The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

February 16, 2013

Manchin named to mining panel

From staff and wire reports



U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin will chair a subcommittee that oversees national mining policy and mining education and research.

The West Virginia Democrat announced his appointment Friday to the Senate energy subcommittee, saying he’ll have a say in many issues state residents care about. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon selected Manchin as the subcommittee’s chair.

“It is an honor and a privilege to chair the Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests and Mining since it oversees so many issues that West Virginians care about the most, especially when it comes to mining policies and public lands,” Manchin said.

“I am very grateful to our chairman of the Energy Committee, my dear friend Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, for offering me this position. I am also pleased with the Energy Committee’s ranking member, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Both have visited our great state and are committed to working toward an all-of-the-above energy approach that leads to energy independence.

“I am so proud to serve the people of West Virginia on these critical issues, and I hope that the people of our great state continue to share their commonsense ideas, priorities and concerns with me so I can best represent them.”

“Sen. Manchin has a deep well of experience on public lands and mining policy, which is why I am so glad he agreed to chair this subcommittee,” Wyden said. “He has a real desire to find bipartisan solutions to some of the most important issues facing our committee and I look forward to working with him this Congress to reach those answers.”

“I congratulate Sen. Manchin on becoming chairman of this important subcommittee and I look forward to working with him to advance sound policies on public lands and mining issues that will benefit not only West Virginia and my own home state of Alaska, but to all of the West,” Murkowski said.

 Besides national mining policy, the subcommittee on public lands, forests and mining has oversight over federal mineral leasing, lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service, and the establishment of wildlife refuges on public lands and wilderness designations.

Text Only
Local News