Annual Event to Feature State Congressional Delegation and Governor Tomblin

CHARLESTON – The 38th Annual West Virginia Coal Association Mining Symposium will run February 2-4 at the Charleston Civic Center.  Topics at this year’s event include environmental, safety and economic development issues. A primary focus of this year’s event will be the recent changes in the U.S. Congress and their potential impact on issues important to the future of our coal industry.

Guest speakers at this year’s event include:

·         Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin

·         U.S. Sen. John D. Rockefeller, IV

·         U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin

·         Rep. Nick Joe Rahall (3rd District – WV)

·         Rep. Shelley Moore-Capito (2nd District – WV)

·         Rep. David McKinley, (1st District – WV)

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.

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.

More Stories:

http://booneexaminer.com/capitol-procoal-rally-p1008-1.htm

http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=92975

http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/110120_4042.shtml

http://www.dailymail.com/News/201101201510

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More Photos:

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

The Friends of Coal would like to thank the more than 1,000 coal miners, their families and supporters who gathered at the State Capitol Thursday in a peaceful protest of the Obama Administration and its EPA's ongoing assault against Appalachian coal.

The rally was called by Governor 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 Senator 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 Governor Tomblin, Senator 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.

We would also like to thank our numerous member companies who participated, as well as FACES, Citizens for Coal, the Logan Coal Vendors, the Coal Forum, the Mountaintop Mining Coalition, the Kentucky Coal Association and all the others who joined with us in making our voices heard.  We are making a difference in this effort to save coal mining jobs.

House Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) plans to take dead aim at the Environmental Protection Agency’s climate change regulations this year.

“We believe it critical that the Obama administration ‘stop’ imposing its new global warming regulatory regime, which will undermine economic growth and U.S. competitiveness for no significant benefit,” says the document, which lays out a suite of “key issues” that will come before the committee.

While the individual items included in the document are not surprising, the agenda, taken as a whole, illustrates the breadth of GOP opposition to the White House energy and environment agenda.