The State Journal will launch a new format beginning October 7th which will include a special section dedicated to the coal industry in each and every issue.  There is an opportunity for members of the West Virginia Coal Association to sponsor the page leading into this section and in return, the association will receive the banner placement at the bottom of the adjacent page.  There are weekly and bi-weekly opportunities available for members to gain statewide exposure with business leaders and lawmakers in every corner of our state.  For more information please contact your account representative or Sean Banks at sbanks@wowktv.com

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) today released the following statement after United States District Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered that certain actions by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relating to coal mining permits in Appalachia were “unlawful agency actions:”

“This is a victory for the working men and women in the coalfields of West Virginia.  I urge the Department of Justice and this EPA not to appeal this decision.  Know that you are wrong.  The judge has determined on summary judgment that this EPA has engaged in certain ‘unlawful agency actions.’  Now is the time for you to right the wrongs.”

WASHINGTON—Today, a U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in NMA v. Jackson ruled that the EPA has been illegally overstepping its role in the 404 permitting process. Dozens of permits are being held in limbo in the “enhanced coordination” process which the EPA has been using to purposefully delay the approval process.  Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W,Va. Co-Founder of the Congressional Coal Caucus, released the following statement:   “Today’s court ruling reaffirms what we’ve known all along in Appalachia, that the EPA has been overstepping its boundaries in the permit approval process in order to advance an anti-coal agenda.  The EPA has tried everything, from abusing their regulatory authority to issuing “guidance” reports in order to overstep the bounds of its traditional role in the permitting process.  It’s about time the Courts ruled “enough is enough” by reestablishing the Army Corps of Engineers role as the primary permitting authority.

“This is a significant step in our efforts to rein in the EPA which remains intent on rewarding a core constituency that doesn't want any coal mining, no matter the cost to West Virginia or our nation.  I will continue to monitor this important ruling and what it means for West Virginia.”

BACKGROUND

In June, Capito voted in favor of H.R. 2018 which reasserts the State’s role in the permitting process under the Clean Water Act.  The bill restricts the EPA’s ability to second-guess or delay a State’s permitting and water quality certification decisions as well as its ability to issue a revised or new water quality standard whenever a State has adopted and EPA already has approved a water quality standard and prohibits EPA from superseding a water quality certification granted by a State under Clean Water Act section 401.

Coal Communities Applaud Decision:
An Important First Step in Ending Agency’s War on Coal

CHARLESTON – In a ruling released today, a DC federal court judge blasted the EPA for exceeding its authority under the Clean Water Act with its implementation of “enhanced coordination procedures (ECP)” that effectively nullifed the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The ECP has been used to obstruct the timely issuance of hundreds of mining permits in Appalachia since enacted in first months of the Obama Administration in 2009.

CHARLESTON – The Friends of Coal would like to congratulate Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin on his hard-fought victory over GOP challenger Bill Maloney in yesterday’s gubernatorial race. Both men earned our respect for the way in which they conducted themselves in this election.