When government regulators try to save money & lives by balancing risks & rewards, they get accused of corporate coddling. I bet this policy won't last long. Too bad.
Here we are:

Last week, his office signed off on a rule proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency that will let companies dump waste from mountaintop coal mining operations into rivers and streams.

From the same day's paper:
Ruling on Dumping of Mine Waste Stuns Coal Industry that

also rebuked the Bush administration, which last week issued rules removing a legal impediment to mining companies dumping dirt and rock waste into waterways.