CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Here in the heart of coal country, just miles from numerous mining operations, a series of politicians, industry leaders and state regulators yesterday voiced strong opposition to the Obama administration's rewriting of rules to protect waterways from mountaintop removal mining. Critics spoke in near-apocalyptic terms about the Office of Surface Mining's effort to develop a new stream protection rule to replace George W. Bush-era regulations, saying it would kill thousands of jobs and jeopardize communities that depend on coal mining.
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Sitting on a raised bench in the courtroom, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) said coal communities in his district "would be devastated by the proposed rule change." Earlier this year, he pushed for an amendment to a House spending bill to block OSM from proceeding with the rulemaking. "I have and will continue to fight to have this language included in any spending bill," he said at the hearing.
Johnson also accused OSM of "collusion" with environmentalists. A settlement with environmental groups is a main reason for the agency moving forward with a new rule. The GOP leaders who called the hearing packed it with pro-coal witnesses, allowing just two foes of mountaintop removal mining to testify.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/09/27/27greenwire-industry-states-blast-obama-admin-stream-propo-58834.html
