Manchin: "The product we're depending on." This is a lie, and a perfect example of swallowing industry propaganda and living in the past.
West
Virginia Seeks "Reset" on Coal With EPA
Greg Stotelmyer , Public News
Service-WV
http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/33778-1
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(08/02/13) CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The new head of the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was briefed Thursday by a West Virginia
delegation about the impact the agency's new policies could have on the state's
coal industry.
The Obama administration is moving to limit carbon
emissions from new power plants. Politicians and industry leaders who attended
the 45-minute meeting said EPA administrator Gina McCarthy was receptive to
their concerns.
"And, I really think that we are going to have the
opportunity to hit the reset button and begin a dialogue that hopefully
encourages coal to be a part of the president's energy plan going forward," said
Tim Miley, the Democratic speaker of the West Virginia House of
Delegates.
West Virginia is the third-largest energy producing state.
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin also attended the meeting. He maintains the EPA's
policies are overzealous and have led to the closing of coalmines and power
plants.
But environmental groups back the direction the EPA is heading.
"We've never been entirely satisfied with the EPA,” said John McFerrin,
secretary of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy. “But we're more satisfied
now than at some times in the past. And, they certainly do not need to be reined
in."
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia called the meeting a very
respectful, direct and productive discussion about how the EPA’s policies have
hurt the coal industry.
"If anything just trying to prohibit the use of
the product we're depending on,” he said. “That makes no sense whatsoever. And,
I told them that the war on coal is not an optical illusion, it was
real."
Manchin said the delegation invited McCarthy, who is in her first
week as administrator of the EPA, to come to West Virginia to see first hand the
impact of the agency's decisions.
McFerrin disagrees with how Manchin
characterizes the situation.
“By any meaningful definition, it isn't a
war on coal," he said. "The proper way to look at it is, the dealings and
industry that has gotten to do whatever it pleased for the last, oh, forever and
if not getting to do everything that you want to do is your definition of war,
then I suppose it is."
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