Today, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing on Committee member Rep. Alex Mooney’s (WV-02) bill, H.R. 1644, the “Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining Act (STREAM Act).” At the hearing, Rep. Mooney testified:

“People are losing their jobs, and the dignity that comes with work. Our communities are also suffering. Fewer jobs means less economic investment, and less hope. The Administration’s new Stream protection rule is intentionally designed to shut down all surface mining, and a significant section of underground mining, in the Appalachian region,” Rep. Mooney said.

 
“This bill, the STREAM Act, is a critical piece of legislation designed to save taxpayer dollars and protect American jobs by calling for more transparency from the regulators. It also calls for more study of current regulation. And it ensures that the regulators stay within their legal jurisdiction as they develop regulations.”

Background: 

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of Surface Mining (OSM) has continually promulgated rules that rely upon opaque “internal studies,” which are not made publicly available. The STREAM Act strengthens the rigor of scientific studies, reports, and findings by requiring scientific products used to inform regulatory actions be made publicly available, and therefore subject to independent analysis. 
 
H.R. 1644 directs the Secretary of the Interior to contract with the National Academy of Sciences Board on Earth Sciences and Resources to conduct a comprehensive study of the effectiveness of the Stream Buffer Zone Rule that has been in place since 1983. The STREAM Act requires an independent study be conducted on the effectiveness of the 1983 Stream Buffer Zone rule. This study will be conducted by the National Research Council in consultation with the Interstate Mining Compact Commission. While this study occurs, a prohibition on the promulgation of new rules addressing stream protection or stream buffers will be implemented to ensure the Secretary incorporates the findings of the study. 
 
H.R. 1644 clarifies the statutory bounds of OSM’s authority by curtailing its ability to propose and enforce any regulation under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 that would duplicate existing authorities under other federal laws outside of OSM’s jurisdiction. 

For more information on the hearing, including witness testimony, click here.