Mountaintop removal at the Hobet complex looms over a home in Lincoln County. Photo by Vivian Stockman

EPA Approves Hobet 45 Mine

Last year the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it would more thoroughly scrutinize permits for 79 large-scale surface mines and mountaintop removal mines.

In January, EPA let the first of these 79 permits move forward EPA approved Hobet 45 in Lincoln County, part of Patriot Coals 25-square-mile Hobet mountaintop removal operation.

This decision highlights the urgent need for the EPA to protect streams from mining waste by revising Clean Water Act regulations gutted by the Bush administration. West Virginia groups and national environmental groups are encouraging the Obama administration to begin a rulemaking to exclude mining waste from the definition of fill as material that can be dumped in waters of the United States.

"Sadly, the coal industrys undue influence over decision-makers has traded peoples health, communities, and water for profit," said Janet Keating, executive director of OVEC. "Were shooting ourselves in the future. After all the coal has been mined, what kind of economic development can happen when the water is unfit to drink and people have been driven away?"

The permit would allow Patriot to mine through more than three miles of streams, and to add millions of cubic yards of fill to existing valley fills offsite.

"We, the affected citizens that are living with the impacts of this destructive mining practice, pray that this decision is not a preview of other destructive mining permits being approved," said Judy Bonds with Coal River Mountain Watch. "We certainly hope this is the last destructive permit approved that will allow the coal industry to continue to blast our homes and pollute our streams."

"Allowing this newest addition to the over 25 square miles of devastation at the Hobet complex to proceed makes one seriously question if EPA is truly interested in making a real difference," said Cindy Rank, chair of the mining committee at West Virginia Highlands Conservancy.

"The Obama administration rings in the new year by allowing coal companies to bury more miles of streams," said Joan Mulhern, senior legislative counsel for Earthjustice. "There is no excuse for approving this permit when the science is clear that mountaintop removal coal mining permanently destroys streams. The administration claims to be making progress on mountaintop removal, but in reality they are still following the flawed policies put in place by the Bush administration. It is time for them to make a commitment to ending this abominable practice."