WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump said he’d do it, and he did.
He signed a bill Thursday to kill a rule imposed by President Barack Obama that would have stopped coal mines from dumping waste in streams. While environmentalists and some residents in Appalachian communities said this was long needed, coal mine owners said the rule was onerous and would even ban dumping in dry streams 1,000 feet below the surface.
The bill Trump signed
And little more than a mile away, the U.S. Senate voted to move forward with the confirmation of Trump’s pick to run the Environmental protection Agency, Scott Pruitt. As attorney general for Oklahoma, Pruitt led 13 lawsuits fighting Obama’s environmental rules. Pruitt once called climate change a hoax but has moderated his views, saying he is not sure how much of it is caused by human activity.
Pruitt still needs a final vote but it appears he’ll get it Friday — unless senators become persuaded to wait because of a court order issued in Oklahoma Thursday telling Pruitt to turn over thousands of emails he exchanged with mining and drilling companies. He has until Tuesday to do so.
Said environmentalists: What an awful day, except for the email news.
Said mining and fossil fuel interests: Hallelujah.
Here’s a sampling, starting with the fossil fuel industry and it backers:
#FLASHBACK @realDonaldTrump kept his campaign promise to Coal Miners today removing restrictions on mining creating thousands of jobs! [?] [?] [?] [?] [?] pic.twitter.com/EQN2IMA9QF
— Family for Trump (@TheresaMechele) February 16, 2017
“President Trump has followed through on his promise to repeal this illegal and job-killing Stream Protection Rule, which was the single greatest threat to the jobs and family livelihoods of our employees that I have seen in my 60 years of coal mining experience.” — Robert E. Murray, chairman and president of Murray Energy Corp., a major Ohio-based coal mining operation.
At the White House today as President Trump signed my resolution to protect coal jobs + #coal families: @potus #jobs https://t.co/Wc2KhoFUUJ pic.twitter.com/wrFFgXOKSb
— Bill Johnson (@RepBillJohnson) February 16, 2017
“Coal families in Ohio and across the nation can rest easier knowing that the job killing Stream Protection Rule has officially become part of history. This rule devised by radical environmentalist bureaucrats was never about the environment and was always about carrying out the Obama Administration’s nonsensical war on coal.” — Christian Palich, president Ohio Coal Association.
SIGNING THE UNDOING OF COAL MINING REGULATION. Grown Men Almost in Tears. “THANK YOU MR.PRESIDENT” He Told Him,”Go Back To Work”#MAGA pic.twitter.com/CqdFpgAEes
— Pamela (@Pamela836) February 16, 2017
“By eliminating this rule I am continuing to keep my promise to get rid of wasteful regulations that do nothing, absolutely nothing, but slow down the economy, hamstring companies, push jobs to other countries, which is happening all over, although I must say we’ve stopped it. You’ve seen all the factories, all the plants, they’re moving back, they’re going back to a lot of places. So you know that right, fellas? They’re moving back fast — Ford, General Motors, Fiat, so many, very happy. Compliance costs for this rule would be over $50 million a year for the coal industry alone, it’s unnecessary.” – President Donald Trump.
Privilege to join at the White House today as a bill I helped introduce to undo the harmful Stream Protection Rule got signed into law pic.twitter.com/IfURnFgs1A
— Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (@SenatorHeitkamp) February 16, 2017
“President Trump we thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Everything you’re doing for our industry is very much needed. I’ve been in this industry for 40 years and this is a very exciting time in our industry.” — Michael Nelson of West Virginia, general superintendent of the Marion County Coal Company, at the White House signing ceremony.
Meantime, on the side of the environmentalists:
Bad news for our streams: Today Trump signed a resolution that lets coal companies dump mining waste into waterways https://t.co/oBqTcRkt2a pic.twitter.com/F6S2WjFwwf
— Wilderness Society (@Wilderness) February 16, 2017
“The pen of President Trump strikes again — this time depriving people of commonsense protections for our drinking water from toxic coal mining waste, forever. When president Trump put his signature on this extreme law, he handed Big Polluters a free pass to dump their dangerous pollution into our drinking water.” — Gene Karpinksi, president, League of Conservation Voters.
BREAKING: With a signature Trump just eviscerated the Stream Protection Rule, which protects drinking water sources. https://t.co/cKNCqP8jWK pic.twitter.com/9W8HBH8Qdc
— Earthjustice (@Earthjustice) February 16, 2017
“Trump didn’t try to combat poverty, lower the cost of healthcare, or ensure better opportunities for our families with his first actions as President. Instead, he destroyed science-based clean water protections that would have stopped coal companies from dumping unlimited toxic waste into waterways used for fishing, drinking water, and agriculture. — Dalal Aboulhosn, Sierra Club deputy legislative director.
“At risk of being dramatic. Scott Pruitt at EPA is existential threat to planet” @sensanders @SenatorLeahy pic.twitter.com/l0stkmRcvT
— Amy Crawford (@crawdexter) February 16, 2017
“This frees Big Coal to bury pristine streams beneath toxic waste, pollute drinking water sources, kill fish and wildlife and scar the land. Our mountain communities will pay the price.” — Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
If Scott Pruitt is confirmed to the EPA, we may be sent back to the 70’s. That’s not nearly as cool as it sounds. https://t.co/qzDiDiH8uq pic.twitter.com/IkrQ40sZnq
— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) February 16, 2017
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