CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The fight against Obama's EPA is never-ending. But, today West Virginia and surrounding states got a win over the Federal Government in the 6th Circuit, thanks to the work of Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

The 6th Circuit has blocked the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers from enforcing new rules over small stream, land, farms and other private property.

"Thanks to a conservative Attorney General with the courage to take on D.C. and Obama, we have a fighting chance to save our energy industries, farms and private property rights," said West Virginia Republican Party Chairman Conrad Lucas. "Every day Patrick Morrisey works to protect us from an out-of-control Federal bureaucracy. West Virginia is lucky to have such a committed and effective conservative leader in Patrick Morrisey."

West Virginia is a leader among the 31 states fighting this Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule.

The rule extends the EPA and Corps of Engineers' regulatory jurisdiction to an untold number of small bodies of water, including roadside ditches and short-lived streams or any other area where the agencies believe water may flow once every 100 years. It was published in the Federal Register June 29, and the agencies began enforcing the rule Aug. 28.

CHARLESTON -- If you were at the Charleston Embassy Suites Thursday August 27^th, you would likely have been bowled over by a sea of green and white. The Marshall Thundering Herd was in town with Head Coach Doc Holliday and the 2015 Herd Football Team to kick off the season with the annual Paint the Capital City Green Event sponsored by the Friends of Coal.

West Virginia Coal Association Senior Vice President Chris Hamilton was on hand to lead off the event again this year. Hamilton hosted several of the players at the FOC’s table during the event. Hamilton also presented Friends of Coal gift baskets to Coach Holliday, Marshall University President and former WVCA Chairman Gary White and Marshall Athletic Director Mike Hamrick.

It was a great event celebrating one of the state’s leading universities and its leading industry.

#GO HERD!

The federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) will hold a public hearing in Charleston on Thursday, September 17, 2015 on what they’re calling the Stream Protection Rule (SPR), which is actually the Stream Buffer Zone Rule and is a complete “rewrite” of the federal surface mining act to the detriment of the mining industry and landowners across the country. This hearing will be held at the Charleston Civic Center, beginning at 5:00 p.m.   The actual hearing will not begin until 6:00 p.m., but we need to have plenty of miners, suppliers, their families and supporters there early to insure we get signed up to speak before others. Prior to the Charleston hearing, there will be hearings (noted below) in Pittsburgh and Big Stone Gap, VA, which also need strong industry participation. The earlier hearings in Denver and Lexington, KY have been successful with good industry presence and involvement.

BLUEFIELD -- The West Virginia Coal Association and Friends of Coal will be attending the Bluefield Coal Show on September 16-18 at the Brushfork Armory on Bramwell Road. The annual event continues to grow and today is considered one of the major regional shows in the U.S. Recent shows featured approximately 240 exhibitors displaying first-hand what the future holds in the way of equipment and new innovative technologies being developed in the coal industry. We hope you will join us and show your support for the state’s leading industry at the 2015 Bluefield Coal Show on September 16, 17, and 18. Registration forms are available at http://www.bluefieldchamber.com/bluefield-coal-show.