While they have been admittedly slow to respond to the region’s outcry, area lawmakers are finally stepping up to challenge harmful regulations on Appalachian mining permits by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
A bipartisan measured introduced Wednesday by several southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia lawmakers would prohibit federal funding from being used by the EPA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Office of Surfacing Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to carry out, implement, administer or enforce any policies and procedures set forth in the June 11, 2009 Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army memorandum on “Enhanced Surface Coal Mining Pending Permit Coordination Procedures,” or the April 1, 2010, Environmental Protection Agency report on “Improving EPA Review of Appalachian Surface Coal Mining Operations under the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act and the Environmental Justice Executive Order” until the agencies go through the formal rule-making process, thus allowing for appropriate comment and disclosures, according to joint press releases issued Wednesday by U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va.
The two lawmakers argue that the legislation was prompted by the EPA’s recently implemented standards for surface mining in six Appalachian states that have caused significant barriers and delays in issuing new coal mining permits.
With hundreds of coal mining jobs across southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia on the line, it is imperative all lawmakers in our region stand up to the EPA. Coal, and the region’s historic coalfields, have been under attack for sometime now by the EPA. Why the EPA, and the Obama administration, has decided to target the coalfields of southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia with these unfair and harmful regulations is truly puzzling.
The administration continues to talk about creating jobs, but the EPA, in return, persists in putting high-paying coal mining jobs at risk. Why the administration would want to threaten thousands of coal mining and directly related support jobs during the Great Recession is truly baffling.
The new legislation — while a little late — is still welcomed. It should be the first of many measures aimed at saving coal mining jobs.
Editorials
September 17, 2010
Fighting for coal — Lawmakers turn up the heat on EPA
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