The Trump administration on Thursday moved to rescind a Biden-era regulation that makes it easier for citizens to bring complaints at the federal level.
The Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement said it’s scrapping a 2024 version of the so-called 10-day rule, which authorizes the federal agency to launch investigations and take enforcement actions if states fall short in overseeing coal mining operations and permits.
Interior officials contend that the Biden-era version of the rule is complicating how states and the federal government work together to oversee surface coal mining. The agency is now proposing to revert back to an earlier version that requires federal regulators to confer with states before issuing environmental and public health violations or taking enforcement actions.
“This is common sense,” Adam Suess, acting assistant secretary for land and minerals management, said in a statement. “We’re cutting red tape, restoring clarity and respecting states’ right to lead. Federal oversight doesn’t mean federal interference.”
