MORGANTOWN — United States Senator Shelley Moore Capito addressed several issues Monday, including the expected coal mining layoffs and the state’s infrastructure.
During a breakfast event hosted by the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, Capito updated members of the chamber on her position in Washington, D.C. She also discussed recent coal mining layoffs with members.
On Friday, Murray Energy announced that the company is expecting to lay off more than 1,800 mine workers, most from West Virginia with 1,417 workers.
Capito talked about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan, which plans to cut carbon pollution from power plants and coal-fired plants, and her efforts in countering the plan.
Capito said she has partnered with United States Senator Joe Manchin with the Affordable Reliable Energy Now (ARENA) Act.
“(ARENA) basically says ‘lets figure out a way to reach a goal the president wants to reach,’” Capito said. “We know that every coal plant in the state of West Virginia does not meet the regulations the president has set out.”
Capito called the ARENA Act the senate’s “principle legislative vehicle” against the Clean Power Plan. She said one of the ideas of the ARENA?Act is that states can opt out of the Clean Power Plan if a governor feels that it would raise prices too much or economically harm an area.
Capito said another aspect of the ARENA Act is that the Clean Power Plan can’t move forward with the metrics until “the courts have decided affirmatively that the Clean Power Plan is constitutional.”
“We’ve already seen the effects with the jobs lost over the last week,” she said. “It’s job killing and it’s really harmful to us.”
When Capito heard the news about Murray Energy’s expected layoffs she said she was “crushed.”
“My heart goes out to the families,” Capito said. “There are so many families affected... I think it just illustrates the harmful nature of the policies the president has been pursuing.”
During the breakfast event Capito also discussed the condition of the roads in West Virginia.
During the question and answer segment of the event, members of the chamber asked about funding to repair and upgrade roads.
Capito said in order to keep up with the demands of the state’s roads, funding has to be available.
“The problem is funding,” she said. “It’s funded by federal gas tax but now vehicles are more efficient so we don’t have enough money in the highway trust funds.”
Frank Vitale, the chairman of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, said having Capito visit with the members opens opportunities for the chamber to work with her.
“She chairs a variety of committees all of which have major impact on the state of West Virginia,” Vitale said. “I think having her in the position she’s in in the Senate, is going to be very helpful to us.”