Rein in EPA Permanently
By The IntelligencerPerhaps the prospect that his lukewarm support for West Virginia's coal industry has placed his chance for re-election in jeopardy prompted U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., to change his stance - slightly - on the Environmental Protection Agency. We wish he had made a more meaningful shift.
In August, we published a letter to the editor from Mollohan. It was in response to a column written by Executive Editor J. Michael Myer, who questioned Mollohan's actions in regard to defending the coal industry against an assault by President Barack Obama and liberals in Congress.
At the time, EPA officials had made it clear that if Congress did not pass a "cap and trade" bill or something like it, the agency would act on its own to impose devastating new regulations on use of coal. Myer suggested Congress should bar the EPA from doing that.
In his letter, published on Aug. 1, Mollohan stated, "Surely (Myer) knows that it takes more than a simple majority vote of Congress to amend the Clean Air Act."
This week it was announced that Mollohan, with U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., and Rick Boucher, D-Va., have "introduced legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency's regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources, including coal-burning power plants." Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., has introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
In the announcement, Mollohan was quoted as stating that, "EPA must be stopped from moving further down this very dangerous road - one that would throw West Virginians out of work and increase energy prices for all Americans."
That has been our contention since early last year, months before Mollohan finally announced on the day before House of Representatives action on cap and trade that he would vote against the bill.
While Mollohan was accomplishing little to defend the coal industry, state legislators were putting themselves on record strongly on the side of West Virginians, formally questioning the wisdom of proposals such as cap and trade. Among those lawmakers, incidentally, was state Sen. Michael Oliverio, D-Monongalia, who is Mollohan's opponent for the Democratic Party nomination for Congress.
Apparently Mollohan, who has served in the House of Representatives since 1983, finally understands that "a simple majority vote of Congress" indeed can rein in the EPA.
We hope the bill introduced to do that is not just a pre-election attempt by Mollohan to curry favor with constituents upset about his record on coal. In the long term, passage of the bill would merely delay damage the EPA could do to our state and others.
The bill would not block the EPA from acting. It would merely require a two-year suspension of the agency's authority to establish new rules on stationary sources. At the end of that time, the EPA once again would be given a free hand.
If enacted, then, the bill would not even guarantee peace in our time in the coalfields. It would merely give Mollohan an election talking point.
If he truly has the best interests of West Virginia at heart, Mollohan will insist on amending the bill to make the suspension a more long-lasting one.
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Reactionary
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03-08-10 9:21 PM
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dolph, maybe, just maybe the eco-peawit libtards can get their new messiah to "BAN" earthquakes! Then that nasty stuff won't happen again. Or maybe the EPA will pass some nonsensical idiotic edict that will prohibit earthquakes from being so environmentally unsound! BTW, I see that wunder has a new fixation with duct tape. I could only imagine what she has on her miniscule mind!
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dolphin3111
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03-08-10 12:06 PM
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BREAKING NEWS : The massive earthquake in Chile has actually slowed the rotational speed of the earth slightly. The last time this happened, the weather patterns were very irregular for 13 to 17 months. COMMENTARY : No doubt in my mind that any unusual weather, like excessive huricanes this summer, will be blamed on "hazardous" levels of CO2 in the atmosphere.
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Reactionary
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03-07-10 4:20 PM
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And Goebbels and Hitler were right on! Tell the Masses the same thing long enough and the bulk of them will believe it. The eco-zealots are living proof of that assumption.
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Reactionary
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03-07-10 4:18 PM
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The sad part is, Former, that a lot of these out-of-work Obamabots can't understand WHY they're out of work! They blame it all on Bush. The frickin'EPA regulations don't have a thing to do with it.......right? As far as I'm concerned, these peawits can wallow in their demikrat dominated EPA mudhole of dispair, and stand on the street corner waiting for Socialist Alms to be cast to them!
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formerohvalleyresident
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03-07-10 1:31 PM
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React, thank you. Unreal, isn't it? Bring out Jake and Elwood to Sing " I'm a COALLL MAANNN, Barry's a COALLL MAANNN!" It's not on line either, probably will get buried (or is it "Barryed"?) LOL!
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Reactionary
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03-07-10 12:18 PM
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Thanks For the info, Former. So Barry was FOR coal before he was against it! Just like the idiot Kerry was FOR the War BEFORE he was against it! I wunder if Kerry was AGAINST big business BEFORE he married "Mrs Tomatobucks"? Maybe he just plays that sh!t because the stupid demikrat masses will believe it. Yeah!! One of the richest men in the Senate..(married his money)..telling the lowclass riffraff that he "feels their pain"! GAWD, how frickin' stupid are some people?
