Pennsylvania Lacks the Right to Remove Trees On State Land?

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania faces a situation that must look strange to the uninitiated.  It has obtained land to expand U.S. 219 south of Meyersdale, Somerset County.  It has everything in place, including $300 million, to start expanding the highway this spring.  Except . . .

Environmental Protection Agency approval. 

The highway is part of the gradually expanding Appalachian Corridor system created in the 1960s under John F. Kennedy (prior to the establishment of the EPA.)  Corridor N, as it has been designated, will be the most extensive highway project in Pennsylvania, once started.

Pennsylvania officials expect that timbering will take thirty days.  A spring start cannot happen if the tree removal process gets pushed back farther into the unpredictable weather of November.

Even worse, the EPA blocked a plan to use coal mining to clear land for a planned expressway in Mingo County, West Virginia.  The King Coal Highway, which would follow the present U.S. 52, planned to let CONSOL Energy mine the proposed path, then help to smooth it out for the road.  Officials had praised this as a strong example of how public and private sector entities could combine for the profit of both.

West Virginia's entire delegation, both Democrats and Republicans, condemned the move.  Senator Joe Manchin commented through a press re;ease from his office:

“As a West Virginian, I watched this project come together one partnership at a time for the past two decades,” Senator Manchin said. “As Governor, I made sure that the state supported the project’s permitting and funding requests. Now, as Senator, I am incensed and infuriated that the EPA would intentionally delay the needed permit for a public-private project that would bring so many good jobs and valuable infrastructure to communities that so desperately need them. The EPA has lost court case after court case for its overreach, and it should be using better judgment by now. I vow to work with the Governor’s office, our entire Congressional delegation and members of both parties to make sure that this vital project will move forward. 

Republicans made the Environmental Protection Agency's increasing aggressiveness an issue in the campaign. Conservative victories may take some teeth from the tiger and restore many public and private sector projects.