Congressman Conyers Launches Latest Attack on Appalachian Jobs

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Aug. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) was filling in for EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson when he delivered the keynote remarks at the opening session of the U.S. EPA's 2011 Environmental Justice Conference which began in Detroit yesterday. In his address, Congressman Conyers called for the coal mining industry to be shut down in the state (West Virginia) and for the millions of those who rely on coal jobs there to find alternative employment. The Congressman went on to say that "clean coal doesn't exist," and described the history of coal mining in West Virginia as, "one of the sorriest reports you'll ever see."

"Given the actions of this Administration's EPA, it is no surprise that one of the longest serving members of Congress is so blatantly anti-coal and anti-West Virginia," said Bryan Brown, Executive Director of West Virginia FACES of Coal. "This is a prime example of the federal mindset that is so scary. They don't care about West Virginia jobs; they don't even care that half the country's energy is generated by coal. What they care about is a bureaucratic agenda focused on destroying the coal industry."

Conyers, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, suggested that West Virginians have few employment options because the coal industry is such a dominant force in the state. In separate statements, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin (D-WV),  Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Congressman David McKinley (R-WV) expressed disappointment in Congressman Conyers' remarks.

Brown continued, "I'm glad that Governor Tomblin, Senator Manchin and Congressman McKinley all so quickly stood up for West Virginia and expressed their disappointment with Congressman Conyers' offensive rhetoric. His comments are even more confusing when you consider how much coal is used by the auto and steel makers in his district. It's easy to see how difficult it is for our elected leaders to fight the bureaucratic attitudes in Washington, D.C. to defend Appalachian jobs and fight for West Virginia's economic justice. Appalachians need their members of Congress to fight now more than ever."

The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal) is an alliance of more than 75,000 people from all walks of life who are joining forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining to our local and national economies and to our nation's energy security.  In addition to keeping tens of thousands of people employed in good-paying jobs, coal is the lifeblood of our domestic energy supply, generating nearly half the electricity consumed in the United States today. Find out more at www.facesofcoal.org.

SOURCE FACES of Coal