This news story originally provided by The Daily Mail

August 23, 2005

Activists complain about agency

Environmentalists say their concerns are not taken seriously

From staff, wire reports

Some environmental activists are concerned that their opposition to changes in a federal mining regulation are not being seriously considered by the U.S. Department of the Interior as it seeks input in a series of public meetings.An existing federal rule that requires a 100-foot buffer zone around streams in areas where strip mining is conducted should remain in place or be expanded, several attendees said Monday in Knoxville, Tenn., during the first of four meetings planned this week in Eastern coal-mining areas.

Another public meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Embassy Suites in Charleston and it is already drawing fire.

Vivian Stockman, project coordinator of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, said citizens affected by mountaintop removal mining will hold a press conference at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Washington Street entrance to Embassy Suites to denounce the meeting process and the proposed stream buffer zone rule change.

"Grassroots groups across the coalfields are disgusted by the process" the U.S. Office of Surface Mining is using at the meetings, Stockman said in a prepared statement.

"OSM says it will not record transcripts of the meetings, nor will it allow the participants to hear what everyone has to say as the audience will be broken up into small groups," Stockman said.

Ann League, a board member of Save Our Cumberland Mountains, said in a written statement following the Knoxville meeting, "We want to be able to stand up and make comments to (officials), not sit around and chit-chat with each other.''The Office of Surface Mining proposed easing the federal buffer zone rule in January 2004, saying current policy is impossible to comply with during mountaintop removal mining.

The current rule says mining cannot disturb land within 100 feet of a stream unless a company can prove it will not affect the water's quality and quantity.

The proposed change would require coal operators to minimize only "to the extent possible'' any damage to streams, fish and wildlife by "using the best technology currently available.''

The meetings seek comment on how officials should conduct the environmental impact statement for the proposed change, according to OSM officials.

But about 50 people who attended the Knoxville meeting complained about its format, saying that holding informal group discussions was a way of suppressing their opposition to the rule change.

Federal officials said Monday's session was not technically a public hearing."This is a meeting, it's not a hearing,'' said David Hartos, a physical scientist for the OSM. "We invited folks to come in and tell us what their issues are. ... We want to interact. We're here to improve. We're not trying to suppress any speech or anything like that.''