Environmental group claims DEP is falling behind reporting on underground mining damages in Pa.

The Citizens Coal Council claims the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is failing to properly implement oversight of underground coal mining damages, citing a recent report as a 'haphazard compilation' with data errors and insufficient analysis. The report, mandated by 1994's Act 54, was authored in-house by DEP, marking a shift from previous independent university-led reports, which critics argue provided more comprehensive findings.