Ambiguity from EPA, Courts Leaves Miners in the Lurch
WASHINGTON – In light of reports that as many as 300 employees may face layoffs at a Clay County coal mine, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., released the following statement:
“Today’s news is a sobering reminder that continued uncertainty surrounding mine permits poses a serious threat to jobs across our state. We’re talking about real families now forced to ponder the future of their jobs and their livelihood. These are not abstract consequences in some far away land; these are our friends and neighbors. These are hard-working West Virginians.
“This mine provides the vast majority of Clay County’s tax-base and is its largest employer, making the prospect of Fola shutting down troubling at best and economically devastating at worst.
“Though today’s sad news stems from action in our courts, we know that the practical differences between delays at the hand of the courts or at the hands of the EPA are few and far between. While some would have us believe that the EPA and government regulators are simply ‘doing their job,’ it is becoming quite clear that the combined impact of litigation and regulatory uncertainty poses a severe threat to the economic climate of our state.
“As the President proposes his new so-called ‘jobs bill’ and heads off to Copenhagen to tout the EPA’s new ruling on carbon, perhaps he should consider the economic impact his policies will reap in the hills of Appalachia.”
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