Earlier this week, House and Senate conferees met to begin consideration of the Surface Transportation Bill. The conference committee, which is made up of 47 members from the two chambers, will negotiate differences between the House and Senate passed versions of the transportation bill.
On April 18, the House passed the “Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2012, Part II,” (H.R. 4348) after including, by voice vote, an amendment by Congressman David McKinley (R-W.Va.) to insert the text of the “Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act” (H.R. 2273). As you will recall, the “Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act,” which would remove the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to regulate coal combustion residuals as a hazardous waste by establishing a federal floor for the state regulation of disposal based on the controls already in place for municipal solid waste landfills, passed the House in October. 2011.
The National Mining Association (NMA) and its allies are working to build support among conferees to retain the coal ash provision throughout the Conference Committees negotiations. Senate conferees include Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Bob Menendez (N.J.) and Dick Durbin (Ill.). Senate Republican conferees include Sens. James Inhofe (Okla.), David Vitter (La.), Richard Shelby (Ala.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Kay Baily Hutchinson (Texas) and John Hoeven (N.D.).
We urge you to contact these conferees in support of the coal ash language. Also this week, Rep. David McKinley (R-W.Va.), along with 66 Republicans and 19 Democrats, sent the attached letter urging the conference committee to retain the amendment on coal ash.
If you have any questions regarding the provision on coal ash, the surface transportation bill or NMA’s outreach efforts, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at kballweg@nma.org.
