Obama Administration Ends MTR Mining With A Name Change

by Patriot Daily News

The Obama administration is at least testing the waters of changing the name of mountaintop removal mining to “Appalachian surface coal mining” or ASCM. This name change, which neutralizes the horrific visuals of mountaintop removal mining, may help President Obama gain support for a new policy to reduce rather than eliminate the harmful environmental impacts of blowing apart ancient mountaintops and discharging that mining waste into streams, suffocating both the stream and aquatic life.

It is undeniable that the Obama administration is taking steps that are a “firm departure” from President Bush who “failed to protect our communities, water, and wildlife in Appalachia.” For the first time, the government is acknowledging the adverse impacts of MTR mining, but surpassing President Bush on environmental issues is a rather low bar.

The question for President Obama is whether mountaintop removal mining (or MTR mining) should be limited to a policy of environmental impact relativity or should our policy be the elimination of MTR mining in obvious recognition that by definition it violates the environmental rules of law? Continued...

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