The Green Scene

Source: AP

The Interior Department said Wednesday it will more closely monitor and review state-approved permits for mountaintop coal mining and also tighten the federal permitting process to better protect streams from mining waste. The department said its actions are designed to serve as interim steps until a new federal regulation on mountaintop mining can be completed that will impose tighter restrictions on dumping the huge amount of generated fill dirt and waste near and in steam beds. While America's vast coal reserves are a vital part of the country's energy mix, "we have a responsibility to ensure that development is done in a way that protects public health and safety and the environment," said Assistant Interior Secretary Wilma Lewis in a statement outlining the new actions.