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Joe Pizarchik

In a ‘Disheartening’ Era, the Nation’s Former Top Mining Regulator Speaks Out

Joe Pizarchik, who led the federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement from 2009 to 2017, says Alabama’s move in the wake of a fatal 2024 home explosion increases risks to residents living atop “gassy” coal mines.

By Lee Hedgepeth

Coal and coke waste is seen piled high at an industrial site in Alabama. Credit: Lee Hedgepeth/Inside Climate News

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