Water Issues
NMA has challenged the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) obstruction of coal mining permitting using proposed changes to the Clean Water Act and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act.
The Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has proposed a "stream protection rule" that represents a sweeping change to surface mining regulations under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) program.
The definition of "fill material" - material that is legally authorized for perminent placement in carefully engineered earth and rock structures designed to hold excess earth and native material in rugged, steep terrain - needs to include mining overburden from coal mining activities. These valley fills are carefully constructed and have a long history of successful environmental compliance with strict state and federal laws and regulations. They are the only viable option for the disposition of large volumes of material from road building, construction and mining. They create accessible flat land above the flood plain-a rarity in Appalachia-and provide needed jobs, transportation and a reliable energy source to the entire region.