Federal Court Ruling Protects Appalachian Waters

[theHandpuppet]

Environmental Protection Online
http://eponline.com/articles/2014/07/16/federal-court-ruling-protects-appalachian-waters.aspx
Federal Court Ruling Protects Appalachian Waters
Jul 16, 2014

In order to protect Appalachia from mining pollution, a federal court ruling has agreed with the EPA policies currently in place. The EPA policies were based on recent scientific studies showing that pollution from mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia can degrade water quality in violation of federal Clean Water Act standards.

One of those studies found that nine out of every 10 streams downstream from mountaintop removal mining were impaired. Another study found elevated levels of highly toxic selenium in streams downstream from mountaintop removal mining sites.

“This is an important step in protecting our mountain streams from the toxic discharge from mountain top removal operations and in protecting the Appalachian people from further health impacts from this destructive practice,” said Jane Branham of Virginia-based Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards. “We are so relieved by this court decision because historically, our state regulatory agencies have failed to enforce existing laws. We have needed this stronger oversight by the EPA to ensure that states protect Appalachian communities.”

The coalition was represented by Earthjustice and Appalachian Mountain Advocates. The groups included seven conservation and social justice groups — Coal River Mountain Watch (WV), Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Kentuckians For The Commonwealth, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards (VA), Sierra Club, and Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (TN).

[littlemissmartypants]

1. Excellent. nt

[theHandpuppet]

2. This is an older article but with very important stats

http://www.desmogblog.com/mountaintop-removal-mining-directly-linked-60-000-cancer-cases-appalachia
Wed, 2011-07-27
Mountaintop Removal Mining Directly Linked To 60,000 Cancer Cases In Appalachia

(excerpt)
According to the new study: “The odds for reporting cancer were twice as high in the mountaintop mining environment compared to the non mining environment in ways not explained by age, sex, smoking, occupational exposure, or family cancer history.” The study found:

Surface water and ground water around MTM activity are characterized by elevated sulfates, iron, manganese, arsenic, selenium, hydrogen sulfide, lead, magnesium, calcium and aluminum; contaminates severely damage local aquatic stream life and can persist for decades after mining at a particular site ceases. In addition, elevated levels of airborne particulate matter around surface mining operations include ammonium nitrate, silica, sulfur compounds, metals, benzene, carbon monoxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and nitrogen dioxide.

Citing extremely high levels of uterine and ovarian, skin, urinary, bone, brain, and others forms of cancers, the study additionally noted:

Arsenic, for example, is an impurity present in coal that is implicated in many forms of cancer including that of skin, bladder and kidney. Cadmium is linked to renal cancer. Diesel engines are widely used at mining sites, and diesel fuel is used for surface mining explosives, coal transportation and coal processing; diesel exhaust has been identified as a major environmental contributor to cancer risk.... MORE