EPA will review 79 mountaintop coal mining permits
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Obama administration on Friday stepped up efforts to curb environmental damage from surface coal mining, announcing plans to give 79 permit applications in four states additional scrutiny.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it wants to make certain the proposed mines won't cause water pollution and violate the Clean Water Act before permits are issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Most of the permits are for mines in Kentucky, the nation's No. 3 coal-producing state. Also on the list are operations in No. 2 coal producer West Virginia, Ohio and one mine in Tennessee.
The action targets a practice known as mountaintop removal mining. The method involves blasting away mountaintops to expose multiple coal seams and, in most cases, burying intermittent streams with excess rock.
"Release of this preliminary list is the first step in a process to assure that the environmental concerns raised by the 79 permit applications are addressed," EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said.
"We look forward to working closely with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the involvement of the mining companies, to achieve a resolution of EPA's concerns that avoids harmful environmental impacts and meets our energy and economic needs."
Environmental groups cheered the administration, which they've been criticizing for not banning mountaintop mining altogether.
"We applaud this action by the Obama Administration to return the rule of law to the Appalachian coalfields," Sierra Club spokeswoman Mary Anne Hitt said. "The next step in the administration's review process should confirm that these permits cannot be issued."
The coal industry blasted the decision, saying it jeopardizes tens of thousands of jobs.
"By deciding to hold up for still further review coal mining permits pending in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, the agency damages a weak economy struggling to recover in the worst recession in postwar history," National Mining Association President Hal Quinn said.
Related Stories
ABC News Live