OSMRE update: Senate has hold on Pizarchik
My sources in Washington are confirming this morning that at least one member of the U.S. Senate has a hold on President Obama’s nomination of Joe Pizarchik to be director of the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
It’s not clear which Senator has done so, or exactly what the concerns are.
Last week, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources approved Pizarchik’s nomination, moving it to the full Senate for a vote. But two committee members — Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont — voted against Pizarchik.
Coalfield citizen groups have raised a variety of concerns about Pizarchik and have opposed his confirmation. See previous posts here, here, here, here and here.
Updated:
Kendra Barkoff, press secretary for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, just issued this statement:
Secretary Salazar believes Joe Pizarchik is the right man at the right time to be the Director of the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation. Joe’s experience and expertise proves that he will help move the department forward with coal production in an environmentally responsible way. Secretary Salazar is willing to the address the concerns that any Senator might have regarding Joe’s qualifications for the office.
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NWP #21 and other nationwide permits are essential to the mining industry. The mining industry must comply with 23 different environmental laws and regulations. Permitting of new or expanded operations is taking years to obtain the necessary permits. With more than 250 coal permits backlogged at the COE, some for two years or longer, the Corp proposes to eliminate one regulatory tool explicitly designed to avoid regulatory duplication and unnecessary delays. The Corp has failed to provide a plan for how the agency will handle the increased regulatory burden. The COE is simply not prepared to handle the increased workload that will result should NWP #21 be abandoned. The COE has provided no scientific or environmental justification for eliminating the use of NWP #21. Further, the COE has provided no evidence of environmental damage or other public interest reason for eliminating the use of this permit, therefore, it appears the decision is driven by politics and not based on any concern with environmental protection. These type of decisions have an impact. The KY Coal industry employs over 17,000 miners and generates over 50,000 jobs in other areas of support. Ky exports 73% of its coal, bringing in over $3.5 Billion dollars into KY. Around 85 cents on each dollar stays here - wages, benefits, operating expenses, royalties, and taxes. The KY Coal Industry paid over $270.0 Million in severance taxes in 2008 in addition to the normal business taxes paid by all KY companies. The total revenue generated by the KY Coal Industry in 2007 was $4.9 Billion dollars. Almost 95 percent of the electric power in Kentucky is coal-fire generated. Kentucky’s electric power costs, in the industrial sector, ranked the lowest in the nation for the fourth consecutive year. Kentucky’s industrial power costs are over 15% lower than any other state east of the Mississippi River and over a third lower than the U.S. average. As a result of these low cost electric rates KY is the 4th largest automaker, 3rd largest Aluminum producer, and the 3rd largest Stainless Steel Producer in the US. Coal drives KY’s Economic Engine. The Obama Administration promised the American Public to make decisions based on Science. These type of decisions to consider elimination of NWP #21 are not science based they are decisions being made to change our energy policy and make us more dependent on Foreign Energy sources and their leaders. The decisions being made today cannot be made lightly these decisions will determine how and where our children and grandchildren live and what future battlefields they will fight and die on. Surface coal mining our past, present and will continue to be our future.
Leon having an alternative plan is a great point. But the notion that there are no scientific data to justify additional scrutiny with the respect to the Clean Water Act is just not true. If scientific information is what matters then the evidence is clear that surface mining has unprecedented impacts on stream hydrology, chemistry and biology. Recent peer-reviewed public research demonstrating immense ecological effects of MTR on stream macroinvertebrate communities is enough, standing alone, to merit a more intense review of surface mining. I just don’t understand how coal company PR can continue to trumpet “this is political” when the scientific evidence is so clear.
Leon,
Twenty-three? I probably have to comply with 23 different laws and regulations just riding my bike to work.
You are misinformed about the nationwide permits. These permits were not intended to expedite the permitting of major surface mining operations. To the (extreme) degree that has happened, it has been a violation of the Clean Water Act, and, I’d add, a violation of trust between Americans and our government.
As Ken has quoted from the Clean Water Act, nationwide permits are for “minor activities that are usually not controversial” and that would have only “minimal cumulative adverse effects on the environment.” Neither is true of MTR operations. A federal court has agreed. Keep in mind, use of nationwide permits for MTR operations is now illegal, at least in W Virginia, regardless of what the Obama Administration does.
I expect a more rigorous and thorough permitting process for these enormous projects in any case. As a proponent of coal, I would expect that you, too, would demand the best practices of your industry.
The US currently is a net exporter of coal. Why would any advanced economy destroy significant swaths of its natural heritage to generate a low-value export? It is very likely that wind and natural gas will continue to eat away at coal’s market share. There are huge gains to be made in efficiency, those gains can probably account for future demand.
There have been recent studies showing that coal mining represents a net cost to Kentucky, not a net gain. In other words, the Kentucky economy would be healthier without coal mining. You can probably find a post about that study here on Coal Tattoo and make your own mind up about it.
I agree with you that manufacturing is an issue, but I think you can also argue that electricity in states like KY is priced so low to actually discourage its efficient use. There may be a way to design a rate structure that makes sense for manufacturing.
[…] Blogs @ The Charleston Gazette - » OSMRE update: Senate has hold on Pizarchik blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2009/10/16/osmre-update-senate-has-hold-on-pizarchik – view page – cached My sources in Washington are confirming this morning that at least one member of the U.S. Senate has a hold on President Obama’s nomination of Joe Pizarchik to be director of the Interior… (Read more)My sources in Washington are confirming this morning that at least one member of the U.S. Senate has a hold on President Obama’s nomination of Joe Pizarchik to be director of the Interior Department’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. (Read less) — From the page […]
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