CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin and Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin both condemned the EPA’s final Clean Power Plan after it was released Monday.
“After an initial review, it appears the Environmental Protection Agency has made some changes to the proposed Clean Power Plan rule; however, those limited changes still leave us with proposed regulations that are unreasonable, unrealistic and ultimately unattainable for our state,” Tomblin said as part of a statement.
Tomblin continued to say that West Virginia hasn’t determined if it will submit a plan to the EPA.
Manchin also released a statement against the ruling, discussing the devastating impact it would have on coal.
“This Administration’s demonization of coal has already devastated the coal mining industry in West Virginia and in energy-producing states across the country,” Manchin said. “Because of unattainable and unreasonable regulations, thousands of coal miners have been laid off in West Virginia alone, and more than 26 coal companies have filed for bankruptcy.”
Manchin also said that President Obama and his administration “think our country can do without coal, and they are dead wrong.”