EASTERN MINES MAY SUE EPA OVER REGIONAL IMPACTS OF MERCURY RULE

The Bush administration's final mercury rule is sparking a dispute within the coal industry, as Eastern coal companies consider litigation claiming the rule disproportionately benefits varieties of coal found in the West, sources say. The dispute could also foreshadow fights over the Bush administration's Clear Skies legislation, which has fueled a similar debate among coal companies despite their overall support for the bill. Several sources note that Eastern mining companies, unions and state governments are considering lawsuits based on a...