Photo by Vivian Stockman

The federal Army Corps of Engineers has announced plans  for a series of six public hearings on the Obama administration’s proposal to abandoned the streamlined permitting process the Corps has for years used to authorize mountaintop removal valley fills.

Hearings will be held in  West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio, starting with one on Oct. 13 here in Charleston, W.Va.

Obama administration officials have painted this proposal — eliminating the use of Clean Water Act Nationwide Permit 21 for coal mining — as a key part of their plan to limit the environmental impacts from mountaintop removal. But as I’ve explained before, a federal judge has already ordered the Corps to abandoned these streamlined permit reviews, at least here in Southern West Virginia — the area where most of the large mountaintop removal operations are located.

It’s also important to note that the Corps has said it will continue to process streamlined permit applications — at least where they are not prohibited from doing so by a court order — while it accepts public comment and moves to finalize its regulatory changes.

In any event, here’s the schedule for the public hearings:

·         West Virginia: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Charleston, W.Va. at the Charleston Civic Center, Little Theatre. Hosted by the Huntington District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.

·         Kentucky: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Pikeville, Ky. at the East Kentucky Expo Center. Hosted by the Louisville District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.

·         Tennessee: A public hearing will be held Oct. 13, 2009, in Knoxville, Tenn. Hosted by the Nashville District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.

·         Pennsylvania: A public hearing will be held Oct. 15, 2009, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Hosted by the Pittsburgh District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.

·         Ohio: A public hearing will be Oct. 15, 2009, in Cambridge, Ohio at the Pritchard Laughlin Civic Center. Hosted by the Huntington District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.

·         Virginia: A public hearing will be held Oct. 15, 2009, in Big Stone Gap, Va. at Mountain Empire Community College. Hosted by the Norfolk District, the public hearing will start at 7:00 p.m. Click here for additional information on this public hearing.