WASHINGTON — Members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation were quick to praise Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s announcement on Monday that he will act Tuesday in a bid to repeal a rule limiting greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants.
In Kentucky on Monday, Pruitt said the EPA would publish the proposed news Tuesday, The Washington Post reported.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., was quick to support Pruitt.
“For years, the Obama administration waged a war on coal and issued heavy-handed regulations to pick winners and losers among energy industries,” Capito said in a news release.
“In West Virginia, our coal miners, their families and entire communities felt the blow of that misguided approach to energy production.
“It’s refreshing to see how committed the Trump administration is to pursuing a true all-of-the-above energy policy, and Administrator Pruitt’s announcement is another sign that America’s energy strategy is headed in the right direction,” Capito said.
“Our country can be a real global leader when it comes to energy production, but we can’t shutter entire industries that have helped power this country for decades. We should responsibly embrace all forms of energy production, do what we can to improve them and continue to explore new and innovative energy options,” Capito said.
“I appreciate the Trump administration’s commitment to creating and preserving good energy jobs and expanding America’s energy potential, and I look forward to continuing to work together to achieve these important goals,” the senator said.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D.-W.Va., also applauded the move by Pruitt.
"I am pleased that the EPA, Administrator Pruitt and President Trump are pursuing an all-of-the-above energy policy that acknowledges and respects the role coal will play in our energy portfolio. For eight years, the misguided Obama-era policies attacked coal and our hard-working
Gov. Jim Justice, also a Republican, termed it “great news for our state and the coal industry. Coal has been steadily recovering, we’ve seen an upturn in severance taxes and this decision will clearly help put our coal miners back to work.”
“President Trump promised me he was going to take care of our miners, and he is doing just that,” Justice added. “We are pleased that the director of the EPA is taking these steps to repeal the current rule.”
U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, R-W.Va., also praised the decision by Pruitt and the Trump administration.
“After eight years of radical environmental policies from the White House, we now have a president focused on bringing coal jobs back. President Trump promised to fight for our miners and our way of life, and he is keeping his word,” Jenkins said in a news release.
“The Obama administration used this rule to pick winners and losers at the expense of West Virginia’s jobs. I will continue to work with President Trump on solutions that will move West Virginia forward, create more jobs, and return the EPA to its core mission,” Jenkins said.