Bush Administration Takes Another Last Minute Poke at the Environment: Approves Easier Coal Mine Waste Dumping in Streams
by Matthew McDermott, New York, NY 
on 12. 4.08
The top of that mountain on the right has been removed because of coal mining. Photo: Chris
I guess President Bush just couldn’t be content to ride off quietly into the sunset towards Crawford, Texas. It seems instead his administration is determined to create as much environment mischief before the end of the year as possible. The latest act of environmental vandalism: Approving a final rule which will make it easier for coal companies to dump waste from mountaintop mining operations into streams and valleys. (New York Times)
Predictably (and quite correctly) environmental groups squared off against the government on this one:
According to the Environmental Defense Fund ,
This is unmistakably a fire sale of epic size for coal and the entire fossil fuel industry, with flagrant disregard for human health, the environment or the rule of law.
Joan Mulhern, a lawyer at Earthjustice also weighed in,
With less than two months left in power the Bush administration is determined to cement its legacy as having the worst environmental record in history.
And the Sierra Club took a swipe at the EPA,
The E.P.A.’s own scientists have concluded that dumping mining waste into streams devastates downstream water quality. By signing off on this rule, the agency has abdicated its responsibility.
But the Interior Department doesn’t quite see this ruling in the same light,
This rule strengthens protections for streams. Federal law allows coal mine waste to be placed in streams, and the rule tightens restrictions as to when, where and how those discharges can occur.
Come on, coal mine waste in streams? How can that be a good thing in any circumstance? It's like saying 'What's to worry about? It's just a little bit of cancer."
via: The New York Times
Coal Mining
An Alternative to Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining in West Virginia
Moving Mountains For Coal: McCain & Obama Agree It’s a Bad Thing
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Bush and Cheney are criminals, pure and simple.
If they're not lying about wars, and thereby
responsible for the deaths of thousands, they're
destroying the environment we all live in - for profit. Not to mention bankrupting the country. If that's not criminal, what is these days? Our taxpayer dollars will now fund their pensions, and probably build them libraries. Doesn't sound any different than Russia or China to me. Our system is broken and nobody in this pathetic country has the guts to impeach or imprison them, which is what they deserve. The saddest thing of all is that, unless criminal politicians face some serious accountability for their actions, this will never change.
I wish his drinking water was as polluted as the Ohio river valley and everything below it since its runs from the Ohio river into the Mississippi. Soon all the water will be so full of mercury that no one will be able to eat fish! Oh, and the acid rain is great for all the Midwest produce! I do believe that it was Ohio, Pennsylvanian, and West Virginia that had a lawsuit against the power company for acid rain from the coal burning power plants!
Thank god that his days are almost over...
@ Randy - I think you're spot on.
Bush should be removed before he can do any more irreversible damage.