Pallone Statement on Obama Administration Rule to Safeguard Communities from Impacts of Mountaintop Removal

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, made the following statement on the Obama Administration’s announcement of its final rule to minimize impacts to surface water and groundwater from coal mining, especially because of mountaintop removal. The rule establishes clear requirements for responsible surface coal mining that will protect 6,000 miles of streams and 52,000 acres of forest over the next two decades.

“This rule will help prevent mining practices that pollute streams, destroy drinking water sources, increase flood risk, and threaten forests. The higher standard for water quality is a victory for the health and wellbeing of communities in coal country, who for too long have had to endure the pollution of their water because of mountaintop removal and other harmful mining practices. I have been working for years in Congress to ensure mining companies safely dispose of harmful waste material. I applaud this crucial step to protect human health and the environment from the negative impacts of mining.”

Pallone has long been a leader in protecting our water supply from mining waste and has recently reintroduced H.R. 6411, the Clean Water Protection Act, to prevent industrial mining waste from entering the water supply and harming human and environmental health.

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