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CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- About 200 people turned out Wednesday to protest the Obama administration's efforts to more closely examine permits for mountaintop removal coal mining.

Protesters also complained about pending legislation to limit greenhouse gas emissions and more generally about "big government" interfering with the coal industry and with their way of life.

The event, sponsored by the West Virginia Conservative Foundation, focused on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's continuing review of 79 coal-mining permits proposed for West Virginia and three other states.

"Every coal miner in the state is under attack by EPA," West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney told the crowd, which gathered for the noontime rally at the coal miner statue on the Capitol grounds.

The rally aimed to put more political pressure on EPA and on the state's Democratic elected officials, especially Rep. Nick J. Rahall, who has said EPA is just "doing its job" by more closely examining the mining permits.

Other speakers included a worker at a Massey Energy surface mine, coal association publicist Bryan Brown, who launched the industry group FACES of Coal, and Delegate Troy Andes, R-Putnam, who works as a media spokesman for Massey.

Gov. Joe Manchin has criticized EPA's permit review as "cruel and inhumane," while a United Mine Workers leader, Roger Horton, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting the EPA action "is nothing short of state-sponsored terrorism."

This summer, the Obama administration announced it would take "unprecedented steps" to reduce the environmental impact of mountaintop removal. EPA officials say they want to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and mine operators to address "potentially significant water quality and environmental issues" related to the 79 permits. They have stressed the review doesn't mean the permits will be denied, especially if changes are made to reduce the impacts.

Overall, the permits EPA wants to more closely review cover more than 60 square miles in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. The permits would bury or otherwise affect more than 170 miles of streams, including 14 miles of larger, perennial streams that flow year-round. The permits propose mining of nearly 300 million tons of coal.

In a related matter, Department of Justice lawyers this week asked a federal judge for 30 more days so that EPA can consider whether to veto a Corps of Engineers decision to approve the largest mountaintop removal permit in West Virginia history.

EPA officials had asked the corps to suspend or revoke the nearly 2,300-acre permit for Arch Coal Inc.'s Spruce No. 1 Mine in Logan County. EPA cited a variety of problems with the permit and "clear evidence" of likely environmental damage. Corps officials re-examined the permit, but concluded they disagreed with EPA about the impacts.

Now, the EPA is weighing whether to exercise its legal authority to override the corps and block the permit. Arch Coal lawyers want U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers to dismiss a citizen group legal challenge that also seeks to block the permit. Administration officials want Chambers to delay ruling for 30 days while EPA decides what action it plans to take.

Reach Ken Ward Jr. at kw...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1702.