GAO audit confirms 'enhanced' review delays permits: industry sources

摘要

Coal industry representatives say a Government Accountability Office report has confirmed that the process set up to streamline Clean Water Act permitting for mountaintop surface mining operations has actually delayed it. ”Rather than instituting a coordinated and collaborative process that ensures full participation and involvement by other federal and state agencies and clarity in expectations for per- mit applicants, the GAO report underlines this is a non-transparent, EPAdriven process that has further delayed, rather than expedited action on permits,” Carol Raulston, spokeswoman for the National Mining Association, said in an e-mail last week.