CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia's congressional delegation joined Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on Wednesday in bashing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over a plan to limit heat-trapping pollution from new power plants, calling it a job-killer for the state and its coal industry.
The rule announced Tuesday could either derail or jump-start plans for 15 new coal-fired power plants in 10 states, depending on when they start construction. Eventually, all coal-fired power plants would need to install equipment to capture half of their carbon pollution.
Tomblin said it's clear the Obama administration is trying to "end the use of coal as we know it." The proposed guidelines would eliminate jobs and drive up electricity costs in West Virginia, he said.
http://www.statejournal.com/story/17274956/wva-delegation-blasts-epa-power-plants-proposal