Alan Lowenthal: “In closing, I would like to read a few lines from a letter that was sent from a coalition of 35 national and local…”

“In closing, I would like to read a few lines from a letter that was sent from a coalition of 35 national and local groups which are strongly opposed to this bill. They write: ``The proposed stream protection rule is essential to protect the waters in mining regions and to ensure that communities will have viable economies after the resource is extracted and mining ceases.'' They go on to point out that mountaintop removal mining is ``responsible for the destruction of over 500 mountains and approximately 2,000 miles of stream channels across central Appalachia. This form of coal mining devastates both the thriving natural ecosystems of the Appalachian Mountains as well as entire communities of residents who have lived on their homesteads for generations.'' They conclude: ``Please oppose the STREAM Act, and allow the proposed stream protection rule to proceed without congressional interference so that communities living in the shadows of mining sites can have safe water resources.'' I also have a letter of opposition from the United Auto Workers and eight other organizations, which state: ``This bill would put costly and unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles into the already overburdened regulatory process with the sole intent of ensuring that coal companies can continue to destroy streams and coal wastes.…”