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Contact congressman

On Feb. 1, Congress, including local Congressman Thomas Marino, voted to allow surface coal mining operations to dump mine waste into streams by lifting the stream protection rule. This action by Congressman Marino harms his constituents. Government documents reveal that Lycoming County sold 12,034 fishing licenses last year and had 70 coal mining jobs; the Congressman’s vote injures both groups.

There were 33 coal mining jobs in Lycoming County in 2013, before the Courts rejected a 2008 Bush Administration rule that allowed mine waste to be dumped into streams.

Last year there were 70 employed in coal mining in the County without the Bush policy in place. Local jobs in coal doubled, during a time when production somewhat declined, supporting the argument that environmental regulations protect the environment and create jobs.

The Obama administration sought to clarify mining regulations in the aftermath of the Court action and issued new stream protection rules requiring surface mining operators to: test ground water before blasting; restore the environment afterwards; and not dump mine waste into streams. Congressman Marino’s vote rolled back those protections.

The abandonment of Obama era regulations may eliminate the recently added jobs in the local coal industry, and it will injure local fishermen since dead fish don’t bite, and toxic fish can’t be eaten safely.

The single local coal operation is a lesser danger to the local waters than the many operations farther up the West Branch of the Susquehanna.

It is far more expensive to clean streams after they have been polluted than it is to prevent pollution.

As a result, this vote by Congressman Marino effectively subsidizes mining corporations at taxpayer expense, and taxpayers will foot the bill for future cleanups because dumping waste into streams is now legal. Moreover, allowing coal companies to disregard environmental regulations enables producers of coal, a sparse local resource, to artificially reduce the price advantage that abundant local natural gas has in regard to coal, which is the real reason coal is dying.

County taxpayers, local coal miners, gas industry workers, the twelve thousand County residents who fish, as well as anyone who drinks water, may want to contact “Toxic Tom,” and ask him to think about his constituents rather than mining company profits when he votes to allow the pollution of our waters.

Richard Morris

Williamsport

Submitted by Virtual Newsroom

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