The following remarks were given today by Gov. Joe Manchin during a press conference announcing the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s action to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regarding coal mining permits in West Virginia:
 
I want to thank the representatives from the West Virginia Coal Association, the UMWA and all of the top-notch workers and families from the mining community, for your dedication and commitment on behalf of the people of West Virginia. 
 
Thank you all for being here for this press conference. 
I’ve asked our stakeholders to come together today because over the past year and a half, we have been fighting President Obama Administration’s attempts to destroy our coal industry and way of life in West Virginia.

 

CHARLESTON – West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced Wednesday that his administration is filing suit against the Obama Administration and the U.S. EPA in an effort to stop the senseless war against Appalachian coal being waged by the president and his administration.

West Virginia Coal Association Chairman Gary White and President Bill Raney, along with representatives of the United Mine Workers of America and several other labor and industry organizations, were on hand for the announcement at the State Capitol.

White said it is vital to the state’s future to stop this power grab by Obama and the EPA. 

On Thursday, Governor Joe Manchin announced that he has selected Thomas Mike Porter Jr. of Princeton to be appointed to the 25th District West Virginia House of Delegates seat (Mercer County) to fill the vacancy left by the passing of his father, Thomas Mike Porter Sr., last month.
 
“I am very pleased that Mike Jr. has accepted this opportunity to get involved in public service and have the chance to carry on a special legacy that his father left,” Gov. Manchin said.  “I have always respected the desires of the Porter family and that has been an important aspect throughout this process.  Mike Porter Sr. was a hard working and well-respected public servant and I am confident that his son will mirror the same work ethic on behalf of the citizens of Mercer County to the best of his ability.” 
 
Porter Jr. will serve throughout the remainder of his father’s term which expires at the end of November.

West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin announced Wednesday that his administration will file a federal lawsuit against the Obama Administration and the U.S. EPA in an effort to stop the war against Appalachian coal being waged by the president and his administration.  Coalition Co-Chairs Chris Hamilton and Roger Horton joined representatives of the United Mine Workers of America and several other labor and industry organizations for the announcement at the State Capitol. 
 
Hamilton said the state has been pushed into this lawsuit by the Obama Administration’s tone deafness to the concerns of West Virginia’s coal mining families.  “Litigation is always the last resort and today’s lawsuit follows 18 months of repeated attempts by this governor and industry to find some sort of common ground,” Hamilton said. “And it could have been avoided if Obama and the EPA had shown any concern about the people of our state and our region. It could have been avoided if they had truly brought us into the process and listened to our input, our concerns and our perspective.  “We made every effort to talk to and engage EPA and the administration in meaningful dialogue on this issue,” Hamilton added. “At no time did they seem the least bit interested in hearing anything but the sound of their own voices.” 
 

West Virginia University researchers have developed a way to convert coal into synthetic oil in a carbon dioxide-free economical process and, through a licensing agreement, two international firms are planning to demonstrate its viability.
 
Quantex Energy Inc. of Canada and New Hope Corporation Ltd of Australia announced an agreement in September to commercialize the technology acquired under license from WVU.  The companies are hoping to eventually produce up to 50,000 barrels of synthetic oil per day in up to three different demonstration facilities.
 
The plan calls for New Hope and Quantex to have a 25-year exclusive license for the WVU technology that converts coal into synthetic crude oil.  This new process is cheaper than previous systems and does not produce any carbon dioxide.  WVU researchers explained that in the process, coal is not gasified, but rather dissolved.
 
Eliminating hydrogen from the liquefaction process results in a lower capital cost.  As a result, WVU technologies involving coal conversion offer an affordable means for achieving lower carbon footprint and overall reduced environmental impact compared to current practices. 
 
The researchers believe that cleaner products can be made from coal liquids rather than from heavy petroleum residues thanks to the use of solvent extraction and low emissions technologies for processing.