House Panel Approves Bill To Strip EPA Of Authority To Regulate Clean Water, Wetlands, Mining

[hatrack]

EDIT

Republicans characterized the legislation as an effort to "rein in" the Obama administration EPA, which they said had run roughshod over states. They pointed to EPA's move to step up regulation of mountaintop-removal mining, including the agency's decision to revoke a key permit for a proposed mine in West Virginia, Rahall's home state, and to tighten state water pollution limits in Mica's home of Florida.

"It's important to move forward and pass this legislation because we have permitting delays that are stifling economic growth and job creation," said Ohio GOP Rep. Bob Gibbs, chairman of the water subcommittee.

Critics countered with sharp concerns that the bill would prevent EPA from updating state water pollution limits and permits after science identifies new pollution threats to human health or the environment. Downstream states would also suffer if upstream states failed to adequately regulate polluting industries or enforce permits and limits, Democrats argued.

Bishop said the bill "fundamentally undermines our nation's commitment to clean water" and offered an amendment that would essentially negate the changes and preserve EPA's authority over individual states. The amendment failed in a party-line voice vote.

EDIT

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/06/22/22greenwire-house-panel-fast-tracks-bill-to-divest-epa-of-65975.html

[Angry Dragon]

1. I guess they did not bother to read this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x301054

Mountain top removal

[EC]

2. I believe that they

wouldn't care even if they had read it, they just wouldn't live near a coal-mining area.