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June, 25 2012 |
CHARLESTON -- The following statement is being issued by the WV Coal Forum in response to Senator Jay Rockefeller's vote on Wednesday to help defeat (46-53) a resolution (S.J. Res 37) that would have blocked implementation of EPA’s Utility MACT rule:
"West Virginia's coal mining community is extremely disappointed in Senator Rockefeller’s vote yesterday in the U.S. Senate against a resolution(SJR 37) that would have disapproved the EPA’s Utility MACT rule, the most expensive rule ever proposed by this agency. It was a bad day for the industry, our people and consumers throughout West Virginia.
Despite a broad-based bipartisan coalition of industry, labor and elected officials, both local and statewide including our Governor, urging his support of the resolution, Senator Rockefeller decided to continue to follow the Obama Administration’s agenda to senselessly eliminate coal as a viable source for electric generation. Our people know what is at stake, and believe we have much more to lose with the Utility MACT rule than gain. We have stood with thousands of coal miners and their families over the past three years, at meeting after meeting, at rallies and at hearings. We counted on Senator Rockefeller to stand with us and listen to the voices of the thousands of West Virginians who have pleaded simply for a chance to work, to earn a living and take care of their families.
This strong support of individuals and groups from across West Virginia was no scare tactic, but rather a deep, sincere concern for the future of our State, our families and our professional workforce. The Obama Administration’s assault on the West Virginia and Appalachian coal industry is real, as demonstrated by myriad of new coal regulations and policies from several agencies with unrealistic requirements and timetables, the intervention in the permitting process in six Appalachian states, as well as the agency’s revocation of the Spruce permit in Logan County.
The Utility MACT rule as drafted will essentially prevent the construction of new coal fired generation into the future. West Virginian’s embrace a clean coal future and have anew coal-fired power plant that is one of the cleanest in the nation, and emits a tiny fraction of the emissions of the previous generation of power plants. The current generation of new coal fired power plants will meet the Utility MACT rule, however, the bar was set so high for plants into the future that the technology doesn’t exist to meet those standards. Senator Rockefeller knows this yet he has decided to ignore this fact.
Our nation is best served through the pursuit of policies that are focused on balance, practicality and energy security. The foundation of such policies require wise utilization of all our domestic energy sources. We as a nation cannot continue to effectively abandon our most abundant and reliable American energy resource and expect to achieve energy independence.”
Chris Hamilton, Co-Chair
Fred Tucker, Co-Chair
West Virginia Coal Forum |
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May, 21 2012 |
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A Senate Resolution introduced by Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) would nullify the EPA's Utility MACT rule, finalized this past December. Under Congressional rules, if the resolution gains 30 pledges of support from the Senate, it must be placed on the Senate Calendar for vote. With a simple majority vote by the full Senate, the resolution would overturn the MACT rule. We urge West Virginia Senators Joe Manchin and Jay Rockefeller to support the Inhofe Resolution. The EPA's Utility MACT rule is the agency's most expensive regulation ever for power plants. It imposes steep costs to the economy and endangers hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide, with many of them right here in West Virginia. Sound off here! |
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May, 07 2012 |
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We encourage YOU to participate –
The West Virginia Coal Forum – an organization representing both labor and management in the coal industry – will host three forums across West Virginia featuring Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, Congressman Nick Joe Rahall, Congressman David McKinley, UMWA President Cecil Roberts and others to discuss EPA’s War on Coal and, specifically, the agency’s greenhouse gas and Utility MACT proposed rules.
These rules will significantly affect West Virginia jobs, and in fact, have already resulted in the announced premature closure of several state power plants. The purpose of the Coal Forum events are to increase awareness of the harmful impacts these rules will have on the economy of Appalachia and to discuss strategies for reversing them.
Stakeholders in West Virginia’s mining economy – industry leaders, mining personnel, association representatives, local legislators and policy leaders – are encouraged to attend.
Confirm your attendance at one or all of the events by emailing your name, title, organization and the event you plan to attend to
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EVENT DATES:
May 22, 2012
Charleston, WV
Embassy Suites Hotel
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.
Featuring Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito and UMWA President Cecil Roberts
May 23, 2012
Wheeling, WV
Oglebay Resort
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Featuring Congressman David McKinley
May 24, 2012
Beckley, WV
Country Inn & Suites / Mountaineer Conference Center
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Featuring Congressman Nick Joe Rahall (Senator Manchin will have representatives at each meeting.) |
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Joel L. Watts
Administrator
Chris Hamilton
Co-Chair
Fred Tucker
Co-Chair   Amid soaring fuel prices and energy crunches in various parts of the country, we'd like to take this opportunity to thank an old friend and applaud West Virginia's readily available and abundant energy source - Coal! While many states who rely on natural gas, nuclear, oil and other base fuels for electric generation are facing extremely high bills this winter, West Virginia enjoys some of the lowest electric costs in the nation thanks to coal. West Virginian's should be thankful that we have an inexpensive and dependable energy source to power our lives. Coal, it works for West Virginia |
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