Tennessee lawmakers are currently considering legislation that would allow the state to assume regulatory authority, or “primacy,” over Tennessee coal mining. SB742/HB90 would allow for weakened environmental regulations at a time when the coal industry is collapsing.
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has estimated that in order for the state to maintain this program, they will require over $870,000 per year from the state budget. The need for the state to take over this program is questionable, since Tennessee coal production plummeted 91% from 2009 to 2018, and fell to zero last spring and has remained there since.
Transferring regulatory authority from the federal government to the state simply does not make sense at this time. There is a looming, region-wide crisis of considerably inadequate funding to address mine clean-up as mining companies skirt their responsibility for reclamation by declaring bankruptcy. This problem will only continue as the coal industry continues to collapse. There is no good economic reason for the state to continue to pursue this path.
This new process will:
- remove the need for mining companies to go through National Environmental Policy Act and Endangered Species Act Sec 7 consultations, which eliminates a layer of regulatory oversight
- reduce opportunities for the public to be engaged in commenting on proposed projects
- leave the state holding the bill for unfinished reclamation when mining companies skirt their reclamation duties by declaring bankruptcy
Rather than implementing a new mining program in an ill-conceived effort to bolster coal, the state should be spending time, energy and money on cleaning up already-mined land and boosting economic diversification in communities that can no longer rely on coal.
Mon 4/12/21 House Government Operations Committee HB 90
| COUNTIES REPRESENTED | NAME | PHONE | |
| Part of Anderson | John Ragan | (615)741-4400 | rep.john.ragan@capitol.tn.gov |
| Houston, Humphreys and Montgomery | Jay D. Reedy | (615)741-7098 | rep.jay.reedy@capitol.tn.gov |
| Cocke, Jefferson, and part of Greene | Jeremy Faison | (615)741-6871 | rep.jeremy.faison@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Knox | Gloria Johnson | (615)741-2031 | rep.gloria.johnson@capitol.tn.gov |
| McMinn, Monroe | Mark Cochran | (615)741-1725 | rep.mark.cochran@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Roane and part of Loudon | Kent Calfee | (615)741-7658 | rep.kent.calfee@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Sumner | William Lamberth | (615)741-1980 | rep.william.lamberth@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Davidson | Mike Stewart | (615)741-2184 | rep.mike.stewart@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Davidson | Vincent Dixie | (615)741-1997 | rep.vincent.dixie@capitol.tn.gov |
| Bedford and parts of Lincoln | Pat Marsh | (615)741-6824 | rep.pat.marsh@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Montgomery | Curtis Johnson | (615)741-4341 | rep.curtis.johnson@capitol.tn.gov |
| Hardin, Lewis, Wayne and part of Lawrence | David Byrd | (615)741-2190 | rep.david.byrd@capitol.tn.gov |
| Cheatham and Dickson | Mary Littleton | (615)741-7477 | rep.mary.littleton@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Shelby | Karen D. Camper | (615)741-1898 | rep.karen.camper@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Knox | Justin Lafferty | (615)741-4110 | rep.justin.lafferty@capitol.tn.gov |
| Marshall and part of Franklin, Lincoln and Marion | Todd Warner | (615)741-4170 | rep.todd.warner@capitol.tn.gov |
Tue 4/13/21 Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee SB742
| COUNTIES REPRESENTED | NAME | PHONE | |
| Benton, Henry, Carroll, Gibson, Obion, Weakley | John Stevens | (615)741-4576 | sen.john.stevens@capitol.tn.gov |
| Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry, Wayne | Joey Hensley | (615)741-3100 | sen.joey.hensley@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Hamilton | Bo Watson | (615)741-3227 | sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov |
| Sumner , Trousdale, and part of Davidson | Ferrell Haile | (615)741-1999 | sen.ferrell.haile@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Davidson | Jeff Yarbro | (615)741-3291 | sen.jeff.yarbro@capitol.tn.gov |
| Johnson, Sullivan | Jon Lundberg | (615)741-5761 | sen.jon.lundberg@capitol.tn.gov |
| Bradley and part of Hamilton | Todd Gardenhire | (615)741-6682 | sen.todd.gardenhir@capitol.tn.gove |
| Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Pickett, Scott | Ken Yager | (615)741-1449 | sen.ken.yager@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Rutherford | Dawn White | (615)741-6853 | Sen.Dawn.White@capitol.tn.gov |
| Part of Davidson | Brenda Gilmore | (615)741-2453 | sen.brenda.gilmore@capitol.tn.gov |
| Williamson | Jack Johnson | (615)741-2495 | sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov |
