W.Va.'s Capito troubled by EPA response on permits

WASHINGTON - Rep. Shelley Moore Capito says she's troubled by what she heard in a meeting with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

The West Virginia Republican met with Jackson Thursday to discuss delays in the mine permitting process in Appalachia. The EPA recently held up 79 mining permits in West Virginia and three other states for additional review.

Capito says she told Jackson that these delays have real-world economic consequences. She says the bottom line from the meeting is that the EPA believes it has no obligation to take economic factors into consideration when it comes to mine permits.

Jackson says she assured Capito that EPA will ensure that water quality is protected without unduly delaying projects that are economically important to the region.

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