EPA CAUSES COAL COMPANY TO LAY OFF NEARLY 500 MINERS

Subject: txt grn 1st engry sclm bbro -
A Pittsburgh-based coal company, CONSOL Energy, will lay off nearly 500 of its West Virginia workers next year. CONSOL Energy's political problems are not unique to the mining industry, which has suffered under the Obama Administration:

• The Environmental Protection Agency is already holding 79 surface mining permits in West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee.
• The EPA says these permits could violate the Clean Water Act and warrant "enhanced" review.
• The agency went even further in October, announcing plans to revoke a permit for the Spruce No. 1 Mine in West Virginia.

CEO Nicholas J. DeIuliis said the poor economy compounded by legal challenges by environmental activists forced CONSOL to slash jobs:

• It is challenging enough to operate CONSOL'S coal and gas assets in the current economic downturn without having to contend with a constant stream of activism in rehashing and reinterpreting permit applications that have already been approved or in the inequitable oversight of our operations.
• Customers will grow reluctant to deal with energy producers they perceive are unable to guarantee a reliable supply due to regulatory uncertainty; this inhibits the ability to remain competitive.

[The real agenda > ]

READ MORE

[select to enlarge]

[I.e., the increasing reliance on foreign real* energy on the left continues to grow despite assuming our increased use of coal on the right. But Obama and company want to drive any/all coal production into bankruptcy {his words, not mine}.

What then our 'independence' ?]
.

image toon - grn engry mny - Green Jobs vs EPA closed factory