November 28, 2012

Manchin Discusses Future of Coal With Lifelong Advocate “Bugs” Stover

Washington, D.C. – After walking from Wyoming County to the nation’s Capitol, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) welcomed Wyoming County Circuit Clerk David “Bugs” Stover to discuss the importance of promoting coal production in West Virginia and across America.

“There’s just no one else who fights for coal like Bugs, and it was truly a pleasure to talk with him about how I’m going to fight every day along with him,” Senator Manchin said. “As I’ve always said, you can live with coal or you can live without coal – but you can live a whole lot better with it than without it. There’s no getting around it: if we’re going to be energy independent, coal will play a vital role in an all-of-the-above energy approach. I enjoyed sharing with Bugs this simple fact: if anyone thinks getting rid of coal in the United States will clean up the environment, they believe the world is flat. There’s eight billions tons of coal being burned in the world every year – half of it by China. What we really need to do is work together – not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans – to create an energy policy that uses all of our resources, including using our coal, natural gas, wind, nuclear, solar, biomass and other fuels of the future. 

“I admire Bugs’ persistence in making every effort to keep the hope alive to rebuilding a thriving economy in Wyoming County and across our great state. I know Bugs is willing to walk to the ends of the Earth to get it done.”

“Throughout my whole life, there have always been ups and downs in the coal industry, and we’ve always gotten through them,” David “Bugs” Stover said. “But now, we are fighting to survive in an industry where we know we can diversify, but not as quickly as the government expects us to. In Wyoming County and across West Virginia, we are fighting for a commonsense balance between the government and the economy to survive.”

Over the years, Stover has embarked on several treks – either on foot or on bicycle – to promote important causes. Earlier this year, Stover rode his bike approximately 90 miles from Mullens to Charleston to promote living healthier lifestyles on behalf of the West Virginia Association of Counties’ Healthy Counties. He has also walked to highlight West Virginia's redistricting plan, to advance the construction of the Coalfields Expressway and to protest the Kyoto Protocol.

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