international coal companies to tie up billions of tons of
American coal in the hopes of shipping it overseas, and with unknown
consequences for American families. Rep. Markey's request
to the GAO should shine a light on these outdated leasing practices that
threaten the health, environment, and economic well-being of communities across
the country."
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