Missouri Republicans criticize Obama’s new coal policy

Missouri Republicans are among those voicing displeasure with a decision by the Obama administration to temporarily prohibit new coal mining leases on federal land.

The moratorium, announced Friday, was introduced in an effort to ensure a fair return for tax payers and address climate change, the White House said.

However, Republicans say the policy is the latest in a series of blows dealt by the president to coal companies and their workers. Missouri is home to Arch Coal and Peabody Energy, two of the largest companies in the beleaguered industry.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said that Obama is “taking aim at one of our most abundant and lowest cost energy sources, at the expense of Missouri families and small businesses.”

Earlier in the week, Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Ballwin, blamed the president’s policies for the bankruptcy of Creve Coeur-based Arch Coal.

Read more: St. Louis Post-Dispatch