The Rainforest Action Network warned that President Barack Obama’s EPA remained too aligned with coal interests after approving a mountaintop removal permit in Logan County, West Virginia. That warning gained urgency when, in September 2009, 161 aquatic species were wiped out along 38 miles of Dunkard Creek after coal-mine discharges created high conductivity levels that allowed toxic golden algae to flourish. Though state regulators had approved cleanup plans, the EPA later acknowledged additional enforcement might be necessary as restoration costs were estimated at $30 million.