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In December, 2009, U.S. Senator Robert Byrd delivered one of the most critical speeches of the latter part of his storied career. Byrd called for an “open and honest dialog about coal’s future.”
Byrd questioned the future of mountaintop removal mining, acknowledged the “mounting science of climate change,” called out the coal industry for “fear mongering” and “grandstanding” and called for the industry to “embrace the future” by working with Congress and regulatory agencies.
It was a politically explosive speech; one that ran counter to the traditional tack taken by coalfield politicians from West Virginia. But he was Robert Byrd, the iconic West Virginia figure whose considerable political capital made him unbeatable on Election Day.
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In December,, 2009, U.S. Senator Robert Byrd delivered one of the most critical speeches of the latter part of his storied career. Byrd called for an “open and honest dialog about coal’s future.”
Byrd questioned the future of mountaintop removal mining, acknowledged the “mounting science of climate change,” called out the coal industry for “fear mongering” and “grandstanding” and called for the industry to “embrace the future” by working with Congress and regulatory agencies.
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"West Virginia's coal mining community is extremely disappointed in Senator Rockefeller’s vote yesterday in the U.S. Senate against a resolution (SJR 37) that would have disapproved the EPA’s Utility MACT rule, the most expensive rule ever proposed by this agency. It was a bad day for the industry, our people and consumers throughout West Virginia. We are even more disappointed by Senator Rockefeller's speech on the floor of the Senate in which he questioned the coal industry's commitment to our people, their health and safety and the future of our state. I can tell you, with confidence, that there is nothing more important to our members than the safety of their employees, their long term health and the wellness of their families. To suggest otherwise is absolutely disingenuous.
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CHARLESTON -- The following statement was issued by Bill Raney, President of the West Virginia Coal Association, in response to Senator Jay Rockefeller's vote on Wednesday to help defeat (46-53) a resolution (S.J. Res 37) that would have blocked implementation of EPA’s Utility MACT rule:
"West Virginia's coal mining community is extremely disappointed in Senator Rockefeller’s vote yesterday in the U.S. Senate against a resolution (SJR 37) that would have disapproved the EPA’s Utility MACT rule, the most expensive rule ever proposed by this agency. It was a bad day for the industry, our people and consumers throughout West Virginia. We are even more disappointed by Senator Rockefeller's speech on the floor of the Senate in which he questioned the coal industry's commitment to our people, their health and safety and the future of our state. I can tell you, with confidence, that there is nothing more important to our members than the safety of their employees, their long term health and the wellness of their families. To suggest otherwise is absolutely disingenuous.
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