Stop the EPA’s attack on coal
By Brian Kirwin | Monday, May 9th, 2011 | PolicyWith cap and trade and other actions, it’s no secret that the Environmental Protection Agency and the Obama Administration have been seeking ways to put the coal industry out of business. My recent article, Old King Coal is Still King, pointed out how shortsighted that is.
Now with gas prices through the roof and electricity rates getting there, the EPA has positioned itself to begin implementing new mandates that could leave thousands of Americans and Virginians without jobs.
Not that Congress approved it. The EPA is doing all of this without the approval of, or even input from, our legislative branch of Government. This action has resulted in several states, including our very own Virginia House of Delegates, to pass resolutions asking Congress to address the proposed regulations.
Introduced by Delegate James Morefield, the Virginia resolution was flat-out a necessary step to protect all Virginians from the consequences of burdensome regulations on power producers.
32,000 Virginians rely on coal-related jobs and over 44% of all electricity in the state is generated via coal-fired power plants? Higher energy costs associated with any interruption in electricity production will disproportionately affect low income groups who are already struggling in a sluggish economy. The House of Delegates should be commended because they understand that the EPA’s rules are not about what is best for Virginia, but are an overt attempt to stifle American prosperity.
Coal is a viable resource in Virginia. Delegate Morefield and 65 of his other colleagues who voted in the affirmative understand the of importance coal-fired power. They also understand the ramifications of the full frontal assault on Virginia by the EPA. Both inside and outside the Obama Administration, environmentalists have embraced the EPA’s regulatory train wreck as the most effective means by which they can do battle for their declared war on coal.
Just last month the EPA proposed a new regulation that would force our energy producers to invest substantial funds in technology to test and limit their emissions, and in some cases—get this! —the technology isn’t even commercially available! Naturally the energy companies will be passing on the costs of this new Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) policy to consumers, and they might even be forced to close several coal-fired plants. The cost to Virginians would be significant, both in terms of hundreds of jobs as well as increased electricity costs to everyone.
The EPA is simply circumventing the legislative process to impose these regulations because even they recognize that their proposals would never have a chance passing, just as Cap and Trade did not pass when the facts were laid out and the truth was told.
This attempt to legislate through regulation must be stopped. We elect representatives and send them to Washington to have the opportunity to debate the issues and come to decisions about what is best for the Country on our behalf. Call Senator Warner at (202) 224-2023 and Senator Webb at (202) 224-4024 today and tell them to stop the EPA from destroying Virginia.
Thank you!
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled.
Comments
7 Responses to "Stop the EPA’s attack on coal"
“Call Senator Warner at (202) 224-2023 and Senator Webb at (202) 224-4024 today and tell them to stop the EPA from destroying Virginia.”
Call whom? Tell them what? Elections have consequences and so do Primary contests.
It should be remembered that Nixon created the EPA and it was Bush43 who created the DHS. The functions of both were already being done within government but blended with competing interests. Bush43 did note at the time that it was a lousy idea to create DHS since it would just create an unmanageable bureaucracy but he did it anyway. Has DHS caught a single terrorist or alertly managed a serious enviro disaster (ie Katrina or BP)? Of course now EPA can run amuck because they aren’t constrained by being within a larger more established agency.
However, the real problem is a widespread mindset that the Feds are free to impose every goofball partisan project or idle thought about domestic governance on the citizens and the states. It is that mindset which makes even Repub pols follow the line of least resistance.
Another Obama campaign promise kept…. just like he promised higher gas prices to reduce consumption and to force us to start driving little electric clown cars.
When we look at the long term costs of extracting and using fossil fuels; it’s probably a good thing that the EPA and Obama Administration are going after coal and oil.
I’m gonna guess that very very few of you have ever seen a mountain top removal coal mine or an oil derrick. Have you ever stepped foot in Midland or Odessa, TX or the North Slope in AK, or seen any of PVR or MEE projects in the western part of the state? Doubtful, because if you had you wouldn’t be so favorable of king coal.
Just recently, our city council notified us that our electric bill is going up next year because of new EPA requirements.
@ToR,
I grew up with strip mines and the mines are now long gone. There is nothing more beautiful than a refurbished mountaintop. Believe me, if you don’t think they don’t replace every blade of grass, you’re mistaken. Besides, environmentalist groups (e.g. Sierra Club) monitor every aspect of coal mining?
@Val,
Remember the NYT Square bombing when Obama sent the AG Eric Holder to investigate the incident? I found that quite odd.
THE PROBLEM WITH THE epa IS NOT THE AGENCY, ITS THE PRESENT LEADERSHIP! If we did not have the EPA we would still be inhaling enormous quantities of benzene and all sorts of noxious compounds spewing from auto exhaust. The EPA was following the leader which was and still is California Air Resources Board. I have worked briefly for both under contract, both have some bright people and both have unbelievable beauracracy topheaviness.. is that a word? Unfortunately most of the valuable work they have done took place from unception to the late 90′s because now the schience is being replaced with political levers. Millions of dollars were wasted before but now it is worse by orders of magnitude, not what Nixon intended.
I think the problem here is not the EPA wanting to do more, it is that there was a court decision that the EPA MUST consider and take action against CO2 as an environmental pollutant.
@ToR,
I’m wondering if you have personally been to all those places yourself? Me? I have been to everywhere you mention except Alaska. (Alaska is the only one of the 50 states I have never been to.) Most everything I have been able to see personally is only from the highways, I have never personally viewed a mountaintop removal coal mine, however I have been onsite at other types of strip mines such as the copper mines in the Southwest. I have had the opportunity to sample the opinions of citizens in the areas surrounding them.
I can state with a great deal of confidence that the majority of the citizens in those areas are in favor of them. They are the engines of their economies and too many of them are dependent on them for their livelihoods to have any other opinion.
Virginia Democrats need to think long and hard before they try to run the coal mining industry out of business. Coal Miners are the type who might be inclined to, in majority, vote Democrat; that is up until the Democrats cross the line and threaten their livelihoods.
I wish to identify that I am one of those moderates who sits on the fence on this issue. I am concerned about the impact of CO2 releases on the global environment, but I realize that as tight as things are, we Democrats (my own inclusion intentional) are going to win very few statewide elections if we continue to kick so many portions of our natural base out of the Democratic tent.
I have heard a lot of horrible things about the Cypress Creek Power Plant recently and want to say that I believe this is a good source of jobs and infrastructure to a region that needs it badly. The data from the report by the CBF was false and was on old data and not a actually scientific research. Go ODEC!
Leave your response
The comments section is for meaningful discussion. Readers are reminded to post comments that are germane to the article and write in a common language that steers clear of personal attacks and/or vulgarities.
Please take a moment to review our comment policy.