Sierra Club
Held by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on the newly proposed Stream Protection Rule, the St. Charles Missouri hearing allowed the testimonies of 38 people on behalf of the coal industry and 38 people on behalf of stream protection from 5 Illinois coal mining regions. The rules have the potential to protect miles of streams, including ephemeral streams, from the negative effects of coal mining, including those of underground longwall mining such as subsidence or what the industry likes to call "planned subsidence".
Two state representatives, Terri Bryant and Avery Bourne, spoke. Three U.S. Congressmen, John Shimkus, Rodney Dave and Mike Bost, sent representatives. Phil Gonet of the Illinois Coal Association, and Bruce Stevens of the Indiana Coal Council, both addressed the room.
Representation from Foresight Energy, L.P.; American Coal Co.; Peabody Energy Corp.; Murray Energy Corp.; Knight Hawk Coal; Alliance Coal, L.P.; Sunrise Coal LLC; and Arch Coal, Inc.; and the head of the Illinois Office of Mines and Minerals, spoke to extending the comment deadline to 180 days.
Clean water citizen advocates and environmental groups agreed that the proposed Stream Protection Rule, written to govern how industry water pollution is tested (point source), regulated (State-run mine permitting programs), and controlled, will only be effective in protecting waterways if enforcement includes a strong citizen suit provision or the Office of Surface Mining develops the political will to perform it's enforcement tasks.
This press release by CoalFieldJustice.org publicizes an announcement by HOPE or Helping Organize to Protect our Environment and the Center for Coalfield Justice of plans to begin a health surrvey of communities surrounding a coal ash dump site to better understand the health issues therein.
"Don’t forget – subsided ground fallen futures" -- CALM or Citizens Against Longwall Mining
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