The mining complex sits on nearly 65,000 acres
that Peabody leases from the Navajo and Hopi
tribes and has been in operation since the
1970s. Beth Sutton, a spokeswoman for Peabody,
said the decision “reinforces Peabody’s record
of compliance with the Clean Water Act and that
claims by activists had no basis.”
Water discharge from Peabody’s mining complex
includes storm water and runoff from mining,
coal preparation and reclamation areas that is
held in more than 230 ponds. The EPA noted in
reviewing the permit that about 33 of the ponds
had leaks and that some don’t meet water quality
standards, need additional monitoring or
removal.
Jonathan Rothschild
The trail of toxic tears continues as we continue to
exploit the original inhabitants of this land to
fuel our addiction to cheap energy. But some day
that finite energy source will run out, or be cut
off, and then Tucson will be cast into darkness as
businesses and jobs flee the city.
My hope is that our
next mayor, Jonathan Rothschild, can be a leader in
transforming our dependence on coal and fossil fuels
and switching to solar or other renewable energy
resources, guaranteeing business the energy they
need without the exploitation of indigenous people
to do so.
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