Republicans in the House are hoping to derail some of the Obama administration’s initiatives regarding the coal industry by attaching “riders” to a government funding bill that is being debated this week on the House floor.

One proposed amendment by Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., would block EPA from using any funds it receives to regulate coal ash as a hazardous waste.

Another, by Rep. Morgan Griffin, R-Va.,  would prohibit EPA from using its budget to perform tougher reviews of mountaintop removal Clean Water Act permits or enforcing new water quality guidance for those permits.

A third, by Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., would keep EPA from using any funds to veto Clean Water Act permits, as it did the Spruce Mine here in West Virginia.

There may be more riders coming, but these are the ones I’ve seen so far … stay tuned.