Posted on 10/27/2011 10:33:56 AM PDT by Qbert
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- The proposed merger of two federal agencies managing public land and mining is part of a White House effort to wipe out the U.S. coal industry, a critic said.
U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called for the merger of the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining.
U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said he had "serious" concerns about the decision to "suddenly and dramatically" change management of coal mines and BLM lands by U.S. President Barack Obama's administration.
"The Obama administration has not made secret its desire to put an end to America's coal mining industry and this appears to be one more step in that direction," Hastings said.
Hastings said BLM and OSM have separate duties. OSM oversees surface coal mining regulations while BLM manages more than 245 million acres primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
Not this damned Congress.
Is he going to circumvent Congress again? Boehner thinks it’s “laughable”.
Those who think of the 0bama administration as stupid are wrong.
And its “just co-incidence” energy production is the economic driver in “red states”, too !! >PS
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.