EPA greenlights 42 of 48 permits for coal mines in Appalachia, including mountaintop removal jobs

When the Environmental Protection Agency began blocking or delaying permits for mountaintop-removal coal mines, "Many saw it as the writing on the wall that the Obama administration intended to stop the controversial practice," Erica Peterson reports for West Virginia Public Broadcasting. But U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia "released correspondence between his office and the EPA ... announcing that the EPA had no concerns with the majority of the permit applications it was reviewing," 42 of 48 for mines in the Appalachian coalfield, not all of them involving mountaintop removal. (Read more)

EPA took a while to comment on Rahall's announcement, but finally issued a statement that read in pertinent part: “EPA decided not to provide additional comments on the remaining 42 permits after consideration of the nature and extent of project impacts. 28 of the projects have two or fewer valley fills. Eleven have no valley fills at all. None have more than six. EPA’s understanding is that none of the projects would permanently impact high value streams that flow year round. By contrast, EPA has opposed six permits because they all would result in significant adverse impacts to high value streams, involve large numbers of valley fills, and impact watersheds with extensive previous mining impacts.” Fior more coverage from Ken Ward Jr. of The Charleston Gazette, click here.