Comment on FR Doc # E9-21792

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as a public institution, has the responsibility to place the welfare of American citizens above private interests in any of its policy making decisions. The practice of issuing umbrella permits such as NWP 21, on the contrary, benefits no one but private interests, potentially at the expense of public safety. While a bitter debate rages over coal extraction in the Appalachian coalfields inspiring passion from both sides, this is largely irrelevant to the issue of NWP 21. The issue of NWP 21 is simply a matter of accountability. NWP 21 exists as a convenience to corporate coal companies and allows them to perform operations such as valley fills without individual review from the U.S.A.C.E. and virtually insulates them from the input of the local communities most affected by their activities. This creates a standard of operations whereby, in the case of valley fills, the U.S.A.C.E. fails in its commitment to protect public trusts under provisions such as the 1972 Clean Water Act. Since the U.S.A.C.E’s responsibility belongs to the public and not to these private coal companies, this practice must be reversed. Private interests should NOT be rewarded this type of extreme blanket license at the expense of the public; they should rather be held accountable for their EVERY action. STOP NWP 21!