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formerohvalleyresident
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03-07-10 12:04 PM
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Speaking of the EPA and Environment, here is an amazing snippet I read in the latest Time Magazine (March 15, 2010) pg. 34: “Back when Obama was still just a Chicago Pol, few would have mistaken him for the leader who would help give birth to a new clean-energy economy . In the late 1990’s, the future president described himself as a “STONG SUPPORTER” OF DOWNSTATE COAL INTERESTS, voting in the Illinois Legislature for billions of dollars in loan guarantees for NEW DIRTY POWER PLANTS, and for a bill that CONDEMNED THE KYOTO PROTOCOL. “ !!!!! HAAAAH! Barry was a “coal man” when he represented a coal state and the campaign contributions were good. Nice to know we have a man of “principle”, who sells his beliefs for the highest bidder, running the country. PFFFFT!!
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Reactionary
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03-06-10 11:21 PM
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wvnosense,..I'm ready to go along with you! SHUT DOWN every thing here in the Valley, the mills, the power plants, chemical plants, coal mines,....everything but the Mall and the Highlands. How long do YOU think they're going to survive without the local economy? Apparently you can't grasp the concept that the EPA and it's insane doctrine have crippled manufacturing in the USA and the jobs it creates. What the h e l l do YOU do for a living? Fingerpainting? Bankteller? Gas pump Jockey? Dog Track ticket salesman? Cause it's plain that you don't have a frickin'clue what's going on around you.You just want to blame all your failings on Bush and the Republicans; mostly because you must be stupid! But just blame it all on Bush and you'll feel better,.....peawit! My concept of all you "Blame Bush", "I aint got no health insurance" lameass ,liberal, underachievers have GOT to blame someone else. You don't have the intelligence to understand,nor the BALLS to admit to y
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oldsteelmaker
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03-06-10 9:39 PM
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The next time you drive by a highway cut or look at a cliff by the river, take a closer look. A lot of what you are seeing is limestone. Once upon a time that was all CO2 in the air. And guess what, that didn't stop back millions of years ago. It's happening right now, out in the oceans and seas and even in lakes. Morons.
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oldsteelmaker
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03-06-10 9:36 PM
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For all of you that still buy into this nonsense, why don't you explain to the rest of us the mechanisms of the upcoming disaster. Archaeology makes it plain it was warmer a 1000 years ago than now. Farming in Greenland, Danish kings living in overgrown huts with firepits for heating, how do you explain that? The geological record shows CO2 levels have been 10 times higher in the past than now. The recent climate record shows zero correlation between temperatures and CO2 content. I remember 5 years ago Gore et al. were claiming there would be more and nastier hurricanes. Well, this year was one of the mildest on record. They are admitting their data is messed up. Just admit it, you want to wreck the economy. It's ironic; the USSR and Warsaw Pact had lousy environmental records, yet our Commie-in-Chief wants this. I think Gore is just trying to get even with us for not electing him. The money doesn't hurt, either.
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formerohvalleyresident
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03-06-10 5:55 PM
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Dog, ANWR is a sh*thole frozen Tundra that neither you, your friends, or anybody I have EVER even remotely known has seen in person. It is virtually impossible to reach except by sea. It is NOT a pretty place. We are talking about an area smaller than Disneyland, 0.01 % of a 19 MILLION acre sh*thole that could produce an estimate, by USGS, NOT OIL COMPANIES, of up to 16 BILLION barrels of oil. The total KNOWN reserves in the US are only 29 Billion, so that is POSSIBLY (yes an estimate) more than 50% of the KNOWN RESERVES in the USA. I would say that is worth the gamble. But NO, Wheeldog and the enviro freaks want to send another TRILLION of OUR MONEY to the towelheads while we babble about “alternate energy” that doesn’t friggen exist while 26003's who WANT TO WORK live on Food Stamps. PATHETIC!
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Wheeldog
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03-06-10 5:10 PM
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reproductive zone. Despite what you may have read from sites advocating the opening of ANWR, all the North Slope is not the same, and the land is extremely sensitive to impacts. The pie in the sky claims of huge oil reserves have no solid scientific support. The "tiny footprint" for development fails to account for the need to developed a broad network of roads, camps, waste disposal, airfields, power generators, seismic lines, tank farms, etc. to support development. I have seen the aftermath of these activities and facilities. Believe me it is not benign. Oil development may eventually occur, but it will have virtually no impact on the on-going decline in oil availability in the U.S.
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formerohvalleyresident
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03-06-10 5:04 PM
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Falsespeaker, is it “GREED” to want high paying jobs in the USA for US citizens? Is it GREED to keep TRILLIONS of dollars of US wealth in the COUNTRY instead of exporting MONEY to the Mideast and China? Is it GREED to want people in the Ohio Valley to have a living wage they EARN by hard work in mines and factories, rather than Poverty Neck Welfare and Food Stamps? NO! I think it is good, smart national policy. Oil, Gas, Mining, Steel pay big salaries, big taxes, and big benefits and keep money from our enemies. We can’t IMPORT products and EXPORT Money forever.
