IMPORTANT!! Murkowski’s resolution in the Senate

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I regret to inform you that some of our ways of life are continuing to be challenged by a group of heartless and deaf politicians that are currently in office in West Virginia, Virginia, and the rest of the U.S.

 

Last week there was a resolution in the Senate floor called the Murkowski resolution that was debated and voted upon by the U.S. Senators. Here is a little background for you on what the resolution states and what it was designed to do. Lisa Murkowski, Republican Senator from Alaska, http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=7a4b5017-15eb-41ff-922b-6ae3975cbe87 in January introduced a bill that was designed to block the EPA’s attempt to regulate so called greenhouse gases produced in the U.S. under the Clean Water Act. Basically, the EPA has been granted the ability over Congress to regulate and their intent is to shut down the coal industry whether if it’s mountaintop removal or underground mines. The EPA aims to shut it down completely. Lisa Jackson (director of the EPA) has publically stated that it doesn’t matter about the economy or people in the area that depend on coal for their livelihoods. This is another way for D.C. and President Obama to “skyrocket†(as Obama stated in January 2008) our energy prices under the Cap and Trade system he wants to put in place.

 

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I really don’t want to pay more money for energy and I really don’t want the U.S. putting itself in a position where it has to import more sources for energy production.

 

Anyway, the resolution was defeated 53-47 on the senate floor last Thursday 06/10/10. What is shocking to me is that West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd and BOTH Virginia Senators, Webb and Warner, voted AGAINST the resolution meaning they want the EPA to have authority over Congress to regulate so called greenhouse gases in it’s attempt to shut down the coal industry. Equally shocking, is that Webb stated on the senate floor that he “believes Congress should have the power to regulate greenhouse gases and not the EPA.†http://webb.senate.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/2010-06-10-03.cfm Webb then turns around and votes AGAINST the resolution!

 

I don’t have to tell you that some of our jobs and livelihoods are at stake here. Whether people want to admit it or not, coal has done and will continue to do a lot for the people of West Virginia and Virginia for their livelihoods and economies as well of the rest of the U.S. In this current recession, it makes zero sense that elected officials are trying to destroy more jobs permanently and take out our sources for energy.

 

This November, incumbents need to understand that the voters mean business! In the meantime, I am asking all of you to write your senators and let them know who you feel about their decisions as they are trying to take your jobs away! By their actions over the last 18-24 months, they’ve shown the U.S that they don’t work for the people, they work for D.C. Let them know who they are supposed to work for.

 

You can see who voted for this particular bill and most recent bills here:

 

http://freedomaction.org/index.php/take-action

 

You can write to Senators Webb and Warner here:

 

http://warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Contact

 

http://webb.senate.gov/contact.cfm

 

I urge you all to write to them!

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Here comes the next major step in "skyrocketing energy prices" as Obama said in January 2008.

 

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/2010/06/17/corps-suspends-streamlined-mining-permits/comment-page-1/#comment-39602

 

Corps suspends streamlined mining permits

June 17, 2010 by Ken Ward Jr.

 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today announced that it was eliminating the streamlined permitting process for surface coal-mining operations in Appalachia.

 

Corps officials had previously proposed this move as part of the Obama administration’s “unprecedented steps ” to reduce the environmental impacts of mountaintop removal mining.

 

Today’s Corps press release is available here, and I’m told top agency officials will have a media briefing on the issue later today.

 

Coal Tattoo readers will recall that the Corps’ proposal to do away with what it calls Nationwide Permit 21 was the subject of that nasty public hearing last October here in Charleston. We had more detailed information about what was really at issue in this process in the post, Corps MTR hearings: What they’re all about.

 

Today’s Corps’ annoucement said:

 

"The suspension in Appalachia will remain in effect until the Corps takes further action on NWP 21 or until NWP 21 expires on March 18, 2012. While the suspension is in effect, individuals who propose surface coal mining projects that involve discharges of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States will have to obtain Department of the Army authorization under the Clean Water Act, through the Individual Permit process. The individual permit evaluation procedure provides increased public involvement in the permit evaluation process, including an opportunity for public comment on individual projects."

 

And it explained the reasoning for the decision this way:

 

"The Corps determined after a thorough review and consideration of comments that continuing use of NWP 21 in this region may result in more than minimal impacts to aquatic resources. Activities that result in more than minimal impacts to the aquatic environment must be evaluated in accordance with individual permit procedures. Therefore, NWP 21 has been suspended in this region and coal mining activities impacting waters of the U.S. in this region will be evaluated in accordance with individual permit procedures."

 

A copy of the Corps’ decision document, to be published in tomorrow’s Federal Register, is posted here. (Note that after midnight, that link will go dead, and you’ll have to search for the Corps’ notice in the June 18 Federal Register).

 

As I’ve written before, U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin had already nullified the use of NWP 21 in the southern district of West Virginia prior to the Obama administration’s announced plans, and oddly enough, the administration also filed a notice that it planned to appeal Judge Goodwin’s decision.