WV lawmakers express support for bill meant to push back against EPA

More than a dozen state lawmakers gathered at the Capitol on Monday to praise the introduction of a bill by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito that seeks to push back against proposed federal regulations on the nation’s energy sector.

Following a morning discussion on tax reform, Senate President Bill Cole, R-Mercer, led a press conference in support of the Affordable Reliable Energy Now Act (ARENA).

The bill seeks to block the implementation of rules proposed last year by the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at curbing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the country. Although the final rules have not been set, there has been significant pushback, including a lawsuit against the agency brought forth by 15 states, including West Virginia.

Opponents of the proposed EPA rules argue they will significantly affect the coal industry, which has already been struggling.

“Nobody’s against clean air but the extent that President Obama and his EPA want to go will cause devastating harm to our coal industry and thousands of West Virginia families,” said Cole, calling the proposed emissions reduction standards “unprecedented, complicated and expensive.”

“Today we reaffirm our commitment to defend our coal industry and our state’s electricity consumers. Washington’s heavy hand seems determined to harm our state, our citizens and our industries,” he said.

Praising both Capito and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, who was the sole co-sponsor of the ARENA bill when it was introduced, the Senate president encouraged the state’s House of Representatives delegation to assist in passing the legislation through Congress. “Promote this legislation and promote the most abundant, most inexpensive and most reliable source of energy our country has -- coal. Our economic future depends on coal and the freedom it brings.”

Speaker of the House Tim Armstead, R-Kanawha, said the introduction of the bill comes at a time when the state’s coal industry is facing threats.

“Sadly it’s become almost a monthly occurrence the coal mines are shutting down in our state,” he said. “We’re seeing WARN notices being issued to our employees and hardworking West Virginians in our coal industry are finding themselves unemployed.”

Armstead derided the Obama administration for imposing unreasonable and oppressive regulations on the state.

“This White House has said once again, loudly and clearly, that it doesn’t care about West Virginia,” he said before turning to Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

Offering praise for the work Republicans accomplished during the 2015 legislative session, Hamilton called the issue a bipartisan one. “It’s not about Democrats or Republicans. It’s about our elected officials standing up for the men and women who have done so much for this state, so much for this nation.”

Hamilton said coal mining in the United States is being attacked by federal regulation at a time when global demand is rising.

“There are more megawatts of coal-fired electric plants being developed around the world as we speak than what the United States has in totality,” he said.

Concluding the event, Cole said, “West Virginians’ history and West Virginia’s fate should not be and cannot be decided by an executive order or by a group of non-elected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”

“Coal is simply the first fossil fuel in the gun-sights of our president and his EPA. Natural gas will be next,” he warned. “We need to draw a line in the sand, right here and right now.”