Coal companies blame its woes on the success of the Obama Administration and the EPA for succeeding in their legislation to tighten mining permit limitations and environmental standards.
“Everything you heard today is going to increase the cost of energy,” Rick Taylor of the Pocahontas Coal Association said. “When the public realizes that each of the new regulations impacting the coal industry will lead to higher energy costs, It will be an eye-opener for the public. The changes will impact everyone.”
Bill Raney, president of The West Virginia Coal Association, repeated the company line by saying that more than half of the nation’s energy comes from coal. He continued by saying that “People inside the Beltway have got to understand this.”
What Mr. Raney knows, but doesn’t want to articulate, is that people inside the Beltway do know this, and are attempting to lower that statistic.
Gene Kitts, senior vice president/mining services International Coal Group gave a presentation of the new challenges facing the coal industry, subtitled “EPA versus Mining — Trading jobs for mayflies,” and reported on the recent series of regulations from the federal Environmental Protection Agency that require almost no impact on the mine site.
Ebell addressed the coal industry’s concerns about efforts by President Barack Obama’s administration position on climate change legislation.
Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association talked about the future of surface mining (Mountain Top Removal) in the context of new EPA permits and Jason Bostic, vice president of the association provided additional details concerning new permit requirements and how they impact the future of coal mining.
Dan Pochick is the president and CEO of Risch Machinery, says his company is suffering from the uncertainty in the industry. “Our sales to the mining industry,the sales of heavy machinery, really since early on this year, after the first-quarter have virtually disappeared. We haven’t sold a piece of mining equipment in probably nearly 90 days.”
Many of the Summit participants blamed the Obama Administration and the EPA for succeeding in their legislation to tighten mining permit limitations and environmental standards.
Source: Bluefield Daily Telegraph and WVPubCast
Related posts:
