In a press release issued Thursday, Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., co-founder of the Congressional Coal Caucus, expressed disappointment and frustration that American Electric Power will be forced to cut jobs and decrease production in order to comply with a series of regulations proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would impact coal-fueled power plants.

The coal industry joined 12 other affected industry groups in filing “friend of the court” briefs in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia supporting Arch Coal’s Mingo Logan Coal Company motion for summary judgment in the Spruce Mine case.

In the first brief, the National Mining Association, the West Virginia Coal Association and other state coal associations focused on exposing the flawed science and predetermined outcomes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) relied upon in making its final determination to retroactively revoke the Mingo Logan Spruce Mine Clean Water Act Section 404 permit.

The West Virginia Coal Forum will host a conversation on the potential state impact of new air quality rules being promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This conversation will feature UMWA President Cecil Roberts, representatives of our Congressional Delegation (invited), leaders of the State Legislature, representatives of industry, experts in environmental & energy policy and leaders in the electrical industry.

Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, testified on behalf of the Association at two public hearings held this week in Charleston by the US Dept of Labor’s MSHA on the agencies’ Pattern of Violation POV and “Examination of Work Areas” proposed rules.

Concerning the “Examination of Work Areas” proposal, Hamilton cited the improprieties of MSHA requiring state certified mine examiners who are presently required to cite hazardous conditions as part of their fire boss runs in underground coal mines, to additionally be responsible for enforcing federal law and citing federal violations.

WVCA Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton will serve as the keynote speaker at the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters’ summer meeting July 11-13 at the Embassy Suites in Charleston. The group will also tour the Hatfield-McCoy Trail System and the Hobet operations in Boone County.  Hamilton will speak on the importance of coal and the progress of reclamation and reforestation of surfaced mined areas.