WASHINGTON — Sen. George Voinovich plans to boycott a congressional hearing today because of a last-minute addition to the witness list: Kevin Richardson from the Backstreet Boys.

        Mr. Voinovich, R-Ohio, said having Mr. Richardson testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee makes a mockery of the committee and the issue it plans to discuss, mountaintop removal mining.

        This practice, which has become common in Appalachia, shears off the top of a ridge or mountain to expose a coal seam, pushing dirt and rock into nearby valleys and waterways. It is a technique that allows a company to recover the maximum amount of coal at the lowest cost.

        “It's just a joke to think that this witness can provide members of the United States Senate with information on important geological and water quality issues,” Mr. Voinovich said. “We're either serious about the issues or we're running a sideshow.”

        A spokesman for Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., who invited Mr. Richardson to testify, said the pop star has been active on the issue of mountaintop removal mining, which is used in Mr. Richardson's home state of Kentucky.

        “He has his own environmental advocacy group. He has credibility on this issue,” said Adam Kovacevich, a Lieberman spokesman.

        “We believe that his voice is one that the committee should hear.”

        The hearing is about revisions the Bush administration wants to make to clean water rules, which some environmentalists say would boost the use of mountaintop removal mining.

        Opponents of the practice say it violates the federal Clean Water Act, which says stream beds cannot be used to dispose of industrial waste. Supporters contend the mining method is no different from allowing the burial of stream beds to create dry land for new construction, which is legal.

        A spokesman from Voinovich's office said the senator planned to invoke a congressional rule that could cut the 10 a.m. hearing to one hour.

        “We need to talk about this in a serious way in a serious forum and not just jam in people at the last minute to create a circus atmosphere,” said Scott Milburn, a spokesman for Voinovich.

        Mr. Richardson is the latest on a long list of celebrities touting their causes before Congress.

        Earlier this year, model Christie Brinkley testified before the same Senate committee on nuclear energy.

        Actress Julia Roberts raised public awareness for Rett Syndrome during a tearful speech last month before the House Appropriations Committee.

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