Removing mountaintops and strip mining for coal has already wreaked environmental havoc in Appalachia, so it might sound incredible that things could get even worse. Sadly, they might.
Last Friday, the Bush administration submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) a proposal to severely weaken the stream buffer zone rule. This rule has, since 1983, prevented coal companies from disturbing areas that are 100 feet or less from Appalachian waterways. The EPA now has 30 days to review the proposed change.
Never mind that some 40,000 people protested loudly when the rule change was suggested last year. Never mind that many of the waterways that could be affected are home to a wide variety of aquatic life, or provide drinking water to area residents. Never mind that 1,200-plus miles of waterways have already been buried by mountaintop-removal coal mining. Coal mining companies want more and the Bush administration is prepared to give it to them.
Oh, and if that doesn’t bother you, how about the fact that the feds’ near-trillion-dollar bailout of the financial sector includes almost $2.8 billion in tax credits for coal operators?
If that kind of news steams you, be sure to speak up. ILoveMountains.org has an online letter of protest you can personalize and send to Stephen Johnson, administrator of the Office of Surface Mining. You can also read more about the proposed rule change here.
I wrote on mountaintop removal on my site, and am deeply concerned about where this new change will lead. We live in SW VA, a county away from some of these atrocities, and I can tell you that if more people knew, more would be appalled. Thanks for bringing light to the topic….we need more voices!
Thanks Sara! Let’s hope we can keep the EPA from approving this change.