Spruce 1 is a proposed coal strip-mining operation approximately two miles northeast of
Blair
Blair is an English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or "field", frequently a “ba ...
in
Logan County, West Virginia, in the
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
. First proposed in 1997 by
Arch Coal Inc. of St. Louis, the operation was first to cover , then reduced to 2,278. The permitting process was closely monitored by environmental groups and the mining industry alike with regard to the
Obama administration
Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...
's future mining policy.
In 2005, the
began reviewing the permit application by Hobet Mining, Inc. to construct the mine. The Corps of Engineers issued a permit for it on January 31, 2007, but legal action delayed construction of the mine, and the
Environmental Protection Agency
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
(EPA) considered revoking the permit.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
member
Nick Rahall, a Democrat from
West Virginia's 3rd congressional district, claimed in a speech preceding a May 2010 public EPA hearing that the EPA's actions would cost West Virginia jobs. At that hearing, testimony came mostly from people supporting the local coal industry.
Shawn M. Garvin, Mid-Atlantic regional administration of the EPA, issued a recommendation in October 2010 against constructing Spruce 1 because the mine "would likely have unacceptable adverse effects on wildlife." The EPA revoked the permit on January 13, 2011.
On March 23, 2012, federal judge
Amy Berman Jackson
Amy Sauber Berman Jackson (born July 22, 1954) is an American attorney and jurist serving as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
Early life and education
Amy Berman was born on July 22 ...
overturned the decision by the EPA that revoked a permit for the Spruce 1 mine project. In her ruling, Jackson stated that the EPA did not have power under the
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
to rescind the permit. That ruling was overturned by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in April 2013, and on September 30, 2014, Berman Jackson ruled in the EPA's favor, allowing its veto of the permit to stand.
References
External links
EPA page about Spruce 1Full text of ''Mingo Logan v. EPA'' court decision
{{coord, 38, 52, 39, N, 81, 47, 52, W, type:landmark_region:US-WV, display=title
Coal mines in the United States
Appalachian Mountains
Logan County, West Virginia