Kentucky’s attorney general is opposing a federal effort to reinstate a system that allows citizens to report hazards related to coal mining directly to regulators.
Liam Niemeyer reports for the Kentucky Lantern.
In short:
- The Biden administration aims to restore a rule allowing federal regulators to act on citizen complaints about coal mining hazards within 10 days.
- Kentucky’s attorney general is challenging the rule, arguing it burdens state regulators and complicates collaboration with federal agencies.
- Environmental advocates support the rule, saying it helps address state inaction on coal-related environmental violations.
Key quote:
Arguments against the Biden administration’s revamped system are “just a thinly veiled way of saying that the feds should let us do whatever we want.”
— Willie Dodson, the coal impacts program coordinator for Appalachian Voices
Why this matters:
The reinstated rule could improve oversight of coal mining hazards, protecting communities from environmental and safety risks. The outcome of this legal battle could set a precedent for state-federal regulatory power dynamics in environmental protection.
