Controversial WV Mountaintop Mining Permit Approved

The federal government’s permit approval for a mining project in West Virginia is raising red flags for environmental organizations.
Controversial WV Mountaintop Mining Permit Approved
An aerial view of part of the Hobet mine in West Virginia, where mining has already begun. (Vivian Stockman/OHVEC.org and SouthWings.org )
1/6/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015

<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/Hobet-2006-10-21.jpg" alt="An aerial view of part of the Hobet mine in West Virginia, where mining has already begun. (Vivian Stockman/OHVEC.org and SouthWings.org )" title="An aerial view of part of the Hobet mine in West Virginia, where mining has already begun. (Vivian Stockman/OHVEC.org and SouthWings.org )" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1824214"/></a>
An aerial view of part of the Hobet mine in West Virginia, where mining has already begun. (Vivian Stockman/OHVEC.org and SouthWings.org )
The federal government’s permit approval for a mining project in West Virginia is raising red flags for environmental organizations. Within hours of receiving a compliance letter from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Army Corps of Engineers issued a permit on Wednesday for Hobet Mining to commence mountaintop mining in the Hobet 45 mine in Lincoln County.

The Hobet 45 mine is one of 79 projects the EPA has identified as raising environmental concerns under enhanced coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers. Decisions on a large group of permits were delayed for several years due to litigation.

“Each permit is looked at on an individual basis and goes through an extensive review process,” said Peggy Noel, an Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson.

The permit application was first submitted in 2007. Wednesday’s approval notice came after a final 60-day period of close cooperation between the EPA, the Corps of Engineers, Hobet Mining, and related government agencies.

Environmental Controversy

The approval of the Hobet 45 mine permit was criticized by environmental groups because it will allow for years of controversial mountaintop mining, which can lead to environmental damage. It is considered by many environmental groups to be the most destructive form of coal mining.

The process involves exploding the tops of mountains to expose coal deposits. It sends rock, sediment, and debris down the mountainside and potentially into waterways, such as streams and rivers.

According to the Corps, however, the only organization to submit a public comment before the permit was approved was the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

At the heart of the controversy over the Hobet 45 mine permit is its connection to a rule in the Clean Water Act that was added by George W. Bush’s administration. Section 404 of the Act regulates the discharge of dredged or fill material in U.S. waterways.

“During the Bush administration there were rules put through that say mining waste can be considered fill,” said Oliver Bernstein, a spokesman for the Sierra Club, an environmental advocacy group. “That means that instead of being categorized as waste, mining debris is fill material, which has fewer environmental restrictions.”

According to the Sierra Club, the rule can lead to serious environmental damage and should be changed.

“We are encouraging the Obama administration to fix it,” Bernstein said. “We know that mining waste is dumped into streams and valleys as part of mountaintop coal mining, and is extremely toxic. It contains not only rocks and pebbles but arsenic, selenium, mercury, and a large number of heavy metals. They rumble down the side of the mountain when they blow up the top of the mountain. All that waste is dumped in the streams and valleys.”

Bernstein added that the short-term satisfaction over jobs that the mining project will provide will lead to serious consequences in years to come.

“Long-term you cannot say that blowing up Appalachia’s mountains is going to be in the economic interest of the region,” he said.

Badly Needed Jobs

Some residents in dire need of well-paid jobs with benefits might disagree when it comes to consequences. According to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the Hobet 45 mine will provide 450 long-term union jobs to local residents, thereby meeting the economic needs of union members and their families for years to come.

“This particular mine, if they mined all the coal available, has about 10 to 12 years left,” said Phil Smith, Director of Communications for the UMWA. “Is that long-term? No. But does that mean that [these] families can live in decent terms for 8, 10, 12 years? Yes. In terms of the long-term impact, for folks who are depending on these jobs—these are by far the best jobs in the community.”

According to the EPA, Appalachian coal mining has buried an estimated 2,000 miles of streams in the United States, including some in West Virginia. The agency also said that data from coalfield communities indicates that coal mining leads to killing and contamination of fish and other wildlife.

EPA reported that original plans for the Hobet 45 mine would have buried nearly six miles of headwater streams and contaminated downstream waters that now support healthy stream life and are used by local residents for fishing and swimming. Changes made during the lengthy review period dealt with bringing Hobet Mining’s work plans in-line with the current environmental standards.

According to the UMWA, despite the outstanding job prospects from working at the mine, which include health care and retirement benefits, the potential impact on the environment is not lost on the union workers who will fill the positions.

“Our members who work in these mines live there, too—they understand whatever environmental impacts come from that,” Smith said. “They are concerned about the quality of the drinking water, and they want to make sure the companies and agencies involved are doing all they can.”