Living in Peace and Wisdom on our Planet

A federal judge in West Virginia issued a ruling Tuesday that dealt another blow to the controversial mining practice known as mountaintop removal.

The process involves blasting away the tops of mountains to expose coal seams underneath. The resulting tons of rock and dirt are typically dumped into valleys and streams.

U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin in Charleston blocked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from issuing so-called "nationwide" permits, which streamline the process of getting permission to mine. Goodwin also ruled that more detailed plans for each individual mine must be submitted before permits are approved.

The court's decision comes as the Obama administration is promising change in federal policy on mountaintop removal mining. That has coalfield residents gearing up for a fight.

Environmentalists, miners and industry officials are all trying to figure out what the administration's promised change will mean.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency issued letters raising "serious concerns" about two proposed permits for mountaintop removal mines in Kentucky and West Virginia. This sort of questioning was unheard of during the Bush administration, according to both supporters and opponents of the practice.