Obama plans new policy on mountain mining

WASHINGTON, June 11 (UPI) -- The Obama administration plans to seek tighter reins on mountaintop coal mining in the Appalachians to curb environmental damage, federal officials said.

However, there are no plans to ban the practice, at least not now, the administration says.

Of utmost importance is to find a policy that will cut back the practice of shearing wooded peaks into barren stumps and the dumping of tons of rock into Appalachian valleys, The Washington Post reported.

The plans, expected to be unveiled Thursday, grew from an agreement among federal agencies that proposes an end to the quick approval process for new mining permits in Appalachia and inserts a more detailed environmental review for all.

It also would allow federal oversight officials to check the work of state-level regulators for signs of lax local scrutiny and other problems.