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EPA regulations on power plant emissions could devastate Western Maryland coal mining, industry says

ROBBIE FEINBERGCapital News Service

WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency’s restrictions on new coal and natural gas power plants meant to reduce carbon emissions that contribute to climate change would be a disaster for Western Maryland’s coal mining business, industry representatives said.

The new regulations, announced Friday by EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, would allow new coal-powered plants to emit up to 1,100 pounds of carbon per megawatt-hour. Natural gas plants would be allowed to emit between 1,000 and 1,100 pounds of carbon per megawatt-hour, depending on their size.

“They’ll have a devastating effect on us because they want to eliminate the coal-powered plants, and all of their actions will do just that,” said Adrienne Ottaviani, the executive director of the Maryland Coal Association. “It will be probably more of the coal companies in Maryland closing their doors. They just can’t continue with the regulations being placed upon them.”

According to the latest annual report from the Maryland Bureau of Mines, mining companies employed 373 workers in Allegany and Garrett counties in 2011, producing about 3 million tons of coal that year. That number put Maryland 18th in the nation in total coal production.

More here.

>O’Malley pitted against coal industry, Western Maryland

>Posted: 6:00 pm Wed, March 16, 2011
By Capital News Service
David Saleh Rauf

ANNAPOLIS — For the third consecutive year, Gov. Martin O’Malley is attempting to repeal a multi-million dollar tax credit the Maryland coal industry says is vital for it to compete with neighboring states.

O’Malley’s budget proposes abolishing the Maryland Mined Coal Credit, which awards energy companies a $3 per ton credit for purchases of coal mined in the state. Legislative analysts estimate the repeal would save the state $4.5 million in fiscal 2013 and an estimated $30 million more by fiscal 2020 — the year the credit is slated to expire.

The repeal attempts put O’Malley at odds with Western Maryland’s leaders.

Read the full article here.
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Report shows coal production was up in 2008

Report shows coal production was up in 2008

Coal association director takes issue with results

Michael A. Sawyers
Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — Surface mines accounted for 76 percent of the coal produced in Maryland in 2008, according to the 87th Annual Report of the Maryland Bureau of Mines, a document the agency is required to publish to comply with state law.

Allegany County operations accounted for 1,217,805 tons of coal mined from the surface. Another 1,112,086 tons were produced in Garrett County.

Deep mines, all in Garrett County, pumped out 718,652 tons.

The coal production in Maryland’s two westernmost counties was up 619,961 tons from 2007, when 2,428,583 tons were mined.

The problem with the bureau’s report, according to Adrienne Ottaviani, executive director of the Maryland Coal Association, is that it is already a year old.

“Those are 2008 numbers and things have changed a lot since then,” Ottaviani said Wednesday.

Coal production is down and jobs have been lost, Ottaviani claims, blaming federal regulators within the Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of Surface Mining.

“Permits are being held up based upon a multitude of different issues, including the construction of high walls and ground control plans,” she said.

“Between the federal government believing that there is really such a thing as global warming and thinking coal is the culprit, this is not really the season for coal,” Ottaviani said. “They are doing everything they can to stop coal as an energy source. Companies can’t continue to produce coal (as profitably) under the regulations they have.”

Green sources of energy, Ottaviani said, are wonderful, but will never be able to replace the $50,000 to $60,000 per year jobs and fringe benefits generated by coal mining.

Ottaviani said there were 1,300 direct jobs in the Maryland coal mining industry in 2008, but that number has dwindled.

“One problem happened when AES Warrior Run had internal mechanical problems and wasn’t buying and burning our coal for a while. Companies had to lay people off. Fortunately, AES got that worked out and is buying local coal again.”

Ottaviani said AES is the shining example of how coal can be burned with low emissions. “They have the lowest emission level in the state and one of the lowest in the country,” she said. “I have been trying for years to get other power plants to retrofit or consider new construction to achieve those same emission rates.”

The annual report from the state mining agency points out as well that the bureau’s Acid Mine Drainage Section in 2008 spent $32,345 to modify the lime-dosing apparatus at the abandoned McDonald Mine where acid drainage continues to pollute lower Georges Creek.

Another $394,500 was spent on the Aaron Run project, a tributary to the lower Savage River that is being restored with the hope that it will once again be the home to native brook trout.

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