The federal government is examining whether struggling U.S. coal companies still qualify for an exemption that allows them to avoid having to fully insure against billion-dollar mine cleanup costs, the top regulator for the mining industry said on Monday. Within the last several weeks, federal officials have begun to scrutinize the “self-bonding” programs that allow financially qualified mining companies to leave part of their potential clean-up costs uninsured, said Joseph Pizarchik, director of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE). Coal states regulate mining operations – including the federal self-bonding program – on a day-to-day basis but federal officials may step in if not enough is done to guarantee cleanup work, or “reclamation”. Insurance and legal experts say many U.S. coal companies would struggle to pay for full insurance against cleanup costs and lifting the exemption could push them closer to bankruptcies. “The state […]