By Bruce Nilles
As everyone talks about the Obama
Administration’s first 100 days, I thought I’d join the conversation
and give a status report on what they’ve done to end the use of coal
and the destructive practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.
The steps taken so far on coal-fired power plants are definitely putting the U.S. on the right track toward clean energy:
The steps taken so far on coal-fired power plants are definitely putting the U.S. on the right track toward clean energy:
EPA Opposes Big Stone II Coal Plant in South Dakota:
On January 23, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overturned
approval of this proposed coal-fired power plant. EPA's decision came
after the state failed to require state-of-the-art pollution controls
for the coal plant - controls that would address harmful soot, smog and
global warming pollution. This decision showed that EPA is back to
enforcing long-standing legal requirements fairly and consistently
nationwide and that they're concerned about pollution and global
warming.
A Major Step Toward Regulating CO2 From Coal Plants:
On February 17, President Obama's EPA took the first step toward
regulating carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. EPA,
under the new leadership of Administrator Lisa Jackson, granted a
petition from the Sierra Club and other groups calling for
reconsideration of a memo issued by former EPA Administrator Stephen
Johnson which sought to prohibit controls on global warming pollution
from coal plants.
EPA Calls Global Warming Pollution a Threat
On
April 17, EPA issued a finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gases represent a significant threat to public health and welfare. EPA
now has both the authority and the obligation to regulate global
warming pollution. After this announcement, to continue supporting
President Obama’s great strides toward a clean energy economy, Sierra
Club announced its new Big Picture
Campaign. The grassroots effort will generate public comments and
support for the numerous administrative findings, rules and regulations
expected over the coming months and years.
Reevaluating New Source Review Rules:
The Obama Administration is signaling clearly this week that it will no
longer be business-as-usual for coal-fired power plants. On April 27, EPA announced that it will review three regulations related to power plant emissions.
The most important part of these three New Source Review rules is the
one saying power plants cannot ignore fine particle/soot anymore. The
Bush Administration rule had allowed new plants to avoid any evaluation
of fine particle/soot impacts.
The Administration is also
continuing the Clinton-era national initiative to stop illegal
pollution from coal–fired power plants. Already it has filed suits
against the Big Cajun 2 coal-fired power plant in Louisiana, and the
Jeffrey Energy Center in Kansas to hold the plants accountable for
operating without modern pollution controls to limit soot and smog,
which can worsen asthma, increase the risk of respiratory illness and
heart attack and even lead to premature death. Both coal plants failed
to upgrade their pollution controls when they upgraded the rest of
their facilities as required under the New Source Review provision of
the Clean Air Act.
While these are positive moves toward clean
energy, they certainly don’t mean coal is out of the picture yet – and
especially not mountaintop removal coal mining.
To be clear, the
Obama Administration has not yet filled leadership positions in key
agencies nor enacted all the rule changes that would end this
destructive practice. But there have been some good steps forward in
the first 100 days:
First Setback for Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining:
On March 24, 2009, EPA exercised its authority under the Clean Water
Act to object to several mountaintop removal coal mining permit
applications, halting these projects until changes are made to minimize
their environmental impacts. In the announcement, EPA Administrator
Lisa Jackson stated that she has “directed the agency to review other
mining permit requests. EPA will use the best science and follow the
letter of the law in ensuring we are protecting our environment.”
If
the Obama Administration continues to use the best science in
evaluating the impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining, then the
days of destruction are numbered.
Stopping a VA Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Operation:
On April 8, EPA requested that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revoke
the permit for A&G Coal’s massive Ison Rock Ridge mountaintop
removal coal mine in Southwest Virginia. By intervening to stop new
devastation, President Obama’s EPA did something that the Bush
Administration failed to do.
Then just this week, the EPA intervened to take over review of a permit for a massive mountaintop removal coal mine in Pike County, Kentucky.
Once again, EPA Administrator Jackson seems to be fulfilling her
promise of using sound science and working to protect the environment.
But
with the explosives and bulldozers standing by, it will take tough
enforcement and more rule changes and legislation to end mountaintop
removal coal mining completely. Although the EPA has said it is
reviewing hundreds of new permits, the agency has stated that the vast
majority of mining permits will likely still be approved.
Serious
steps to end mountaintop removal coal mining would support clean energy
solutions in Appalachia and create good, green jobs in America. Already
close to 2,000 miles of streams have been contaminated or destroyed by
mountaintop removal coal mining, and communities throughout the
Appalachian region suffer daily from contaminated drinking water,
increased flooding, and a decimated landscape. At least another 200
miles of streams could be destroyed if the Obama administration – and
the White House Council on Environmental Quality specifically – does
not act in the next 60 days to end it.
Beyond ending mountaintop
removal coal mining, there are many other steps that must be taken to
switch to clean energy and away from coal. Coal burning only occurs
because of loopholes the industry has at every stage of its lifecycle –
from mining it, to burning it and disposing of its ash.
President
Obama is systematically closing these loopholes and establishing a
level playing field for clean energy, and we look forward to continuing
our work with his administration to end coal power and bring the U.S.
into a clean energy future.
Should the U.S. build more coal-fired power plants? See the Opposing Views debate.