April 23, 2013

Manchin Disappointed in Court Decision That Revokes Spruce Mine Permits

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Joe Manchin issued the following statement in regards to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the EPA had legal authority to retroactively revoke the Spruce No. 1 Mine permit.

“For too long now, the EPA has been waging a destructive war against Appalachia coal mining and it is costing countless American jobs and investment,” Senator Manchin said. “If we are ever going to recover from our fragile economy, American businesses must have certainty in the marketplace. It is simply common sense to allow companies that already have been granted permits to continue the work they have started. We simply cannot afford to stifle energy production and good-paying jobs.

“Today’s court decision is yet another example of bureaucracy at its worst: One agency grants a permit, another agency takes it away and business suffers in the end. The federal government should be an ally, not an adversary, in helping to strike a balance between protecting the environment and creating good American jobs.

“I remain hopeful that the merits of this case will show that the EPA has overreached in withdrawing the Spruce No. 1 Mine permit.”

Senator Manchin plans to reintroduce the EPA Fair Play Act in the 113th Congress in response to the EPA’s veto of the Spruce No. 1 Mine permit. The EPA Fair Play Act was the first piece of legislation he introduced as a United States Senator.

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