All News Releases By Date

EPA Statement on Mining Permit Applications

Release Date: 03/24/2009
Contact Information: Adora Andy, 202-564-2715 / [email protected]

Following reports that mischaracterize actions taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), agency press secretary Adora Andy today issued a statement regarding mining permit applications:

The Environmental Protection Agency is not halting, holding or placing a moratorium on any of the mining permit applications. Plain and simple. EPA has issued comments on two pending permit applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing serious concerns about the need to reduce the potential harmful impacts on water quality. EPA will take a close look at other permits that have been held back because of the 4th Circuit litigation. We fully anticipate that the bulk of these pending permit applications will not raise environmental concerns. In cases where a permit does raise environmental concerns, we will work expeditiously with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine how these concerns can be addressed. EPA’s submission of comments to the Corps on draft permits is a well-established procedure under the Clean Water Act to assure that environmental considerations are addressed in the permitting process.