Posts Tagged ‘Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act’
Lexington Coal held in contempt for third time for continuing to violate federal court order to stop polluting West Virginia streams
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia held Lexington Coal Company in contempt for the third time for the company’s ongoing refusal to address the environmental damage caused by its coal mining operations in Appalachia.
Read MoreConservation groups defend in court the ability of citizens to report problems with coal mines to federal authorities
Today, a federal judge approved a motion by conservation groups to join in the defense of a Biden administration rule that makes it easier for individuals and community organizations to report problems related to coal mining directly to federal regulators.
Read MoreCommunity groups praise Beyer bill to ensure timely coal mine cleanup
Communities across Central Appalachia welcome a bill introduced today by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va.. The bill includes specific requirements for how quickly coal mine reclamation must be completed following coal removal.
Read MoreCommunity advocates welcome Cartwright’s new legislation to fight zombie mine crisis
Community advocates from across Pennsylvania and Appalachia celebrated the introduction of two bills by Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Penn., that would take crucial action to address some of the root causes of the “zombie mine” crisis — the increasing number of non-producing modern-era mines that have not been cleaned up by the coal companies responsible for operating them.
Read MoreNo time to waste averting another coal mine cleanup crisis
Regulators are ignoring a growing crisis unfolding in modern mine reclamation. Coal companies are often failing to complete timely reclamation, and safeguards to ensure mine cleanup are failing. Communities are already seeing a new, more devastating wave of abandoned mines — a problem that will get worse without action.
Read MoreMine Cleanup Concerns Grow As Industry Declines
The decline of the coal industry is exacerbating failures of the current federal system to ensure that mines are cleaned up.
Read MoreHow a proposed rule can help communities hold coal companies accountable
The federal surface mining agency has proposed a new rule that, if finalized, will restore community members’ ability to ensure coal companies follow the law.
Read MoreTennessee enacts law halting efforts to take over surface mine regulation from federal government
On May 11, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee enacted a significant law that temporarily halts the state’s pursuit of primacy. Primacy refers to a state’s right to petition the federal government to become the primary authority in issuing surface mine permits and implementing associated regulations.
Read MoreMining agency encourages more, better stakeholder engagement for coal-impacted communities
For years, the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization program has been one of the only federal grant programs targeted at revitalizing coal mining communities. It’s now being funded at its highest level to date and is getting a spruce-up from the federal agency that administers it.
Read MoreHouse committee to hold hearing on important coal-related bills
On June 9, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing discussing important coal-related legislation, including a bill that would shore up the troubled mine cleanup system and another that would ensure that abandoned mine land funding can be used for long-term acid mine drainage treatment facilities.
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