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The U.S. House Energy & Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee held a field hearing Monday, September 26 here in Charleston, West Virginia. The hearing focused on the Obama Administration’s attempts to rewrite the Stream Buffer Zone rule and potential damage this would cause to the nation’s coal industry.
Jason Bostic, vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, testified at the hearing, which was held at the Kanawha County Courthouse. Bostic told committee members that the OSM and federal EPA are engaged in an assault on coal that usurps the lawmaking powers of the Congress and upsets the Constitutional balance between the three branches of government.
Governor Tomblin also spoke to the Committee. "All told, more than 63,000 West Virginians work in jobs provided by the coal industry. That is 63,000 families," Governor Tomblin said. "Think about it for a moment -that means approximately 250,000 people in a state with less than two million citizens are supported, in one way or another, by the mining of coal."
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Coal mining has a unique relationship with West Virginians – even those a thousand miles away. A dedicated group of West Virginia University alumni conducted their own Mountaineer Mantrip in Tampa, Fla. this past weekend.
Jeff Fenske, Andre Janecki and the rest of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the WVU Alumni still managed to bring a little piece of the Mountain State to their new city. They have a 35-pound chunk of coal to rub for good luck before the Mountaineers took on No. 2 Louisiana State University.
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The West Virginia Business & Industry Council (BIC), an organization representing more than 250,000 West Virginia employees across 26 separate industry categories, has endorsed Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor in the upcoming special general election on Oct. 4, organization officials announced today.
Jan Vineyard, chairman of BIC, said, “As America again teeters on the brink of recession and with our state’s financial outlook looking better by the quarter, West Virginia needs a governor with proven leadership and a deep understanding of the budgetary and policy issues we face. Earl Ray Tomblin is best prepared and best suited to lead us into the future.”
Vineyard cited Tomblin’s work to combat the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s unfair and anticompetitive policies on mining, his efforts to lure a billion dollar ethane processing facility, the paving and construction of many miles of roadway through the state and passing legislation to further lower the sales tax on food, as proactive initiatives that are benefiting all West Virginians.
“West Virginia has seen steady economic growth, greater transparency in government and decreases in both business and consumers taxes under Earl Ray Tomblin’s tenure as Senate President and Acting Governor,” Vineyard said. “While much more work remains to be done, Earl Ray Tomblin has the experience and leadership ability to move the state forward.”
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The Association is endorsing Acting Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for Governor in the upcoming October 4th General Election.
In making the announcement at the Bluefield Coal Show, Chairman Gary White said the decision by the Association’s Executive Committee is in recognition of Tomblin’s lifetime of service to the people of West Virginia and his proven record of fiscal responsibility and leadership while serving as president of the Senate.
“Our state is fortunate to have the choice between two capable candidates as Governor Tomblin and Republican candidate Bill Maloney, who has worked in and has many friends in the industry,” White said. “We want to thank each of them for their dedication, but we believe it is critical for the state to have a seasoned, demonstrated leader like Earl Ray Tomblin to guide us through the stormy seas of overly stringent federal intervention and regulation.
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Logan native and winner of America’s Got Talent, Landau Murphy, Jr. was the honored guest and performer of the Star Spangled Banner at the opening of the WVU vs. LSU football game this past Saturday night. Landau became only the second person to ever sing the National Anthem in the history of Mountaineer Field and Mylan Puskar Stadium.
Landau and his wife were one of our guests at the Annual Meeting at The Greenbrier this past August, before winner the AGT contest. As you can see he is very proud of his roots to the coal industry and Friends of Coal.
Landau won $1 million and a year’s contract at a Vegas venue and his opening show will be October 28th.
We thank him and Wish Him Well!- Details
Earlier today, the House also adopted an amendment to the bill sponsored by Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) that would impose additional delays on the ability of the EPA to implement the Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) and the proposed Utility MACT rule. The Whitfield amendment passed on a vote of 234 to 188, with 15 Republicans voting NO and 13 Democrats voting YES.
The TRAIN Act and the Whitfield amendment are key legislative priorities for NMA. We engaged in an aggressive and comprehensive advocacy campaign to ensure passage of both the Whitfield amendment and the underlying bill, including direct lobbying, grassroots advocacy, coalition efforts with allied organizations, media engagement and advertising. The legislation will now be sent to the Senate, where our efforts will continue to advance it, either as a stand-alone bill, or in the context of other must-pass legislati
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by Amber Marra
Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A dedicated group of West Virginia University alumni will be conducting their own Mountaineer Mantrip tomorrow all the way from Tampa, Fla.
But don't think that Jeff Fenske, Andre Janecki and the rest of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the WVU Alumni will be walking the whole 900 miles from the Sunshine State to Mountaineer Field.
In spite of the chapter's distance from West Virginia, members still managed to bring a little piece of the Mountain State to their new city. They have a 35-pound chunk of coal to rub for good luck before the Mountaineers take on No. 2 Louisiana State University.
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By George F. Will, Published: September 23
PHOENIX
Cindy Vong is a tiny woman with a problem as big as the government that is causing it. She wants to provide a service that will enable customers “to brighten up their days.” Having fish nibble your feet may not be your idea of fun, but lots of people around the world enjoy it, and so did some Arizonans until their bossy government butted in, in the service of a cartel. Herewith a story that illustrates how governments that will not mind their own business impede the flourishing of businesses.
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We've always said the EPA's extra-legal attempt to rewrite the 1970 Clean Air Act to twist it into a greenhouse gas law -- cap-and-trade by other means -- would be a disaster. Up to now, EPA tried to claim it would only apply permitting requirements to large industrial facilities. Now it is finally telling the truth -- that applying the Clean Air Act as written will force permitting for even small commercial facilities, schools, hospitals, churches, restaurants that use natural gas as a cooking fuel, and even larger single family homes.
In a court filing last week, EPA quantified the vast new army of federal bureaucrats it will need to process millions of new permits under the Prevention of Significant Deterioration and Title V permitting process. A shocking 230,000 new EPA bureaucrats at a cost of $21 billion -- more than tripling the EPA's total budget. In the filing EPA says it will reach these levels by April 30, 2016.
Based on the historical relationship between the number of federal regulators and private sector employment recently quantified by the Phoenix Center the addition of 230,000 federal bureaucrats would destroy 22.5 million private sector jobs.
- Obama Administration to Ban Asthma Inhalers Over Environmental Concerns
- The Economy Won't Recover Anytime Soon: President Obama's EPA Will Not Provide the Stability Businesses Need
- Action Alert - 26 Sept 2011
- Arch Coal Gives WVU $300K for Mine Safety Research
- Afghanistan-focused training for U.S. forces debuts in West Virginia
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