Senators ask if coal exports skirt royalties
Source: Associated Press
Senators ask if coal exports skirt royalties
By MATTHEW BROWN
Associated Press
Published: Friday, January 4, 2013 at 3:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, January 4, 2013 at 3:14 p.m.
Lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Interior to review whether companies are shortchanging federal and state governments out of millions of dollars in royalties on coal exported to foreign markets.
Friday's request from Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski comes as U.S. coal exports hit a record of an estimated 124 million tons last year. That includes coal shipped to Asia from the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming.
The senators want Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to determine if companies have violated federal leasing law by paying royalties on the coal's mine price, then selling it overseas at a higher price through affiliated brokers.
National Mining Association spokeswoman Carol Raulston says companies believe they are complying with the law.
Read more: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20130104/APA/1301040880
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How did this policy even get started?
Good for these Senators.
I should add that this all sounds very familiar. A Halliburton executive from India is one of those who will be in charge of fracking in North Carolina.
Under the Democrats, fracking was never even allowed here. 
