When the Bush Administration proposed gutting the "Stream Buffer Zone Rule", a regulation that has prevented surface mining within 100 feet of our nation's streams for decades, people like you responded in force. More than 75,000 comments were submitted to the Bush Administration, asking that the regulation be left intact. The Bush administration overrode public opinion, however, and gutted the rule anyway, handing a parting gift to Big Coal before it left office.

Not one more stream should be buried or polluted by toxic mountaintop removal waste. Already, nearly 2,000 miles of American headwater streams have been lost in Appalachia due to mountaintop removal coal mining. This year, EPA's own officials testified that we are burying more than 120 miles of streams every single year.

The Stream Buffer Zone Rule, first enacted in 1983, is a 100 foot buffer which would protect streams from surface mining, but which President George W. Bush eliminated during the final hours in office. Now it is up to the Obama Administration to restore this important protection for all coalfield communities and citizens who depend on clean water.

Unfortunately, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement is proposing to wait until 2011 to even begin the process of establishing a new stream buffer zone rule. We can not wait.

Please submit a comment asking OSMRE to replace the rule and enforce the law TODAY!

Now, we urgently need the Obama administration to reverse this rule and protect our nation's streams from being buried by mining waste from mountaintop removal coal mining.

Unfortunately, the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement has proposed waiting until 2011 to begin making changes to the Stream Buffer Zone Rule.

Waiting an entire year is unacceptable, we are losing streams in Appalachia every day. Waiting another year means that many more miles of Appalachian streams, the headwaters of streams that provide the drinking water supplies of many eastern cities, will be forever buried.

The Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement is accepting comments until December 30th on its proposal to delay addressing Stream Buffer Zone Rule changes for another year. Can you take just a moment today, and tell them that waiting a year is unacceptable?

Click here to submit your comments today.

Please let the OSMRE know that we need to end the dumping of mountaintop removal waste into Appalachian streams immediately.

Thank you for taking action.

Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org

PS Please help gather the resources we need for the battles ahead by making a special year end contribution today: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1741/t/6886/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1807