Coal-friendly EPA sues over paperwork

No, EPA is not suing coal companies for burying freshwater streams in Eastern Kentucky; EPA is suing coal companies for failing to file paperwork before burying the streams.

EPA, U R DOOIN IT RONG.

Bill Estep at the Herald:

Mining companies buried sections of streams in Eastern Kentucky without getting proper permits, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The companies should restore the sites or pay for mitigation projects elsewhere, or both, the agency said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Pikeville Wednesday.

The EPA suit also seeks damages that could, in theory, run into the millions of dollars.

Damages that won't, in reality, run into actual money at all.

No, Kentuckians can't look to EPA for protection from Big Coal. Instead, we have to stand up for ourselves, like these Kentuckians arrested in Washington yesterday:

Police arrested more than 20 opponents of mountaintop mining at four U.S. House offices Wednesday, including six people from Kentucky who had pushed to meet with Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers.

Police charged the activists at Rogers' office after they started singing in a waiting room and stayed despite warnings to leave, according to U.S. Capitol Police and others who were there.

About 20 people from Kentucky went to Rogers' office in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday morning in hopes of meeting with him, said Kevin Pentz of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.

Members of the group said they wanted to discuss opposition to mountaintop mining and other issues, such as support for renewable energy and help for displaced miners.

Bill, Bill, Bill - it's not "mountaintop mining." They are not "mining" the "mountaintop." They are blasting the living fuck out of the top of the mountain and shoving it down the slope to bury freshwater streams. That's why we call it "mountaintop removal." Because it removes the mountaintop.

Find out more at I Love Mountains and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.