A federal appeals panel vacated a lower court ruling on Wednesday, effectively killing an Obama-era action that placed a moratorium on new federal coal leasing.
In a short six-page ruling, a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit tossed an August 2022 decision from Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District of Montana reinstating the 2016 moratorium. The National Mining Association (NMA), which led the appeal of the 2022 lower court decision alongside the States of Montana and Wyoming, cheered the ruling Wednesday as a victory for American energy.
“This is a victory for American-mined energy and we are pleased with the court’s recognition of the need to dismiss this irreparably flawed ruling,” NMA President and CEO Rich Nolan said in a statement.
“With this ruling,…
