WASHINGTON—The Obama administration proposed new regulations Thursday designed to reduce the impact of coal mining on the nation’s streams, a long-anticipated move that met quick resistance from Republicans, even as the administration projected only modest job losses in coal country.
Current federal regulation designed to protect streams near coal mines date back to 1983. The new regulations would maintain a buffer zone that prevents coal mining within 100 feet of streams to prevent debris from being dumped into the water. But the proposal also sets clearer guidelines for companies to follow if exceptions to the 100-foot rule occur, including a requirement that companies offset the environmental impact of the mining.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell described the regulation as a balanced approach to energy development that also safeguards the environment. In all, she projected that about 200 jobs would be lost if the regulation goes into effect as proposed. Officials also projected that electricity costs would only go up one-tenth of 1 percent.
