September, 11 2009, 02:28pm EDT
Statement on EPA's Decision on Mountaintop Removal Permits
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will hold dozens
of mountaintop removal permits for further review. Following is a
statement by Michael Brune, Executive Director of Rainforest Action
Network (RAN):
"Today was a moment of truth for the EPA. By
recognizing the irreversible destruction caused by mountaintop removal
coal mining, the EPA has taken an important stand in support of the
people and ecosystems of Appalachia. The agency seems to recognize that
there is no environmentally safe way to demolish mountains.
SAN FRANCISCO
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it will hold dozens
of mountaintop removal permits for further review. Following is a
statement by Michael Brune, Executive Director of Rainforest Action
Network (RAN):
"Today was a moment of truth for the EPA. By
recognizing the irreversible destruction caused by mountaintop removal
coal mining, the EPA has taken an important stand in support of the
people and ecosystems of Appalachia. The agency seems to recognize that
there is no environmentally safe way to demolish mountains.
"Hopefully
the Administration sees that the risks to health and environment from
blowing up mountains are not worth the 7% of coal we get from
mountaintop removal mining.
"While the EPA took an important
step today by holding dozens of mountaintop mining permits, this is
only a temporary step. Congress has the power to stop this tragic
practice by a swift passage of the Appalachian Restoration Act.
Otherwise, Congress risks being complicit in sacrificing hundreds of
miles of streams, 60,000 acres of diverse hardwood forests and the
health of Appalachian communities."
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is headquartered in San Francisco, California with offices staff in Tokyo, Japan, and Edmonton, Canada, plus thousands of volunteer scientists, teachers, parents, students and other concerned citizens around the world. We believe that a sustainable world can be created in our lifetime and that aggressive action must be taken immediately to leave a safe and secure world for our children.
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