Urges swift passage in U.S. Senate
CHARLESTON – The West Virginia Coal Association (WVCA) today applauded passage yesterday of HR 2018, the "Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011," in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“HR 2018 is a bipartisan bill that would rein in the Obama EPA and end the agency’s destructive abuse of authority and restore the balance needed to get America working again,” said Bill Raney, President of the WVCA. "The West Virginia Coal Association and the Friends of Coal would like to thank everyone for their support of HR 2018. This bill has major implications for the 63,000 West Virginia families whose livelihoods depend on mining coal.”
Raney praised West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall, who sponsored the bill with Rep. John Mica of Florida, as well as West Virginia Congresswoman Shelley Capito and Congressman David McKinley who lent their support the legislation.
The bill passed the House by a vote of 239 to 184. It now moves to the Senate for consideration.
“In recent years, the Obama EPA has used the CWA permitting process to block coal mining in Appalachia. However coal mining isn’t the only industry threatened by EPA’s arrogance,” said Raney. “Quarries, farmers, and commercial, residential, and infrastructure construction projects also receive CWA scrutiny and are affected by EPA’s abuse of its authority.”
Located in Charleston, W.Va., the West Virginia Coal Association is a trade association representing more than 90 percent of the state's underground and surface coal mine production. Its purpose is to have a unified voice representing the state's coal industry as well as increase emphasis on coal as a reliable energy source to help the nation achieve energy independence.
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