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Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill Thursday that will increase the amount of coal severance tax money going to coal producing counties. The measure will dedicate a share of relevant severance tax revenues to the 30 or so counties that actively produce coal. In comments to the media, Mark Muchow, of the State Tax Department, noted that five of these counties account for more than half of the coal produced over the last 10 years: Boone, Mingo, Kanawha, Logan and Monongalia.
Starting in July 2012, the state will deposit 1 percent of severance tax revenues into a special account for these counties. The share will increase annually, a percentage point at a time, until it reaches 5 percent in as many years. The annual yield is also capped at $20 million after those five years. Counties can draw down funds based on their share of the coal produced, but only for economic development projects and infrastructure.
"This is a good day for southern West Virginia, that's for sure," said Delegate Josh Stowers, a Lincoln County Democrat whose district also includes Logan and parts of Boone and Putnam counties. "This is a quality of life bill, when you start talking about the things that this money is going to go toward -- water and sewer and road repair, and some potential economic development."
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The remarks of Representative John Conyers, (D-MI) on Wednesday(shown below this response) were some of the most offensive, hypocritical remarks I have ever heard.
They were offensive because they were a direct affront to our wonderful coal miners, managers and their families in West Virginia. Our miners and managers are some of the most skilled and professional craftsmen in the world. They labor every day in a state they truly love and where they have chosen to pursue one of the most honorable professions in today’s working world. They are working everyday to bring light to America, provide for their families, educate their children, strengthen their communities and manifest the traditional work ethic of patriotic Americans. Yet, Representative Conyers flippantly suggests they should be laid off and seek alternative employment.
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Staff Report , Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG - Congressmen from West Virginia are riled over a representative's comments criticizing coal.
Rep. John Conyers, a Democrat from Michigan, said there was no such thing as clean coal and workers dependent on coal mining in West Virginia should find other work. Conyers, who has been in Congress about 50 years, spoke Wednesday on behalf of Lisa Jackson, director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which has attempted to curtail coal usage through administrative rules, at the EPA's 2011 Environmental Justice Conference in Detroit.
http://www.newsandsentinel.
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West Virginia's exports rose from $3.1 billion in the first six months of 2010 to $4.4 billion in the same period this year. The U.S. growth rate was 18%.
Coal accounted for $2.6 billion of West Virginia's total. Plastics was second with $575.1 million in exports.
West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney tells the Charleston Daily Mail (http://bit.ly/nna6VO ) that the latest figures are good news for everyone in West Virginia.
http://www.wvva.com/story/
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John McArdle, E&E Reporter
DETROIT -- House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers (D-Mich.) today said "clean coal" doesn't exist and thatWest Virginia coal miners should switch to other jobs during a speech at the opening session of U.S. EPA's 2011 Environmental Justice Conference.
"From my limited understanding, there is no such thing as clean coal," said Conyers, filling in for EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who had been invited to give this morning's keynote address.
The American public continues to be bombarded by the idea that coal has a future in this country due to powerful special interest groups and regional advocates, Conyers said.
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