Altering mountains

President Obama's administration is asking a federal court to reverse a rule that would allow mountaintop mining waste to be deposited near streams.

The rule, promoted by President George W. Bush's administration, was passed about a month before Mr. Bush left office.

It altered regulations set in 1983 that prevented mining companies from dumping waste within 100 feet of streams if doing so would jeopardize water quality or quantity.

If Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's request to the court is granted, the administration said it would write a new regulation that would better protect waterways from environmental damage that can occur through this type of mining.

The companies are required to restore much of the land where the mountain is altered. But removing the tops of mountain to expose coal creates considerable debris that is trucked to valley areas. Rocks, soil and other materials taken from the mountain are often dumped in the vicinity of streams. If not carefully regulated, the process can be hazardous to the environment.

The Obama administration's initiative places the federal government in the position of opposing a policy it had advocated only months before, during the Bush era.

The administration's position seems reasonable as articulated by Mr. Salazar: "The responsible development of our coal supplies is important to America's energy security. But as we develop these reserves, we must also protect our treasured landscapes, our land, our water and our wildlife."

The environment must be protected.