EPA Stops Largest Mountaintop Mining Operation in Appalachia
The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday halted the largest mountaintop coal mining operation in Appalachia ever to receive a federal permit--the first time in the EPA's 37-year history that the agency has used its regulatory power to stop an already approved project.
Mountaintop mining is when coal companies blast the tops off mountains to get at the coal underneath, dumping millions of tons of rubble into adjacent valleys, burying streams, contaminating drinking water, and damaging local communities.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues permits for mountaintop mining, but Congress long ago granted the EPA authority to veto the permits if the mining operations threaten water quality or put the environment at significant risk. The EPA told the Corps that it was placing a hold on the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia, because of the unusually high potential for environmental damage.
"Local residents have been actively challenging the approval of this permit at the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County for more than a decade," said Ed Hopkins, Director of Environmental Quality for the Sierra Club. "This massive mine would have buried seven miles of streams, destroyed thousands of acres of land and disrupted local communities."
This new action follows the Obama administration's pledge last spring to increase its scrutiny and regulation of mountaintop mining. About two weeks ago, the EPA announced its plans to look harder than usual at 79 permit applications for mountaintop mining operations in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio and Tennessee to make sure the proposed mines will not cause water pollution or violate the Clean Water Act before allowing permits to be issued.
Comments
This is great news!
“It’s nice to know that a lot of people have been pushing efforts to make planet earth a better place. With biofuels, and all other alternative resources for energy, we might be able to curb the growing problem that is global warming and at the same time preserve the ecosystems of the world. The Earth’s natural forces such as wind, hydro and solar power are limitless and effective ways to gain energy. So unless the winds stop blowing, the seas stop roaring or the sun dies out, there’ll always be a place to go for energy. Kudos mother earth!”
Thank you Creator! A’ho!
It is great that over 60,000 West Virginians will lose their jobs. Not to mention all the people in the other states. Kudos mother earth
Richard & j both make good points on opposite sides of the argument. Richard is a bit naive if he’s thinking we can get enough energy from alternative sources to maintain our current life styles. j points out more directly that severe sacrifices must be made if we can’t find some compromise.
It really all gets back to overpopulation exceeding the limits of the resources.
Although “J” takes a stab in the dark about the immediate effects of shutting down coal powered power plants. There are documented government reports that were deleted from public record for fear of mass hysteria concerning the immediate effect on our country. They originally stated that at least 1/3 rd of West Virginians would be immediatly without a job and that 1\4 of the working population of the COUNTRY would be without work within a month. And, also they claimed in there report to our PRESIDENT that all areas that could still get power would be paying at least 400% above what they are paying today. This report was referred to several times during his election. I believe everyone has forgotten what our PRESIDENT told us. The independant report, which was a brainchild of his campaign also stated that parts of our country could be without power for up to 5 years and that all areas powerlines and transfer stations that didn’t recieve power through them would be useless in as little as 12 months. I believe everyone needs to take a step back and take a long hard look at whats best for now, and try and figure out a more practical approach. MAYBE!