West Virginia Blue
The Best Blogging Community in West Virginia Democratic politics, progressive policies, the good life and free living in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia.
...West Virginia's elected officials are rightly concerned about jobs and the economic impact on local communities. I share those concerns. But the time has come to have an open and honest dialogue about coal's future in West Virginia.
Let's speak the truth. The most important factor in maintaining coal-related jobs is demand for coal. Scapegoating and stoking fear among workers over the permitting process is counter-productive.
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West Virginians may demonstrate anger toward the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over mountaintop removal mining, but we risk the very probable consequence of shouting ourselves out of any productive dialogue with EPA and our adversaries in the Congress.
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We can have a part in shaping energy policy, but we must be honest brokers if we have any prayer of influencing coal policy on looming issues important to the future of coal like hazardous air pollutants, climate change, and federal dollars for investments in clean coal technology.
Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, announcing a pro-coal rally:
"We must stand up and show federal
regulators that we will not retreat from their unfair actions. We will continue the fight not just for the Spruce Number One mine but for every
coal miner, coal company and for our way of life."
Sen. Joe Manchin:
"Today's EPA decision is not just fundamentally wrong," he said. "It is an unprecedented act by the federal government that will cost our state and our nation even more jobs during the worst recession in this country's history.
"While the EPA decision hurts West Virginia today, it has negative ramifications for every state in our nation, and I strongly urge every senator and every member of Congress to voice their opposition."
Sen. Jay Rockefeller:
I am writing to express my outrage with the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) decision to veto a rigorously reviewed and lawfully issued permit at the Spruce Number 1 Mine in Logan County, West Virginia. This action not only affects this specific permit, but needlessly throws other permits into a sea of uncertainty at a time of great economic distress.
Apparently they West Virginians who don't want poisoned wells or to live in fear of flash floods or having to live surrounded by the remains of a destroyed mountain don't deserve leaders fighting for them even though the EPA did exactly what the coal supporters wanted in forming a long review process based on scientific evidence.
Tomblin, Manchin, and Rockefeller are doing exactly what Byrd warned against.
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