"U.S. Coal Regulator To Crack Down On Cleanup Coverage"

"U.S. states should force coal companies to set aside collateral to pay for future mine cleanups and protect taxpayers as the industry braces for further declines, a leading federal regulator said on Tuesday.

Three of the largest U.S. coal producers, Peabody Energy Corp, Arch Coal Inc and Alpha Natural Resources, have filed for bankruptcy in the past year in an industry shaken by cheap natural gas and falling demand from China.

With coal production outstripping demand, the market is not likely to recover until at least 2021, Joe Pizarchik, who heads the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement, told Reuters."

Tracy Rucinski reports for Reuters August 9, 2016.