EPA Cancels Permit for West Virginia Coal Mine

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has revoked the permit for one of the nation’s largest mountaintop removal coal mines. On Thursday, the EPA said Arch Coal’s proposed Spruce No. 1 Mine in West Virginia would "use destructive and unsustainable practices that jeopardize the health of Appalachian communities and the clean water on which they depend." It’s the first time in the last 40 years the EPA has revoked a coal mine permit under the Clean Water Act. The Spruce No. 1 Mine has been the subject of controversy and litigation for over a decade.

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