Rahall told The Logan Banner that hundreds of jobs in Lincoln County were to be saved on Tuesday when the Environmental Protection Agency approved a Patriot Coal surface mine permit.
"I just wanted to make sure you guys that the permit was approved for Hobet number 45, permit 21, " Congressman Rahall said Monday evening. "Its got 500 jobs involved and is owned by Patriot Mining. They have been in negotiations with the EPA and the UMWA for several months. I was called on New Year's eve and notified that the EPA will sign off on the permit Monday which means it's approved."
Rahall said he felt glad and relieved to hear the news.
"I think this shows progress in our permitting process and I am just very happy we could save these 500 jobs at Hobet's operations," he said. "I was on a conference call with Art Kirkendoll about healthcare and I had spoken to him about the permit. I am just very happy"
Rahall said the good news is followed by a setback, however.
"Which is no surprise, we know they will revoke the Spruce permit," he explained. "And that is not good news and I am highly upset with that revocation. But that was in a different category. Hobet was one of 23 mines held up for review in West Virginia and Arch has been going through the courts for about a decade now. But negotiations are ongoing (for Spruce) and I am still hopeful. I don't think the door is shut completely. If there are some further negotiations parts of that might still be saved."
Rahall said the permit process goes on and he hopes some more solid guidelines will come down so that miners and operators know where they stand.
"We want clarity and we want certainty in the whole process so the coal industry and the coal miners know what to expect," he explained. "We have to end this ping-pong litigation in the courts which has gone on far too long. We all share a goal of wanting to end all that. There are new people at the EPA and there are new processes they have to learn and they are in the process of getting their act together."
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