WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) final valuation rule on coal produced on federal and Indian lands, and oil and natural gas produced on federal lands and waters. 

“Today’s new valuation rule is not about closing any loophole—it’s about targeting for ruin American energy jobs. President Obama has sought to destroy the mining and use of coal from day one, regardless of the consequences for mining families, the communities they support and the consumers they supply.

“If the Obama administration was truly concerned about wringing every dollar for the public from our nation’s energy resources, they would make it easier for American producers to access international markets. Instead, they have worked to block access to global markets for coal, and have moved at a glacial pace in approving natural gas exports.

“Like many of the hastily proposed rules in their regulatory scheme, this one will face fierce opposition in Congress and in the courts.”

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