A hearing has been scheduled to take place in Great Falls involving four states intent upon challenging the federal government’s coal leasing program. Q2 reports the showdown over the future of the nation’s coal leasing program will play out in a federal courtroom today. According to court documents, attorneys representing the state governments of California, New Mexico, New York and Washington plan to tell federal Judge Brian Morris that burning more coal will hurt residents in their states by making climate change worse. Montana’s Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe is also a party in the lawsuit seeking to revive Obama era moratoriums on federal coal leasing. The Trump administration suggests ending the moratorium was important to the economy. Federal coal royalties and payments to the states have totaled more than $10 billion over 10 years. Get more online at; KTVQ.com.

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