Press
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Bluefield Daily Telegraph
By Charles Owens
RICHLANDS, Va. — A large crowd — including some who were upset with U.S. Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., for his support of the federal cap and trade legislation — demanded answers Tuesday from the veteran lawmaker during a town hall meeting on coal and energy.
“To place an entire economic system at risk for an unproven theory seems a little bit risky to me,” said David Moore of North Tazewell, who questioned the concept of global warming and climate change during the town hall forum held on the campus of Southwest Virginia Community College.
Read more: Coal Fires Passion: Crowd Presses Boucher on Cap & Trade Vote
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CHARLESTON – Our state and our nation lost something special early Monday morning with the death of Sen. Robert C. Byrd. Our nation lost a leader and a respected senior senator. Our state lost so much more – we lost an icon and a true champion of our people and the people of Appalachia.
Byrd died earlier this morning at the age of 92 at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va. He was the longest-serving member of Congress in history and was a recognized authority on the institution’s history, its rules and procedures.
“Senator Byrd was a friend,” said Bill Raney. “He was a personal friend of mine and of the people of our state. He was a son of the coalfields and he held a special place in his heart for our coal miners. He worked hard for West Virginia and for our people. His love for our state was matched only by the high regard our people held for him.”
Byrd had served in the U.S. Senate since 1958. During that time he had been the majority leader twice, chaired the Appropriations Committee and written a four-volume history of the Senate.
Sen. Byrd’s wife of 68 years, Erma, died in 2006. The senator is survived by his two daughters, Mona and Marjorie, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Plans for Senator Byrd’s memorial services were not disclosed as of the time of this release.
- Parent Category: News
To view the latest video from FACES of Coal. The video features stream biologist Ben Faulkner who explains why conductivity is a faulty standard for measuring stream health and breaks down the science of conductivity in easy-to-understand terms.
To watch the video, go to www.facesofcoal.org/facts/conductivity
Read more: Conductivity - An Inappropriate Measure of Water Quality
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News Release Courtesy of the MTM Coaltion
CHARLESTON – Thursday’s announcement by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of its decision to suspend the use of Nationwide Permit 21 (NWP 21) in the Appalachian region of six states is discriminatory and threatens the economy of the region.
In a June 17 announcement, the Corps said they will immediately suspend the issuance of mining permits under the NWP 21 standards for the mining industry in West Virginia as well as Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia.
The Corps said in a release that the suspension “will remain in effect until the Corps takes further action on NWP 21 or until the program expires on March 18, 2012.”
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Destroying Thousands of West Virginia Jobs
SB-696, otherwise known as the Alexander/Cardin or the “Mountaintop Mining” Bill, is on the move in the U.S. Senate. The bill would essentially ban surface mining in West Virginia and threatens thousands of mining jobs across the state and Appalachia.
Co-sponsored by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), the bill currently sits in committee. It is our understanding that the bill will likely be “marked up” during the next two weeks, a process which precedes a committee vote in which it will likely pass.
Read more: Senate Legislation Threatens to Ban Mountaintop Mining
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The West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA) hereby submits the following comments and observations regarding the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to revoke the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to Mingo-Logan Coal Company for its Spruce No. 1 Mine (Spruce) in West Virginia.
Read more: Comments Regarding the Spruce Mine No. 1 Permit Revocations
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The EPA permitting halt will hit West Virginia and Kentucky especially hard.
From the State Journal by Dan Page
The minority staff of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee produced a report last month that says in plain English what many people in Appalachia believe:
"Our investigation found that the Obama Administration is using the Clean Water Act Section 404 permitting process to dismantle the coal industry in the Appalachian region."
A government report cannot be clearer. It said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, by bringing the issuing of Clean Water Act 404 permits to a virtual halt, is signing the death certificate for a significant portion of the Appalachian coal industry. Coal companies must have water quality permits to operate both surface and deep mines. The May 21 report said the agency is holding up 190 permits.
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EPA Agenda directed at States like West Virginia
WASHINGTON— Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently reacted to the U.S. Senate vote on the Murkowski Resolution. The Resolution of Disapproval was directed at EPA’s efforts to use agency regulation, rather than congressional legislation, to impose stringent restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions. The vote failed 47-53.
“Although this vote failed, it is an important first step to letting EPA know that they cannot unilaterally set an agenda without the buy-in of the American people. Members of Congress who represent coal areas must stand up and let EPA know that when making any decision they must take into account the real cost to families, their livelihoods, and plans for the future.
West Virginia is already feeling the burden of over regulation with no thought of our future. I have co-sponsored similar legislation introduced in the House that would ensure Congress is the sole authority on climate change policy—not unelected bureaucrats at the EPA. I am encouraged that my colleagues have joined my efforts to continue to make this country aware of the value of coal and its importance for energy security and economic growth.”
Congresswoman Capito recently created the Coal Caucus with 80 members of Congress to raise awareness of coal and its economic importance.
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Courtesy of The Sunday Gazette Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The Environmental Protection Agency is intent on shoehorning vast, costly global warming regulations into the 1970 Clean Air Act.
Congress has been content to look the other way and allow it to happen, but on June 10 every senator will be on the record. That's when the Senate will vote on a resolution (SJ Res. 26) introduced by Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski that would overturn the EPA's global warming regulations. It's privileged and not subject to filibuster. There is no place for weak-kneed senators to hide. In just two weeks we'll know where every member of the Senate stands, including Sens. Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller.
Read more: Phil Kerpen and Donna Holstine: Will Byrd, Jay stop EPA assault on W.Va.?