By Sarah Plummer
Register-Herald Reporter
BECKLEY —
The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) met with area senators, delegates and representatives from the Beckley-Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Monday to raise awareness of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new water quality requirements.
The EPA guidance was issued April 1 and relies on electric conductivity to indicated water purity. Under the new law, water must read between 300-500 microSiemens or the agency will deny a Clean Water Act permit. These permits are needed for coal mining and mine land reclamation.
Ben Faulkner, a biologist from Princeton with experience working with the coal industry, explains that the new guidelines measure “the ability of water to conduct electricity.” The more minerals and material in water, he said, the more electricity it will conduct. Faulkner went on to say that any time ground and soil are disturbed, rain will erode and wash material into streams and creeks, raising their electric conductivity. He also stressed that water should contain natural material, and that fish cannot live in distilled or filtered water and therefore the EPA guideline “is just an inappropriate measure of water quality.”
FACES maintains that these water quality standards cannot be met in coal mining areas and it has already negatively effected area coal production.
Both Sen. Mike Green, D-Raleigh, and Sen. Richard Browning, D-Wyoming, expressed concern for what a decline in coal production might do to the economy of West Virginia.
Green stated that this new guideline has “usurped the sovereignty of our state commission.” He is concerned that without using the Army Corps of Engineers or state officials, the EPA “is not concerned with the economic impact of their actions.” In closing, Green assured “I will continue to be a strong voice for the coal industry in West Virginia.”
FACES estimates coal wages earned in southern West Virginia to be over $350 million annually. “If we take out that per capita income,” said Charlie Houck, representing the Beckley-Raleigh County Chamber of Commerce, “we will suffer.”
Sen. Browning noted that 51 percent of our national energy comes from coal. Browning said that research is actively being conducted in the state to further Clean Coal Technology. “We can cure the carbon problem with technology if given time,” he said.
Several speakers wished to point out some local benefits of coal. Houck reminded those present that the YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex was built on reclaimed mine lands and funded through the efforts of the coal companies. Sen. Browning also noted that the Hatfield-McCoy Trail rests on land privately owned by coal companies.
Woody Duba, general manager of Beaver Coal Co., continued to delineate ways that the coal industry brings tourism into the area, mentioning Burning Rock Trails and the Exhibition Coal Mine.
He said that coal “creates new industries to help the people of West Virginia” and he feels recent EPA regulations represent a “strong assault on coal.”
Brian Brown, WV coordinator of FACES asked for citizens to help make sure “Washington hears us loud and clear.”
The public can submit comments to the EPA on the new permit regulations at http://www.regulations.gov/search?Regs/home.html#submitComment?R=0900006480af926f
More information on FACES of Coal can be found at www.facesofcoal.org
