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States ask court to block latest rule in Obama’s regulatory arsenal

The #Obama administration’s “war on coal” rages on with its latest salvo that forbids coal mines from setting off-site debris near streams or rivers. Called the Stream Protection Rule (SPR), it is so expansive that 13 states have asked a federal court to block its implementation.

Concocted by the Office of Surface Mining (OSM), the SPR would essentially end coal mining in the U.S. They filed their brief on Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

The SPR also forces the testing and monitoring of thousands of miles of streams near coal mines. The attorneys general filing the petition said the rule is a direct violation of the Surface Mining and Reclamation Act, which only allows states to regulate coal mines and not the federal government.

Despite existing rules already in place, this new one was based on computer models, with OSM staff never having visited a single coal mine.

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