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OPINIONS
Editorial: EPA ruling offers middle ground approach on mining
The decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow a mountaintop removal coal mine in Boone and Lincoln counties may signal how government regulators and the coal industry will move forward from this point.
If that's the case, neither the coal industry nor opponents of mountaintop removal mining are likely to be happy, but the EPA may be navigating a methodical, middle ground approach that makes sense under the circumstances.
The EPA informed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday that it now supports issuing a permit for Patriot Coal's Hobet 45 mine, a decision that will keep about 460 people working at the company's Corridor G complex in Lincoln and Boone counties. The Corps issued the permit Wednesday. The EPA said it worked closely with Hobet Mining and the Corps to redesign the proposed Hobet 45 mine to eliminate nearly 50 percent of stream impacts, reduce anticipated stream contamination and protect public health.
The application for the Hobet mine was one of 79 held up for extra scrutiny in September as part of the Obama administration's attempt to curb environmental damage from mountaintop removal mining. The EPA said at the time that each permit likely would cause significant damage to water quality and the environment.
Since Tuesday's announcement, environmental groups have roundly criticized the EPA's decision, but they should keep in mind that the EPA so far has balked at backing another permit because of environmental concerns.
The agency also said on Tuesday that it and Mingo Logan Mining Co., a subsidiary of Arch Coal, have agreed to continue discussions at least until early March about the proposed Spruce No. 1 mine in Logan County. The EPA has determined that the proposed mine raised significant environmental and water quality concerns, and the group will discuss ways to make the project acceptable. If no agreement is reached, mining at the site will be prohibited, the EPA said.
In announcing the EPA's stance on those two proposed mines, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said her agency's goal is "to ensure Americans living in coal country are protected from environmental, health and economic damage."
Those are the appropriate concerns, and they require a delicate balance. Simply shutting down mountaintop removal mining really isn't feasible, considering the role coal plays in providing electricity to the nation and the potential impact on jobs. But neither can the EPA be expected to sign off on these projects without carefully looking at the environmental impacts and ensuring that mining companies adhere to the rules on the books.
From the standpoint of West Virginia's economy, it's encouraging to see that the EPA is willing to discuss with coal operators ways they can move forward with their plans and keep people working. From each case, the coal operators can gain a better understanding of what's acceptable and what's not.
From an environmental perspective, the EPA is taking a look at the environmental impacts of mountaintop removal mining and working to minimize any damages.
Neither side in this passionate battle over mountaintop removal mining is "winning," per se, but the stalemate may be over.
