DOI Eyes Stricter Rules For Coal Mine Self-Bonding Amid Industry Decline

The Department of Interior (DOI) has begun developing a rule to strictly limit coal companies' use of so-called self-bonding to meet future land reclamation requirements, saying it plans to go beyond measures sought by environmentalists in a rulemaking petition. Among the revisions DOI's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) is considering are altering eligibility standards for self-bonding and requiring third-party reviews of self-bonded companies’ annual financial reports, according to OSMRE. Self-bonding refers to a company guaranteeing it can...