Happy 2010! Hope your year is off to a great start. Here's something sort of annoying, yet unsurprising (how's that for a great blog name -- 'annoying yet unsurprising' -- have it it, it's yours). Turns out the new head of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Joe Pizarchik is going to hurry up and wait. 

According to the AP story, he has said, "The federal government is not the exclusive repository of good ideas" in reference to whether the Feds will take action on mountaintop removal mining under his helm. 

Of course we here at Environmental Action, along with every other serious and legit environmental group was opposing this nomination. 

Mr. Pizarchik comes from the coal fields of Pennsylvania, and there proved to be a massive friend of the coal industry -- and less a fan of the environment. 

Unfortunately, under the flurry of health care debate, Mr. Pizarchik's nomination went through the Senate, and we now have the wolf guarding the henhouse, as it were.