March 26, 2010
Contact: Oliver Bernstein, Sierra Club, 512.477.2152
EPA Recommends No Mining at Biggest Proposed
Mountaintop Removal Coal Mine
Statement from Sierra Club Director of Environmental Quality Ed Hopkins
Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today recommended restricting or prohibiting mining at the nation’s largest proposed mountaintop removal coal mining site, the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia.
In response the Sierra Club's Director of Environmental Quality, Ed Hopkins, issued the following statement:
"It is good to see the EPA applying more scientifically rigorous analysis to these permits. The best available science tells us that proposed mines like the massive Spruce Mine would pollute waterways, destroy mountains and devastate communities.
"We hope that the agency follows through on this recommendation. This massive mine would bury seven miles of streams, destroy thousands of acres of land and disrupt local communities. Mountaintop removal coal mining is an egregious environmental injustice and an embarrassment for America.
"Local residents have been actively challenging the approval of this permit at the Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County for more than twelve years. With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day approaching, it's time for the Obama administration to fix the Bush administration rulemaking that allows mines to fill waterways with waste."
Click here for details on today's announcement.
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