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TruthSeeker
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03-06-10 12:08 PM
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The reason corporations including this newspaper wants to do away with the EPA is greed. Pure and simple.
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dolphin3111
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03-06-10 12:03 PM
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Wonderwhy, The Texas action is a Federal lawsuit. Yes, the limit is one meal. There are still some companies like PPG who are still discharging Mercury into the river and getting away with it. Thank the WV-DEP for that.
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formerohvalleyresident
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03-06-10 11:57 AM
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Wheeldog, nobody in the USA has ever HEARD of ANWAR much less visited it! It is 19 MILLION friggen acres of mostly semi frozen tundra. The proposed drilling would take up 2,000 acres = 0.01% of the total area. It would produce about 1 Million barrels of oil per day and 150 BILLION cubic feet of gas per year. 75% of the residents FAVOR drilling and the ELECTED legislature voted 60-0 in favor. And THAT IS MY POINT! The Federal Government could very easily permit drilling in 2000 acres. We are not talking about SELLING the friggen thing for real estate development, Drama Queen, just mineral rights. Did Wheeling SELL Olgebay to the gas drillers or just allow drilling? Rather than developing energy independence in the US which produces thousands of HIGH PAYING jobs for REAL Americans, Wheeldog obviously wants us to transfer TRILLIONS of dollars of our wealth to FOREIGN OIL to finance terrorism against us! GOVERNMENT FAIL!
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dolphin3111
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03-06-10 11:52 AM
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Current Concentration = 385 ppmv, 0.04% Projected concentration = 700 ppmv, 0.07% (not 10,000 ppmv)
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wonderwhy
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03-06-10 11:51 AM
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dolphin- Great talking points! Did you happen to catch the redistribution of wealth from the last decade.The top 1 % used to hold 8% and during 2000-20008 they pushed that to 24%! Where was the outrage? How do you think that happened? Funny, you suggest Manchin and McGraw to file a lawsuit? To go up against who? Massey with Benjamin on the bench? Really? Wonder if that one will make it to the federal level too????! BTW- Might only want to eat one of those fish! I think that is the limit per month, correct?
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TruthSeeker
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03-06-10 11:42 AM
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Bogus is it? CO2 is toxic in higher concentrations: 1% (10,000 ppm) will make some people feel drowsy.[2] Concentrations of 7% to 10% cause dizziness, headache, visual and hearing dysfunction, and unconsciousness within a few minutes to an hour.It can kill with continuing exposure to even low concentrations over a period of time. Bogus, indeed.
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dolphin3111
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03-06-10 11:27 AM
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It is true that our waterways and air are much much cleaner than it was back in the 60’s and 70’s. The Walleye are thriving in the Ohio river. I caught 2 last night. I must admit that the EPA played a part in the cleanup and I am thankful. HOWEVER, the ruling of the EPA that CO2 is a hazardous gas is absolutely bogus. There is no proof of that whatsoever. CO2 is a life giving “green” gas. I defy anyone to prove that CO2 in it’s present or projected concentrations is hazardous to human beings. The EPA has now become the puppet of a socialist progressive agenda who’s purpose is the redistribution of wealth and total transformation of America. That my friends is why the EPA MUST be reined in. If legislation doesn’t work, then it must be done by legal action. The state of Texas filed a lawsuit that challenges the EPA finding. If WV lawmakers were really serious about protecting the WV economy, then they should request that Manchin and Darrell McGraw file a similar lawsuit
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wvcommonsense
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03-06-10 10:59 AM
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Corporate s ucka sses doing the bidding of the corporation. Who cares about the air cause the guys who are the corporation don't live here. Who cares about the orange creeks and streams, those corporate owners don't live here. Pollute the air, land and waterways for the corporation. Who cares about the people who live here. Rethug corporate butt kissers who don't care about human beings, only their wallets.
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Thebudman
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03-06-10 10:39 AM
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But they only want to help....
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Reactionary
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03-06-10 10:38 AM
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No chance on this one! You have an idiot in Congress, that will tell WV voters any lie they want to here to stay in office. You have a radical envrionmental zealot in the White House that would have no intention what so ever to even THINK about reining in the EPA. All this, is just pre-election season babble to appease the stupid Masses!
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ConservativeDem
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03-06-10 9:36 AM
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Whoever writes editorials for this newspaper needs to revisit high school civics. Mollohan was exactly right -- a simple majority of Congress can't even tie its collective shoes. It takes 60 votes in the Senate to pass anything. It takes a President's signature to make it a public law. If you think Obama is going to sign a bill permanently banning EPA rule-making on carbon dioxide, you're living in make believe land with Mike Myer. Obama might -- might! -- actually sign this two-year idea. It's easy to be ideologically pure, but, frankly, I'd rather have somebody dealing in the world of the possible.
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PoorRichard
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03-06-10 7:05 AM
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There’s news about debt up the Highlands. Google the Highlands Gazette.
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