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.
Once passed out of committee, the bill will move to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
It is also clear that an attempt will be made to effectively narrow the application of S-696 to Appalachia, consequently narrowing the affected mining population and opposition to the bill. As originally introduced, S-696 would effectively eliminate mountaintop mining and all other forms of mining that rely on valley fills.
“This bill would essentially end surface mining across the region,” said Chris Hamilton, co-chair of the Coalition for Mountaintop Mining. “It is vital that we make our voices heard. This is a sword hanging the industry in Appalachia. It is yet another in this vicious series of attacks against the industry by members of Congress, the EPA and the Obama Administration. These attacks must end!
“It is ridiculous that such job-killing legislation as this is even being considered. Our nation is struggling to pull itself out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and instead of working to save jobs, this Congress and this Administration seem determined to destroy one of our most basic industries – an industry that has been the bedrock of our nation’s economy for the past 100 years.”
Please see the attached communication to West Virginia’s Congressional Delegation and to West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin from the Coalition urging that they communicate with Senators Alexander and Cardin of the US Senate to express their concern over S-696.