Embattled coal industry wages multifront lobbying war

[Robbien]

Source: NYTimes

A sweeping climate bill might be the most immediate threat to the coal industry, but it's just the peak of a mountain of worries for a business fighting for its future.

Mining permits have become nearly impossible to obtain. New limits are coming on where companies can dump debris dynamited off mountaintops. And Democratic leaders in Congress want to shrink how much coal Americans use. Coal sees itself under attack from Congress, the Obama administration and the courts. Environmentalists call it a long-overdue correction after eight years of the coal industry operating with lax federal oversight.

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"There is a battle going on for those moderate senators who are heavily dependent on coal" in their states, said Scott Segal, co-head of the federal relations and strategic communications groups at Bracewell & Giuliani LLP, which represents electric utilities and coal and energy companies. "You're not going to win every battle," he added, but in terms of power prices, "the country can't afford for you to lose every battle."

Environmentalists, meanwhile, say during visits to lawmakers they are trying to shoot down what they consider misinformation presented by coal lobbyists.

In terms of jobs, Nilles said, there is stagnant growth in coal states, while new energy sectors like wind are creating jobs. He gives lawmakers and aides information about states that have promoted renewable energy and are seeing new jobs, including Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas and Washington.

. . .

"What's happening is that the Congress and the U.S. EPA don't want surface mining," said Jeff Speaks, lobbyist for Coal Operators & Associates, a trade association in Kentucky. His message to Congress: "We as the coal industry are following the law. We're doing what we're supposed to do. Please give us the permits when we follow the law."



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/05/05/05greenwire-embattled-coal-industry-wages-multifront-lobby-10572.html

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Following the law? What law? Under Cheney's 2001 energy task force the EPA essentially streamlined and sidestepped regulations to enable coal to freely build 150 coal plants which freely spewed mercury into the environment and dumped toxic waste into rivers and streams.

[vinylsolution]

1. The fossil fools are on the ropes....

.... and they know it.

The future's bright - the future's green.