Breaking News: Change is Gonna Come: EPA Halts Mountaintop Removal Permits

 I found an article addressing all in the nation who will read,  Jeff Biggers: BREAKING NEWS: Change is Gonna Come: EPA Halts Mountaintop Removal Permits in blogs from the Huffington Post, showering us with  great news, giving us a bit of light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. In the article he tells of the Environmental Protection Agency calling a halt to hundreds of mountaintop removal permits, in order to address their impact on water quality. (Huge News. And a huge step in regulating the health and environmental hazzards created by coal companies blasting the tops off of mountains for coal mining and their management of the waste products being dumped or 'accidently' spilled into drinking water.)* 

"The EPA sent two letters to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing concern regarding the environmental impact these projects have on fragile habitats and streams." said Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "I have directed the agency to review other mining permit request. EPA will use the best science and follow the letter of the law in ensuring we are protecting our environment." (It is about time. Seems the pressure of two sludge spills in the last 4 months, must of been an indicator of a problem. Although coal production has had caustic and fatal tragedies throughout its long  history, coal keeps producing big energy, bringing in big money, to our government and the big coal businesses, while notoriously and flagrantly disregarding people, our health, or environment. Pressure from individuals and environmental groups affected by the spills, seem to finally woken up the EPA. Or possibly, Obama put the pressure on them to do act, since EPA seldom goes against government without direction.)* "EPA is corrdinating its action with the White House Council on Environmental quality and with the other agencies including the Corps."  (The fight isn't over yet, but as Jeff Biggers says, "It is a huge step forward in our country."  Considering so many lives are on the line, why did even this first step take so long. I have to agree with Biggers, this is huge step.)* 

Appalachia's Agony: My Review of the View

I imagined my view on the precipice destroyed in this article Editorial - Appalachia’s Agony - NYTimes.com 

Consider this important issue. Do we as a people destroy the beauty of our country or do we find solutions. The solutions in regards to coal use have advanced but there are other solutions to our economic and environmental future. Unfortunately, the transfer of monies going towards environmentally more sound and less destructive energy solutions seems to be moving too slow. People depend upon the few jobs and energy created with coal, making it a keystone in our economy. I doubt the use of coal will ever stop completely but the regulations must be followed in regards to harming people or the environment according to 40 CFR: Protection of the Environment | Laws, Regulations, Guidance & Dockets | US EPA 

Appalachia's Agony: My Review of the View

The editor starts by addressing the public and President Obama. "The longstanding disgrace of mountaintop mining is now squarely in President Obama's hands." 

(Is he blaming Obama for disgrace or just giving him the responsibility of all future disgraces? Good attention grasping statement. What the fight about is unclear yet. We just know it is something to do with mountaintop mining.)*

  

Next a "recent court decision has given the green light to as many as 90 mountaintop mining project in Appalachia's coal-rich hills, which in turn could destroy more then 200 miles of valleys and streams on top of the 1,200 miles that have already been obliterated. 

(Green light means that the production of coal will not be stopped. This most be what he wanted Obama to stop but still not clear if it can be stopped. The editor gives suggestion to the administration: 'stop the projects until the underlying regulations are revised so as to end the practice altogether.'  So the true intent of this article is to influence Obama to end mountaintop mining altogether and rally support.)* 

Mountain top mining according to the editor is when "Enormous machines-bulldozers and draglines- scrape away mountain ridges to expose the coal seams below. The coal is then trucked away, and the leftover rock and dirt are dumped into the adjacent valleys and streams."

(Mountains are big and would need 'enormous' machines. Seems like an obvious description. 

Scraping and exposing of seams are very convincing and sound invasive and scary. Raping the land may have replaced it but the description and drama pulls me into the story. Also mentioned and key to this story is that the leftover rock and dirt are dumped into adjacent valleys and streams. Leaving me wanting to know more.)*  

During the 2008 campaign Obama promised to end the practice of disposing of the waste improperly. (And the editor whispers)* "neither Democratic or Republican have been willing to take on Robert Byrd, West Virginia's senior senator, or the coal companies, which insist without proof that there is no other cost-effective way to dispose of the waste." (The amount of money involved is what the real issue is. Coal companies have a long history of winning their battles regardless of human life or the environment.

 Also "The Corps of Engineers, could under the law, suspend the mining permits in public interest. This in turn would give the administration time to review the rules and issue new ones that would be more protecting of the environment. But the Corps of Engineers, always reluctant to reverse itself and historically friendly to industry, will not act without orders from on high.  Again the editor is pleading with our President Obama to push them in the right direction and to keep his campaign promises.)*

Mr. Obama promised to find better ways of mining coal "then simply blowing the tops of mountains."  (The editor promts: "The time to do so is now."

I agree with the editor. Something needs to be done. How can the courts have given them the go ahead, so shortly after the sludge spill in Tennessee. A sludge waste spill is having a catastrophic impact on the environment comparing Chernobyl Disaster's Agricultural and Environmental Impact: Part two of a series (EnvironmentalChemistry.com) 

Another disturbing issue, not mentioned in this article, was the cover up by the local and national media, for 4 days. until Christmas eve, leaving the people in the dark, not knowing what the sludge was going through their backyards and seeping to their drinking water. Why the media cover up? Obama, Corp of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency and the media has some explaining to do.)     Nightmare before Christmas: Coal sludge spill 50X worse than Exxon Valdez | CEJournal

*My Opinion in orange