WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Mining Association (NMA)’s Count on Coal coalition today announced the launch of its Congressional Scorecard for the 115th Congress, tracking key votes on coal-related issues. One “key” vote expected in the coming weeks will be a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to void the Stream Rule finalized by the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement (OSM) in the waning days of the Obama administration.
“Swift and decisive action on the Stream Rule is required to restore balance, save high-wage jobs and protect an energy source integral to our nation’s success,” said Hal Quinn, NMA President and CEO. “The combination of unnecessary government overreach, regulatory duplication and harm done through this rule meets every test for CRA action and for a key vote to kick off our scorecard for the 115th Congress.”
Count on Coal ‘s scorecard was developed to ensure vital coal industry priorities remain at the top of members’ priority lists and are translated into action that provides coal communities with urgent relief from further economic harm.
The scorecard kicks off with the planned vote, by a simple majority in the House of Representatives, for a resolution of disapproval to void the Stream Rule that threatens fully one-third of the coal industry’s workforce, pointlessly duplicates existing regulatory authorities of other federal and state agencies and achieves no environmental benefits. Impact analysis conducted at actual mining operations suggest that by neutralizing more than half of the nation’s coal supply, the Stream Rule carries destructive implications throughout the broader economy, raising input costs and joblessness in manufacturing and harming the living standards of households and small businesses reliant on affordable electricity.
NMA’s Count on Coal will include the vote on final passage of a resolution disapproving the Stream Rule in its Congressional Scorecard for the 115th Congress.
On December 20, 2016, the OSM finalized the Stream Rule—a midnight regulation that has little to do with streams, less to do with environmental protection and everything to do with empowering the federal government at the expense of the states and coal miners’ jobs.
OSM’s own annual reports confirm that under existing rules mines are being successfully reclaimed with virtually no off-site impacts.