By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
BECKLEY — A two-year suspension of any planned greenhouse emission rules by the Environmental Protection Agency is the goal of identical measures offered Thursday in both chambers on Capitol Hill.
One of them came in the Senate by Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., while the second was produced in the House by Reps. Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan, both D-W.Va., and Rick Boucher, D-Va.
“I am dead set against the EPA’s plowing ahead on its own with new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants,” Rahall said.
“This is reasonable and responsible legislation that will protect a vital industry — coal — and essential jobs for West Virginia and the nation.”
The EPA has become a frequent target in West Virginia in recent months over its failure to decide on some 22 mining permits.
That delay has arisen over what the EPA has said is needed to fully investigate possible conflicts between proposed mining installations and the Clean Water Act.
Just Wednesday, Randy Huffman, secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, told a legislative panel his agency has been largely left out of the loop on the mine permitting examination.
Rockefeller said he was assured two weeks ago by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson she was willing to adjust her timetable for regulation until the end of the year.
“This is a positive change and good progress, but I am concerned it may not be enough time,” the senator said.
“We must set this delay in stone and give Congress enough time to consider a comprehensive energy bill to develop the clean coal technologies we need.”
Rockefeller said the delay would give Congress ample time to enact legislation to address clean air needs.
Mollohan said the new legislation is needed to block the EPA from “moving further down this very dangerous road — one that would throw West Virginians out of work and increase energy prices for all Americans.”
“Climate change will remain deeply controversial, but our approach is the only one that has a chance of bringing all sides together to stop what most everyone agrees is a very bad idea — EPA pushing ahead with its own regulations.”
Three years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court handed the EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases, by holding they were pollutants.
Without any legislation as a backdrop, the EPA may, under the Supreme Court edict, deal with carbon emissions as it sees fit.
Mindful of that, the EPA has developed its plan to deal with carbon emissions from vehicles and stationary sources, such as power plants.
Rahall said the legislation presented Thursday has been endorsed by the United Mine Workers of America.
“At a time when so many people are hurting, we need to put decisions about clean coal and our energy future into the hands of the people and their elected representatives, not a federal environmental agency,” Rockefeller added.
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
