Following coal's win in West Virginia, Kentucky hopes for a similar victory

摘要

One valley fill issue has been resolved in favor of the coal industry. Now it's time for another favorable decision a little further west. That's the hope of coal industry leaders in Kentucky, where a similar case like that settled in West Virginia late last week is still awaiting a ruling from the 6th Circuit Court. In West Virginia, coal won what initially is believed to be an enormous victory when the 4th Circuit Court decided to overturn a ruling requiring more extensive environmental impact analysis of mountaintop removal. The panel ruled 2-1 that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has the authority to issue Clean Water Act permits for mountaintop removal mines without more extensive reviews.