WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and SportsCap and Trade town hall meeting brings out opposition to the legislation

Cap and Trade town hall meeting brings out opposition to the legislation

Cap and Trade legislation is right up there with Health Care as one of the most discussed and controversial pieces of legislation facing our country at this time.

Former Virginia Governor George Allen hosted a town hall event Tuesday night at Southwest Virginia Community College and brought in a panel of experts to speak in opposition of the legislation.

The issue sparks a specific debate in our region since it would have a direct impact on the coal industry.

"It appears to me that it is very injurious to our neck of the woods. Southwest Virginia would suffer greatly." says Richard Settle.

Although he has already developed his position on Cap and Trade, Richard Settle, wanted to learn more about the legislation and its impact on our local economy.

Governor Allen hosted the event to educate the public about the bill.

It would set a "cap" on the amount of greenhouse gas a company can emit.

Companies could then trade or swap for permission or permits to emit greenhouse gases.

Allen calls this "counter-productive and harmful."

"It will cause job loses, massive job losses here in the coal fields and across America. We'd end up with sky rocketing electricity costs. We'd have higher food costs." explains the former governor.

A panel provided information regarding their specific research.

Adam Light with an engineering firm in Richlands says in the coal fields, the legislation would hit us twice.

"First of all, we get hit with the jobs.  The lost jobs because the decreased coal production and decreased natural gas production. Then we get hit again because our electricity is generated by this fossil fuel. This is where we get our electricity so we get it two times." Light adds.

Governor Allen says he is advocating positive constructive ideas, which he describes as common sense conservation.

These were ideas which received cheers from the coal friendly crowd.

"One of the key ways to have affordable energy is using our most abundant resource that we're blessed with and that is coal. It's american. It's affordable and let's cleanly and creatively use it." concludes Governor Allen.

The legislation has already passed the House and will now go before the Senate.

In our area, Congressman Rick Boucher voted in favor of the bill and Congressman Nick Rahall voted against it.