The extraordinarily broad scope of the congressional request for advice on coal resources and future coal research and development needs provided a significant challenge for the committee appointed by the National Research Council (NRC). Fortunately, clarifications by staff members from the offices of . Senators Robert C. Byrd and Arlen Specter—the originators of this study—were most helpful, suggesting that the report should be brief and contain limited detail, but with abundant references to other, more comprehensive studies. They also emphasized that a major element of their request was to learn of any potential roadblocks that might impinge on the production or delivery of coal should the nation’s energy requirements.
