Pennsylvania can finally use its own rules for water damaged by mining

The federal government approved some of Pennsylvania's rules for replacing water sources affected by surface mining. These rules had been rejected almost 20 years ago. Mining companies in Pennsylvania will now follow these specific state rules, instead of whatever federal standard was in place after the initial rejection.

For nearly two decades, Pennsylvania's state regulators couldn't fully implement their own rules for how mining companies replaced water sources they damaged. This federal approval means the state can now enforce its own specific standards, which could change costs or liabilities for mining operations.