Speaking to last week’s Annual Energy Conference of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, NMA President Hal Quinn said although the new Congress may be more mining friendly than the current one, the federal regulatory agencies are likely to remain hostile to the mining community and pose a potent threat in the months ahead.
“We will face a greater threat from unelected regulators than from Congress,” said Quinn. “From the EPA and OSM to the SEC and MSHA, our industry will continue to be the target of costly rules that the new Congress can blunt but not always stop.”
“The mid-term elections have bolstered the number of mining-friendly members of Congress who will take their seats in the House and Senate in January,” said Quinn. “Although the cavalry may be riding to the rescue, the settlers may already be dead, especially if regulators succeed in imposing a welter of rules covering valley fills, air quality standards, greenhouse gas emissions and additional mine safety authorities and reporting requirements.” (NMA Mining Week)