*Correction to attached letter: The comments made by Interior Department Deputy Secretary David Hayes occurred on March 8, 2011.

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Rand Paul (R-KY) recently requested the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hold an oversight hearing to investigate the Office of Surface Mining’s proposed stream protection regulations for coal operations. 

In a bi-partisan letter to Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), the senators point to the Administration’s draft economic analysis that estimates their proposed Stream Protection Rule would eliminate thousands of coal mining jobs.  The Administration, “unhappy” with the results of this analysis, is now pushing for a new analysis.  The senators requested the hearing to examine substance, the Administration’s process and the economic impact of the proposed regulations. 

“Courts, Governors and State regulators have rejected the Administration’s rush to implement these job-crushing regulations,” said Barrasso.  “Instead of slowing down, it appears that this Administration is more focused on searching for data that supports their agenda.  No matter how hard they try, they can’t cover up the fact that Obama’s red tape regulations will eliminate coal jobs across the country.  We will continue to hold this Administration accountable for its campaign against coal jobs in America.”

“With the prospect of tens of thousands of jobs on the line, the OSM must get their numbers right,” said Manchin.  “The truth is, I am deeply concerned about their process, and their failure to take into account our fragile economy. At a minimum, we must be able to ask questions in an open and transparent forum so that valid concerns about the OSM’s procedures regarding stream buffer rule can be addressed. The bottom line is that federal agencies should not go around Congress to regulate what has not been legislated - especially when it puts at risk so many American jobs.”   

“The administration’s vendetta against the coal industry must stop,” said Paul.  “Their call for a ‘second opinion’ on their own analysis exemplifies they are not serious about saving jobs in coal states like Kentucky.”

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