Friday, April 02, 2010
New EPA Rules Not Well Accepted
WEST VIRGINIA....
After a year of seeking clarity from the Obama administration on how to obtain mining permits, state and coal industry leaders got answers Thursday, but not the ones they had hoped for. Instead, the EPA issued guidance for coal companies including benchmarks calling for much tighter water quality standards. Coal officials say the new mandates are nearly impossible for surface mines to meet and will be difficult for underground mines as well. One of the major changes involves the allowed level of salt, but officials say the level of conductivity is not only influenced by coal mining. Coal officials are accusing the EPA of effectively making law, without going through the proper process, leaving coal companies no legal recourse to appeal. They say they reserve the right for a comment period and are not going to sit back and basically try to attain something that's unattainable.
After a year of seeking clarity from the Obama administration on how to obtain mining permits, state and coal industry leaders got answers Thursday, but not the ones they had hoped for. Instead, the EPA issued guidance for coal companies including benchmarks calling for much tighter water quality standards. Coal officials say the new mandates are nearly impossible for surface mines to meet and will be difficult for underground mines as well. One of the major changes involves the allowed level of salt, but officials say the level of conductivity is not only influenced by coal mining. Coal officials are accusing the EPA of effectively making law, without going through the proper process, leaving coal companies no legal recourse to appeal. They say they reserve the right for a comment period and are not going to sit back and basically try to attain something that's unattainable.
# posted by Homer Owens @ 9:26 AM 
