The Interior Department said Friday it is halting most new leases for coal mining on federal lands and launching a review that could result in higher costs on coal companies and greater scrutiny of carbon emissions. The action, President Barack Obama ’s latest move to address climate change, is another blow to the beleaguered coal industry. Coal production on federal lands accounts for about 40% of all U.S. coal production. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said her agency’s review will encompass the environmental, public health and taxpayer impact of the coal leasing program. The process is expected to take three years, so that is how long the moratorium is expected to last. Reaction on both sides of the issue was swift and fervent. Republicans and business groups called the announcement Mr. Obama’s latest front in […]