Before Bush heads back to the ranch he intends to impose one last devastating marker of environmental degradation, right here in Appalachia. It’s no secret that mountaintop removal mining is decimating the landscape of the South. Over 500,000 acres have been blown up by King Coal and over 2,000 miles of streams have been buried. But on Friday the Interior Department announced plans to make the destructive practice even easier for mining companies by relaxing a 25-year-old law that requires waste to be dumped at least 100 feet away from a river or stream. Companies have basically been ignoring the buffer regulation for years, but soon they will have a free pass to do so if they can “show why avoidance is not possible.”
Concerned citizens can voice opinions over the next 30 days during a public comment period.
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