Washington, D.C. — A coal baron’s wish list to roll back protections for the environment and mine safety is coming true in the Trump administration.
Following revelations that most of the requests on Robert Murray’s “action plan” have been fulfilled, the Center for American Progress is out with a new analysis showing how the plan has influenced the Trump administration’s energy and mine safety policy and the dangers those actions may pose.
Murray’s plan ranges from stacking nominees for independent oversight agencies to wiping environmental and worker protections off the books and skewing energy markets in favor of his coal company, Murray Energy. Under the campaign rhetoric of bringing coal jobs back, the Trump administration has largely implemented Murray’s to-do list without considering clear market trends such as competition from low-cost natural gas, wind, and solar for electricity generation. While coal mining jobs may not rebound, the deregulatory legacy – and risks – of Murray’s action plan may remain.
Read the column: “President Trump Delivers on Coal Baron’s Wish List in First Year,” by Luke H. Bassett and Lia Cattaneo.
For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at 202-478-6327 or [email protected].