Tennessee

Apr 2 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Andy Sher Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn.

Efforts to ban top mountain removal of coal in Tennessee failed in a key House subcommittee this morning on a 5-3 vote.

Rep. Mike McDonald, D-Portland, the bill's sponsor, told member of the House Environment Subcommittee that "this committee has an opportunity to protect Tennessee's mountains and streams for future generations."

He said preserving mountain vistas in East Tennessee would benefit tourism.

But Rep. Bill Baird, R-Jacksboro, who is running for mayor of Campbell County, where coal mining is a major economic force, opposed the bill.

"There's many families in those counties affected that have been raised on coal mining," he said. "Coal mining is part of our heritage. This bill will have a big economic impact on those five counties."

He said the counties' share of the coal severance tax helps fund schools and roads.

The bill was expected to come back later today before the Senate Environment, Conservation and Tourism Committee where Chairman Tommy Kilby, D-Wartburg, has been fighting the legislation.

The bill seeks to ban coal mining above 2,000 feet.

In other action, the House Conservation and Environment Committee's Environment Subcommittee approved another bill that would put new requirements on owners of mineral rights who seek to "harvest" on property owned by someone else.

E-mail Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com