News

**spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ**

Coal executive Bob Murray last year presented Trump administration officials with half a dozen draft executive orders aimed at exiting the Paris climate accord and peeling back coal regulations.

All President Trump had to do was sign them.

The documents, released this afternoon under the Freedom of Information Act to E&E News, reveal new details about a secretive meeting in March of last year among Murray, Energy Secretary Rick Perry and other top agency officials.

It does not appear that Trump signed the orders.

But the documents provide a further glimpse into the Murray Energy Corp. CEO's efforts to persuade the federal government to repeal environmental regulations he deemed a burden to his industry. Parts of the coal executive's proposed action plan have been previously reported, but other elements — like the executive orders — have not.

In a series of letters dated March 28, 2017, Murray laid out the orders for Perry and EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt to review and consider, including language to exit the Paris Agreement.

"President Trump should issue an executive order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, and/or to direct the relevant federal agencies that they shall not require coal-fired electric generators to take action to comply with the Accord," Murray wrote.

Other executive orders called for suspending EPA rules, including regulations for effluent limitations, coal combustion residuals, the utility MACT rule, ozone, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration's dust rule.

Murray also called on the Trump administration to direct EPA and Congress to withdraw or suspend the endangerment finding, an action the coal executive included under a section titled, "specific changes that cannot be effected through executive order."

Gary Broadbent, a spokesman for Murray, confirmed Murray provided Perry with the documents to "assist in the reversal of the illegal, job-killing, anti-coal regulations of the Obama administration."

"Mr. Murray has always sought to secure reliable, low-cost electricity for all Americans, as well as to preserve and protect the jobs and family livelihoods of thousands of coal mining families," Broadbent said. "We applaud the actions taken by President Trump's administration, to date, to protect these jobs and to advance the energy security of the United States."

The documents also show the role played by now-EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler, who then worked as Murray's lobbyist, in setting up the meeting, where the coal boss presented Perry with a four-page action plan for repealing environmental regulations viewed as burdensome for the coal industry. During his confirmation hearing for the EPA post, Wheeler told senators that he had briefly seen the document and acknowledged taking part in the meeting.

The chain of emails shows that Michael Dowling, senior vice president for external affairs at FirstEnergy Corp., sought a meeting with Perry for FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones on March 6.

more:
https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060083703

‘Anyone Can Legally Say ‘Eat sh*t, Bob!’’
Rofl

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The head of an advanced-materials manufacturer said he met with President Donald Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon, on Monday to persuade him that the U.S. should nationalize the country’s only mine of rare earth minerals, which are used in military applications.

“The staff understood the urgency of the matter,” Michael Silver, chief executive officer of closely held American Elements Corp., said in a phone interview after his White House meeting, which he said was also attended by presidential deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus.

The rare-earth mining operations in Mountain Pass, California, the last remaining assets of bankrupt Molycorp Inc., were bought in June by a group that drew objections from rival bidders, who said the winner has ties to the Chinese government.

The mine should be converted to a national laboratory “dedicated to rebuilding America’s rare-earth mining industry so the world knows it is safe to build high-tech manufacturing plants in the U.S.,” Silver said.

The production of rare-earth minerals -- used in applications from hybrid electric cars to iPhones and military hardware such as night-vision goggles and guided weapons -- is dominated by low-cost Chinese companies. Molycorp Minerals and its parent, Molycorp Inc., filed for bankruptcy in 2015 after prices for the minerals fell below the mine’s costs to produce them.

Silver said he was invited to brief the president on the issue on Tuesday. The White House didn’t respond to requests for comment.
Eminent Domain

Silver said he’s proposing the U.S. government apply the Takings Clause of the 5th Amendment and acquire Mountain Pass by eminent domain.

Any attempt to make the mine commercially viable would fail because no one can compete with China, which accounts for almost all the world’s rare-earth production, Silver said.

“The perception is the only place in the world you can go for reasonably priced rare earth materials for your product is in China,” he said. “You have to change that perception.”

Los Angeles-based American Elements manufactures metals and chemicals and has a catalog of more than 15,000 products, according to its website. Silver said his company did business with Molycorp before its Mountain Pass became idle. Silver was among the first Americans to set up a production and distribution supply chain from rare earth mines in Inner Mongolia and China to North America and Europe, according to documents on the company website.
Creditor Feud

The sale of Molycorp’s last remaining assets to one of two groups of creditors that had feuded over the facility was approved after complaints that the winning bidder, which is majority-owned by JHL Capital Group LLC and QVT Financial LP, had recruited an affiliate of Shenghe Resources Holding Co., which allegedly is tied to the Chinese government.

The Chinese mining company, Leshan Shenghe Rare Earth Co., owns nearly 10 percent of the business that took over the mine and mineral rights, MP Mine Operations LLC, according to court records.

more:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/...arths-mine

from this time last year^

**spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ**

Quote:President Trump never signed or issued the orders, which were obtained by The Hill under the Freedom of Information Act.

But he did sign other executive orders, including ones instructing agencies to reconsider nearly all climate change policies. And the administration has implemented many of the policies Murray sought, including Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris agreement and efforts to change numerous EPA policies that the coal industry has opposed.

Murray sent the orders to Energy Secretary Rick Perry on March 28, 2017, shortly after Trump signed a wide-ranging order aimed at dismantling climate rules and other policies seen as obstructing production of fossil fuels and other forms of energy.

“We respectfully request that you review these materials, and enact them, as you deem appropriate,” Murray wrote.

more:
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environ...-for-trump

**GREY LENSMAN**

BIG CLIMATE SCAM STOOGE CRAFTED SIX MORE POSTS.

IT NEVER LEARNS

chuckle

GL

**Counting Sheep**

It's amazing how money gets you out of prison. Nearby in West Virginia this man ran for office and got a lot of votes...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Blankenship

Despite the fact he is a murderer.

**spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ**

**GREY LENSMAN**

WHO MADE COAL?

GL

**Counting Sheep** · (This post was last modified: 06-12-2018 07:07 AM by Counting Sheep.)

GREY LENSMAN Wrote: (06-12-2018 07:05 AM)

WHO MADE COAL?

GL

Plants. Dinosaurs too....possibly...I give up? Who made coal?

**GREY LENSMAN**

ITS NATURAL

GL

**Counting Sheep**

GREY LENSMAN Wrote: (06-12-2018 07:08 AM)

ITS NATURAL

GL

Ok then , what is that stuff that comes from the sun?

**GREY LENSMAN**

HEAT

LIGHT

RADIATION

ARE THE MAIN THINGS

CONVERTED BY PLANTS INTO ENERGY

GL

**Counting Sheep**

GREY LENSMAN Wrote: (06-12-2018 07:21 AM)

HEAT

LIGHT

RADIATION

ARE THE MAIN THINGS

CONVERTED BY PLANTS INTO ENERGY

GL

So...it's natural. chuckle

**GREY LENSMAN**

YES COAL IS NATURAL, NATURES ENERGY STORE FOR OUR USE.

GL

**LoP Guest** lop guest User ID: 441453 06-12-2018 07:38 AM

GREY LENSMAN Wrote: (06-12-2018 07:30 AM)

YES COAL IS NATURAL, NATURES ENERGY STORE FOR OUR USE.

GL

The sun is too. Without it Coal would never have happened.

**GREY LENSMAN**

YES BUT IT DID AND LIBERATED HUMANITY FROM A SHORT BRUTAL LIFE.

AND IT WORKS 24/7/365.

GL