Coal-quality information from the eastern United States

The United States is attempting to increase domestic coal production in order to reduce dependence upon costly imported petroleum and to stabilize domestic fuel supplies, until alternative sources of energy are developed.  In 1975, coal production for the United States amounted to roughly 654 million short tons (593.5 million metric tons) (U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1977, p. 388 and p. 458). A principal goal of industry and government is to increase this amount to 1 to 1.2 billion tons by 1985.  Table 1 shows 1975 coal production from the Eastern United States.