Trump repeals coal mining regulations, signs legislation

If you missed the presser yesterday, you really missed some great theatre.  A little reported action done right after his presser. This was another IED the Obama administration implanted in December as he was going out the door. It essentially closed down coal mining in Appalachia. This is why Trump won. Five seconds of Clinton: “We’re Going To Put A Lot Of Coal Miners And Coal Companies Out Of Business”

President Trump on Thursday signed legislation ending a key Obama administration coal mining rule.

The bill quashes the Office of Surface Mining’s Stream Protection Rule, a regulation to protect waterways from coal mining waste that officials finalized in December.

The legislation is the second Trump has signed into law ending an Obama-era environmental regulation. On Tuesday, he signed a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution undoing a financial disclosure requirement for energy companies.

Both the mining and financial disclosure bills are the tip of a GOP push to undo a slate of regulations instituted in the closing days of the Obama administration. The House has passed several CRA resolutions, and the Senate has so far sent three of them to President Trump for his signature. More at The Hill

Republicans argued the stream rule is duplicative and would force more coal mines to close, forcing more miners out of work. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota supported the rule’s repeal.

The Obama administration finalized the stream rule in December 2016. Democrats and environmentalists support the rule because it restricts the amount of mining that can happen in Appalachia.

Read more: Daily Caller

Filed under: Energy, Green Tagged: coal, EPA, Mining