Published: November 07, 2009 12:08 am      

Manchin expects meeting with Obama ‘soon’

Before long, Gov. Joe Manchin expects to sit down face to face with President Obama in his bid to sell the idea that 23 delayed coal mining permits are vital to the economic health of not only West Virginia but the entire nation.

“We’re supposed to get a list of possible dates very soon,” press secretary Matt Turner said Friday.

If that is true, Manchin is having better luck than Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., in her effort to discuss coal with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson.

Without explanation, Jackson called off a planned meeting Thursday with Capito to discuss her agency’s holdup in granting 79 stalled mining permits across coal-producing Appalachian states.

“It’s incredibly disappointing,” Capito spokesman Jonathan Coffin said.

“This is an issue that impacts families and jobs across our state. West Virginians simply want to have a dialogue and ensure that the administrator understands that the decisions of this administration have a real-word impact on families in Appalachia. Thus far, we haven’t been able to have that.”

Manchin has charged the EPA is attempting to stifle the coal industry through regulation. The EPA has said it needs time to conduct further review of the permits to see if the proposed mining operations conflict with the Clean Water Act.

If the delayed permits aren’t approved soon, Manchin said this week, the economic impact on this state would be severe.

“The governor is still working with them to find a time they can sit down and discuss this,” Turner said.

“He’s going to show the concern and the importance of this industry economically on the state’s future and the nation’s future.”

So far, the president hasn’t refused to meet with Manchin, but there has been the matter of fitting the governor into his schedule, Turner said.

“He hasn’t been turned down at all. We’re just trying to coordinate schedules. The dialogue is very positive on this thing.

“No doubt, the governor has the ability to bring people to the table. Without a question. He’s done that and has solved a lot of problems that way. He always believes if we can get everybody to sit down face to face and help them to understand what the situation is here locally and what we’re facing, I think the governor is very hopeful we can make headway.”