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Details: January 29, 2011

Logan Banner
by J.D. CHARLES, Staff Writer

The revocation of an approved surface mining permit could have devastating effects on Logan County and all of Appalachia if it sets a precedent, a Logan County official is warning.

Rocky Adkins said that there is more in the balance than just 250 good paying mining jobs and coal severance taxes.

Adkins said only surface mining operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and other parts of Appalachia have been singled out by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Obama administration and that West Virginia — in particular — has been hit hard by how the current EPA administration has chosen to interpret laws regarding the Spruce Mine permit.

Details: January 20, 2011

CHARLESTON -- More than 1000 coal miners, their families and supporters gathered at the State Capitol Thursday in peaceful protest of the Obama Administration and its EPA's ongoing assault against Appalachian coal.

The rally was called by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin in the wake of last week's veto by the EPA of a three-year old permit issued for Mingo-Logan's Spruce #1 surface mine in Logan County.

Tomblin was joined by Sen. Joe Manchin, representatives of the state's congressional delegation and legislative leaders of both parties for the rally.

Tomblin pledged his administration will continue the state's efforts to fight the EPA's assault on the state's coal industry. Manchin told the crowd his first legislation as senator will be aimed at reining in the job-killing policies of the EPA.

The Friends of Coal would like to thank Gov. Tomblin, Sen. Manchin, Acting Senate President Jeff Kessler, Speaker of the House Richard Thompson and the hundreds of miners, their families and our friends who turned out to show their support of our state's primary industry.

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More Photos:

http://wvphotos.smugmug.com/BooneExaminerNews/2011/01-20-Capitol-Coal-Rallies-pro/15526415_yhZbE#1163002706_6B6z9

Details: January 20, 2011

The West Virginia State Senate passed, Thursday, a resolution calling on the U.S. EPA to reconsider its veto of the Mingo-Logan Spruce #1 Mine in Logan County. EPA announced its retroactive veto of the permit, a permit granted almost four years ago, earlier this week. Senate and House leaders of both parties joined with Governor Earl Ray Tomblin and Senator Joe Manchin at the Capitol Coal Rally Thursday afternoon.

Full text of the Resolution follows:

SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 10

(By Senators Kessler (Acting President), Green, Unger, Browning, McCabe, Stollings, Sypolt, Plymale, K. Facemyer, Williams, Minard, Hall, Laird, Jenkins, Boley, Nohe, Yost, Klempa, Wells, Prezioso, Beach, Miller, Palumbo, Snyder, Edgell, D. Facemire and Tucker)

Urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider its January 13, 2011, action to veto the permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Spruce Mine in Logan County, West Virginia.

Details: January 20, 2011

The West Virginia Business & Industry Council (BIC), an organization representing more than 250,000 West Virginia employees across 26 separate industry categories, calls upon the West Virginia Legislature to enact legislation establishing a Primary Election to nominate candidates for the mandated Special Election for governor.

Jan Vineyard, chairman of BIC, said, “Every West Virginian deserves the right to cast a vote for their choice for Governor. While we respect the Supreme Court’s decision, we believe there needs to be a Primary Election, as opposed to the Convention system referenced in the Court’s ruling.”

For additional information, contact Jan Vineyard at (304) 343-5500, or visit the BIC website at www.wvbic.org <http://www.wvbic.org/> .

Details: January 20, 2011

Dear Fox News,

I am highly disappointed in your news coverage on the evening of January 17, by Shepard Smith. I have never heard such bias and ignorance, reported in such a scathing tone by your news organization about the coal industry and the revocation by the EPA of this mining permit in West Virginia. My family and I have long been proponents of your news coverage and I have to say, you are “just plain dumb” as to the aesthetics of this topic and industry. The news media and the rest of the country, so like to portray the people of Appalachia in this manner, so maybe the tables have turned. We have lived in this great state, (one of the few in this country that is not financially in trouble) for the last 19 years. I am an accountant, bookkeeper and real estate agent and self-employed business woman who is married to, yes, the coal industry. It is my heritage and our way of life. My husband is a Professional Engineer with 28 years of mining experience and two engineering degrees from the University of Kentucky, and contrary to public perception, this industry has more great minds and degrees than your whole organization put together.

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