ABINGDON - A federal hearing in Southwest Virginia Monday focused on proposed EPA regulations and the impact they could have on coal jobs in the region.
The Subcommittee on Energy and Power held the field hearing at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia.
The hearing was the twenty-fifth day of the Subcommittee's hearing on "The American Energy Initiative." The field hearing will focus on EPA's proposed Greenhouse Gas New Source Performance Standards for utilities and the impact this regulation will have on jobs.
Witnesses who spoke included, Thomas F. Farrell II, Chairman, President & CEO, Dominion, Paul H. Vining, President, Alpha Natural Resources, Inc., John N. Voyles Jr., VP, Transmission/Generation, LG&E and KU Energy LLC and Donna Kessinger, Mechanic Electrician, Cliffs Natural Resources, UMWA Local 1713.
An estimated 450-500 people attended the hearing.
Congressman Morgan Griffith, R-Va., released the following statement following the event:
"I am so thankful that the people of Southwest Virginia had the opportunity to add their voices to the conversation about the Obama Administration's energy policies. I hope that the hearing helped to shed light on the war on coal and the negative impact the President, his policies, and Washington bureaucrats are having on jobs across the region and the country. One of today's witnesses, Donna Kessinger – a mother, a resident of Southwest Virginia, and a certified electrician and mechanic at Cliffs Natural Resources' Pinnacle mine – summed up the importance of coal mining when she said:
‘Our jobs allow us to put food on the table, buy clothes for our children and provide our families with good health care so we can lead productive lives. Coal mining makes this possible. My industry is under attack, and that means my job is under attack. My livelihood and the well-being of my family is at stake. I'm proud to be a coal miner. This is an honorable profession that should be respected…"
