Environmental Protection Agency lays down the scalpel and picks up a butcher knife with CAPP regulations

摘要

Here's what you need to know about the butcher knife the EPA used to replace a scalpel in attempting to regulate Central Appalachian mining. Foremost, maybe, is the fact the words "mountaintop," certainly, and even "surface" have to be removed from the discussion. "EPA's guidance document, while on its face seems to be trying to protect the Appalachian area from the effects of large scale surface mining, the tool they've chosen - water quality - affects every type of coal mining in Appalachia," a very knowledgeable source said. Kentucky miners, for instance, have been required since last summer to monitor and report water conductivity. Operations including surface mines, deep mines and prep plants generally have shown conductivity values in the 800-1,000 range.