WASHINGTON, D.C. — A crowd of 5,000 assembled at the steps of the United States Capitol building Tuesday afternoon, aiming to draw attention to the damage done to energy states from far-reaching regulations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“They have got to take a look at what they’re doing,” said Roger Horton, with Citizens for Coal in Logan County. “They have to consider the fact they are putting people out of work and putting their lives at risk because (coal workers) can’t provide for their families.”
Horton’s message is similar to many in the crowd who are either coal miners or have jobs and businesses that rely on the coal industry.
Recent regulation proposals on coal-fired power plants from the agency will virtually halt all future construction of coal fired plants in the United States. Stringent restrictions are also expected next year dealing with the operations of current coal fired plant emissions.
Horton said residents of Appalachia cannot stand idle while the EPA rolls out new regulations he claimed are killing their way of life piece by piece.
“It’s important and the people of the Appalachian community deserve to be listened to,” he said. “We are not going to stop until we are heard and they understand our full intent—that is to allow the coal industry to work and move forward. We’re not going to quit.”