Trump OSM issues "cease all work" order on study of mountaintop removal mining's health effects

[highplainsdem]

Source: Charleston WV Gazette-Mail

Here’s the statement just issued by the National Academy of Sciences:

In an August 18 letter, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement informed the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine that it should cease all work on a study of the potential health risks for people living near surface coal mine sites in Central Appalachia. The letter states that the Department has begun an agency-wide review of its grants and cooperative agreements in excess of $100,000, largely as a result of the Department’s changing budget situation.

The National Academies will go forward with previously scheduled meetings for this project in Kentucky on August 21-23 — which are allowed to proceed according to the letter — and encourages the public to attend open meetings in Hazard and Lexington on August 21 and 22. The National Academies believes this is an important study and we stand ready to resume it as soon as the Department of the Interior review is completed. We are grateful to our committee members for their dedication to carrying forward with this study.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln.

Read more: http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/coaltattoo/2017/08/21/trump-osm-issues-cease-all-work-order-on-study-of-mountaintop-removal-minings-health-effects/

[sandensea]

1. Hmm. That Zinke-ing feeling.

Is the coast clear yet?

[IronLionZion]

2. Knowledge is dangerous, better not study things

because studies might find things that some asshole doesn't want them to find.



Of course it's bad for their health! The study was to find out how bad and could help them find ways to make it better. Like doing more to keep coal slurry out of drinking water sources.

[Angry Dragon]

3. So true

[NCjack]

8. All you need to know, God put it in the bible.

[Angry Dragon]

9. and there are so many different Bibles

[NCjack]

10. There's only one good Bible. It's the King James ver. 4 Bible. My preacher told me so.

It took 4 tries, but ver. 4 is the good one.

[Roy Rolling]

18. Same old same old

I totally understand the spiritual scripture argument and the cherry-picking Christians use to defend their sometimes already-formed opinions. Been there, done that, studied world religions.

But pulling out those arguments on unrelated topics seems as out-of-place as a religious nut who declares everything a pre-ordained act of God. People waste good ammunition "firing" at unsuspecting and non-combatant targets like this post.

Funny, but save it for when in counts. We gotta know when to pick our battles. 😖

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. Excellent source. Here's his Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/Kenwardjr

[Mr.Bill]

5. It's all an important part of the Trump

Coal Mine and Chinese slave labor factory economy. Now if only they could eliminate that pesky minimum wage thing, they can really make some money.

I can't wait for the trickle down.

[riversedge]

6. My god. Trump does not care if people die or not.This is truly outragous!! Please call your Senators

[alfredo]

19. Without knowing what toxins are in the runoff, it makes it harder for victims to prove their case.

They would have to pay for the research themselves instead of using EPA reports.

[spiderpig]

7. Is his only source of gratification destroying what others have done?

SMH.

[babylonsister]

11. Jeezus, this is horrid. I am reading

John Grisham's 'Gray Mountain' and, while fiction, it's all too true to life, from the damage done to the workers and environment, to the unscrupulous companies and lawyers who reap the benefits.

Have I mentioned lately I hate this admin?

[BigmanPigman]

12. When will this nightmare be over?

[TrogL]

13. This is so they can pay the secret service for Trump's vacations

[pansypoo53219]

14. the GOP boko haram. knowledge bad if it hurts bisness.

[calimary]

15. Isn't it great that we're seeing this on Solar Eclipse Day?

On a day when you can celebrate the utter magic of science, no less...

[procon]

16. Profits over people, it the Republican motto.

And the same people who voted for Trump because he vowed to bring back outdated coal mining, will be drinking polluted water and wondering why their kids are ill and their whole community has been designated as a cancer cluster.

[MrPurple]

17. And mountaintop removal kills mining jobs, a couple machine operators replace 100's of miners

Because Trump is all about bringing jobs back to the local people, right. Those yokels are so easily conned.