Congress to hold hearing on mountaintop removal mining
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Mountaintop removal. |
June 23, 2009 ·
A protest at a mining facility near Marsh Fork Elementary School in Raleigh County is happening just two days before a Congressional hearing titled, “The Impacts of Mountaintop Removal Mining on Water Quality in Appalachia.”
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday before the Water and Wildlife subcommittee of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
Several people from West Virginia are planning to be there, including West Virginia Environmental Secretary Randy Huffman.
"Yes, I’m looking forward to giving West Virginia’s story," Huffman says. "What happens is, West Virginia gets caught up in the political idealism of different groups that are both for and against mining, mountaintop mining or other types of mining.
"I think the people who live here and work here and depend upon the taxes and want to protect the environment, I think they would appreciate the opportunity we have to tell our story in Washington.
"And our story is, basically, that we have a program that is protective of the environment and is consistent with the federal mining act and the Clean Water Act."
Also, coal miners from southern West Virginia are planning to make the journey to Washington. Huffman says he has not heard whether Governor Manchin is planning to go.