Work will stop at a surface mine in Eastern Kentucky, at least temporarily.
A judge has issued a temporary injunction for the Leeco mine, while environmental groups appeal a court decision that gave the mine permission to move forward.
The groups, including Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and Earthjustice, filed a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers last year. They argued that based on studies showing correlation between health problems and surface coal mining, the Corps shouldn’t have granted the permit for the Leeco mine. But a federal judge disagreed.
Earthjustice Attorney Jennifer Chavez says the group wants the Obama Administration to take responsibility for the health issues associated with surface coal mining.
“All of the agencies involved in permitting these activities are pointing at each other and saying that someone else is responsible for considering the health impacts, and we are trying to make clear that it’s not only a legal responsibility, but a moral one for the government to step up and take responsibility for these impacts.” –Jennifer Chavez
The groups are appealing the decision to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals.