CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association is endorsing West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey for U.S. Senate in the 2018 General Election.
“Since he took office, General Morrisey has been a tireless advocate for West Virginia’s coal industry,” WVCA President Bill Raney said. “He fought for us against the Obama Administration, which was using every tool available to try and end coal mining in the United States. We know Patrick Morrisey will continue to fight for West Virginia coal as a member of the U.S. Senate, working in tandem with President Donald Trump.”
Raney said incumbent Sen. Joe Manchin also has been a longtime friend of coal, but Morrisey’s bold actions to protect the livelihoods of thousands of West Virginia coal miners deserves to be recognized.
“He not only waged legal battles against the previous administration on behalf of West Virginia’s coal industry, he corralled an incredibly impressive army of attorneys general in other states to protect mining and coal-fired electric power,” Raney said. “That action led to an unprecedented stay against Obama’s EPA and his so-called ‘Clean Power Plan’ at the U.S. Supreme Court, saving many coal miners’ jobs while the Trump Administration works to reissue a more balanced regulatory proposal.”
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association is praising President Donald Trump for issuing a new domestic energy plan that will replace the Obama-era “clean power plan” that would have decimated the American coal industry.
“The good news just keeps on coming from the Trump Administration,” WVCA President Bill Raney said. “And for this good news to come on a day when he will be visiting West Virginia makes it even more significant because our coalfields were ground zero for the Obama Administration’s war on coal. It will be an honor to be in Charleston tonight with President Trump when he announces his plans to replace the Obama “Costly Power Plan” with a true domestic energy policy that will protect American jobs.”
During Trump’s rally at the Charleston Civic Center tonight, the president is expected to highlight the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s replacement of the Clean Power Plan (CPP), an Obama-era set of regulations that would have made it far more difficult, if not impossible, to use coal as a fuel source for electricity in the United States and put thousands of our coal miners out of work.
The EPA is replacing the CPP with a more reasonable set of regulations that still will aim to reduce carbon dioxide air emissions, relying on plant-by-plant evaluations to determine the best path forward for individual facilities to increase efficiency and lower emissions, rather than seizing control of the nation’s entire electric grid from the power plant to the wall plug.
“The coal industry has proven time and again that we are the best environmentalists out there,” Raney said. “U.S. coal plants have reduced toxic air emissions by more than 90 percent over the last few decades. We are committed to continuing to make improvements while protecting America’s domestic energy security and, most importantly, to keep our West Virginians working.”
Please join us this Tuesday evening to show President Trump how much we appreciate all he has done for coal and coal mining.
From positive changes in policies that govern mining to removing the ban on coal-fired electric utilities, President Trump has kept his word in putting our people back to work.
If you’re interested in joining us on Tuesday in a special section near the stage at the Charleston Civic Center cheering on President Trump please use the form below by the close of business today, August 20th, 2018!
Limited seating is available so don’t hesitate to respond! Please wear your company's clothing or attire.
West Virginia is headed in the right direction and there is much to celebrate. Our unemployment rate is low, job growth is high, we anticipate a budget surplus for the first time in years and our workforce participation rate is improving. And this is just the beginning.
Our teachers received a historic raise. We are seeing an incredible amount of infrastructure development. Road and bridge construction is underway at an unprecedented rate and multiple interstate natural gas pipelines are being developed, which will help grow our state’s gas industry and the jobs it provides.
Gov. Jim Justice is leading the charge with President Donald Trump to assure mining and power plant jobs are retained in West Virginia. The Trump-Justice Plan will ensure the safety of America’s power grid while helping grow our economy here at home.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Coal Association had the opportunity to join Gov. Jim Justice in publicly thanking President Donald Trump for taking historic action to protect the American coal industry.
During a press conference June 7 at the West Virginia State Capitol, Justice and WVCA Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton explained to news media the importance of Trump’s June 1 directive to U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
Taking inspiration from the Justice’s energy plan and the governor’s public commitment to rebuilding West Virginia’s coal industry, Trump ordered Secretary Perry on June 1 to take immediate steps to protect the viability of American coal-fired and nuclear-fired power plants. Hamilton said the Trump-Justice plan calls for federal incentives to prevent the closure of additional plants. Any additional closures would weaken the nation’s electrical grid even further and risk continued reliable delivery of electric power to American homes and businesses.
Things continue to be difficult for a number of coalfield families this Christmas season and the wonderful ladies of the Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary are doing everything they can to help these families have as good a holiday as possible through their “Giving Hearts” Program. Their program provides toys, new clothes and food to the less fortunate in schools, housing projects, churches and deployed military families. Last year, the Ladies were able to provide a bountiful Christmas to 27 families, who were in dire need and were most appreciative.
As I’ve said many times, “These ladies are unbelievable. The tremendous job they do to make sure people are provided for…..that’s just representative of our coal industry”. They “NEVER QUIT” working on our industry’s behalf with well-known agencies to identify the families and to verify their needs as well as the needs of those families whose breadwinner is deployed on active military duty and away from home.
This, of course, takes money and the Ladies are in desperate need of financial assistance in order to properly carry out their humanitarian representation of our industry for these families. I ask that you please consider a contribution to help the Ladies show everyone that COAL continues to CARE through their worthwhile “Giving Hearts” Program. Of course, any amount would be most appreciated.
The Friends of Coal Ladies Auxiliary is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization to which personal and corporate checks can be written and mailed to P.O. Box 1109, Beckley, WV 25802. Contributions can also be made by clicking the “DONATE” button on their webpage, www.friendsofcoalladies.com, where more details of their activities are described. Regina Fairchild, Chairwoman of the Ladies Auxiliary asks that you contact her at rf961@suddenlink.net or 304-673-2995 if you have questions or need more information.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – In its most impactful decision to date for the nation’s energy security and stability, the Trump Administration has proposed repealing the so-called Clean Power Plan (CPP), and West Virginia’s coal companies could not be more elated.
“This administration continues to live up to the promises it made to the people in our coalfields,” said West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney. “We have been saying for years that the Clean Power Plan was a totally unworkable concept that would cause nothing but devastation for West Virginia’s economy while it forcibly reshaped the country’s electrical grid. With today’s announcement, we see the incredible value that comes with the Trump administration’s pragmatic review of previous environmental policies.”
In its official filing to repeal the Obama-era Clean Power Plan regulations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says the CPP requirements extend beyond what can be achieved by the country’s electric generators and exceed the statutory authority granted to EPA. Furthermore, EPA says it intends to “avoid potentially transformative economic, policy and political significance in the absence of a clear Congressional statement of intent to confer such authority on the Agency.”
Raney said West Virginia’s coal industry is continuing to enjoy a more robust market than it did just a year ago at this time, and repealing the CPP will provide even more market security for the coal industry. He said West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Legislature should be commended for their efforts over the last several years to combat the previous administration’s anti-coal policies and help West Virginia coal compete in the marketplace.
“All we ever have asked for is a level playing field, and repealing the CPP goes a long way toward achieving that goal,” Raney said.
Below is a letter I have sent to Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions regarding President Trump’s nomination of West Virginian – and Wheeling resident – David Zatezalo to be the new leader of the Mine Safety and Health Administration under the U.S. Department of Labor. I hope both of West Virginia’s senators – Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito – support to the fullest possible the nomination of a fellow West Virginian to such an important federal position. Mr. Zatezalo is eminently qualified for the position and would be a proud representation of the Mountain State in the Trump administration.
Dear Chairman Alexander:
I'm writing in support of the nomination of David G. Zatezalo, who has been nominated by President Trump to lead the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration under the US Department of Labor.David Zatezalo has demonstrated his competency and overall qualification throughout his 40 years of experience in the coal mining industry.From his earlier days as a UMW member and laborer to his most recent position heading up a major coal company, David has demonstrated his knowledge of mining many times over and when you add his technical training from the nation's leading mine engineering school – West Virginia University -- his experience level is unprecedented and uniquely qualifies him for this position.
As a supervisor and mine manager, David undeniably had the best interest and ensured the utmost safety for every mine worker and all fellow employees. Throughout his four (4) decades of mining, he has additionally acquired expertise in mine emergency, first responder and mine rescue applications and has earned the highest level of respect by his mining peers.
David knows mining. He is extremely competent and extraordinarily suited to lead our nation's coal mine health and safety programs and resources.
As a native West Virginian, he would make all of West Virginia and every miner proud to have him serve in the position of Assistant Secretary for Labor, Mine Safety and Health.
Sincerely,
Chris R. Hamilton Senior Vice President, West Virginia Coal Association Senior Member, West Virginia Coal Mine Health & Safety Board Senior Member, West Virginia Mine Safety & Technical Review Committee
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – An uptick in the state business index can be attributed mostly to the state’s coal industry, and the West Virginia Coal is thanking state lawmakers for helping the industry survive recent years of austerity.
According to a recent report by West Virginia University, the Mountain State Business Index jumped 0.3 percent in August, marking the index's 11th month-to-month gain over the past 13 months. Coal production accounted for the majority of the 0.3 percent increase in the MSBI, thanks to a 3.9 percent jump in output from the previous month.
“Thanks to the West Virginia Legislature, which has passed each component of the Coal Jobs and Safety Act over the past few years, our industry has been able to weather the regulatory storm that came out of Washington for eight years,” said Coal Association President Bill Raney. “Now that we have a more favorable attitude towards the coal industry at the federal level, we have renewed confidence that West Virginia’s coalfields will continue to play a major role in the state’s economic growth.”
