Obama seeks to block record mountaintop removal permit

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Now that's more like it, Mr. President!

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From Ken Ward at the Charleston Gazette:

Late last week — just before the Labor Day holiday — the Obama administration EPA issued a mountaintop removal bombshell: A major letter that blasts a whole host of problems with the largest strip-mining permit ever issued in the state of West Virginia.

EPA experts have concluded that the mine, as currently designed and permitted, would violate the federal Clean Water Act. They’ve urged the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend, revoke or modify the permit. In response, Corps lawyers have asked U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers for a 30-day stay in legal proceedings over this permit, to give Corps staffers time to re-examine the project.

I’ve posted a copy of the EPA letter to the Corps here, and a copy of the Corps’ legal motion here. The letter was dated last Thursday and the legal motion was filed the following day.

In the five-page letter, EPA experts express grave concerns about the mine’s “potential to degrade downstream water quality, and to cause or contribute to potential excursions of West Virginia’s narrative water quality standards.”

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/09/08/obama-seeks-to-block-record-mountaintop-removal-permit/

[theophilus]

1. Good to see this! This practice needs to stop. It is encouraging

to see the Obama administration wade in on this. Not too long ago we had people saying he would do nothing about this. Well, maybe he will. I hope he gets the credit he deserves if he knocks the slats from under the mountaintop removers.

[moriah]

2. I hope he does too.

I am rather glad that most of the mining done in the Ozarks was done years ago so the land has had some time to recover.

Ever notice that almost all of the old mining towns are still empty here in Arkansas? There are a few that were huge that are now true ghost towns, and others that have not even come close to recovering their old populations. Sure, some people left to find work elsewhere, but I have to wonder how many people left because mining pollutes the land?

And that's just normal mining -- not blowing off mountaintops.

[and-justice-for-all]

3. GOOD! nt

[Anakin Skywalker]

4. And Ted Nugent is Pissed Off Now!

He's over there doing some rally sh*t with Hannity and some other RW blowhards!

[Champion Jack]

7. Who? oh, you mean the guy who shit himself to get out of the draft?

[Arkana]

10. Is he going to go play some shitty 80s rock?

[opihimoimoi]

5. My friend Hubert from the region gonna be HAPPY.....he is very concerned re the neg effects of S M

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

6. the fact that the coal industry would pick this site in particular is appalling

it was on the historic register, til they fought to have it removed
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blair_Mountain

[CBR]

8. Encouraging! nt

[ensho]

9. good

nt