The Friends of Coal petition to protect America’s coal jobs has already collected approximately 6,000 letters of support through our convenient online tool.   The online tool allows you to file your comments calling on EPA to rescind its job-killing regulations that are halting the construction of new coal-fired power plants and essentially forcing the closure of existing plants.  The letters are sent directly to the EPA’s official comments email address.

If you have not already done so, we ask that you visit the out online petition and add your support. You can do so at www.friendsofcoal.org/soundoff.  Please do it today – for all of us!

The Capito for Senate campaign will host a “Working for Jobs Rally” Tuesday, August 19, 2014 at Tamarack in Beckley. The rally will be held in Ballroom A from 2:30PM to 3:30PM.

Show your support for creating and keeping jobs in West Virginia and stand up to the policies and regulations put forth by the Obama Administration in their never ending War on Coal.

The West Virginia Coal Association was invited to Thursday’s meeting of the Kanawha County Commission to discuss the impact of the recent layoff announcements that could potentially impact as many as 1400 coal miners – many of them from Kanawha and surrounding counties.  

WVCA Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton and Vice President Jason Bostic met with the Commission, providing up-to-date information regarding the layoffs. Hamilton spoke about the issue at the regular Commission Meeting Thursday evening in Charleston.

WVCA Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton was a guest on Thursday’s “After the Bell” show on Fox Business News.  Interviewed by phone, Hamilton spoke about the recent increase in coal imports from Russia, Columbia and other countries – imports that are displacing Appalachian coal in markets traditionally served by West Virginia, Kentucky and other eastern coal producing states.

Host David Asman said it was unbelievable that American coal miners were being laid off while coal was increasingly shipped from other countries due in large part to the costs associated with compliance with new federal regulations imposed by the Obama Administration.  
If you want to see the segment in its entirety, it is available at http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/3730691123001/why-is-the-us-importing-coal/#sp=show-clips.

Gene Kitts, Alpha Natural Resources’ Senior Vice President for Environmental Affairs, and WVCA President Bill Raney joined federal and state political leaders Tuesday for a roundtable discussion of the federal government’s ‘War on Coal’ as well as some of the steps being taken to address the situation.  The roundtable discussion was part of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce’s 2014 Coal Symposium.