The editors of the The Intelligencer (Wheeling, W.Va.) write:
For most of President Barack Obama’s term in office, his assault on the coal industry has seemed to many West Virginians and Ohioans to be an unstoppable steamroller. Obama’s determination to proceed was demonstrated when the U.S. Senate rejected his “cap and trade” bill — but he authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to proceed with similar rules anyway.
But a few members of Congress, with U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., in a leadership role, have found a way to fight back.
The EPA can do nothing without money — and McKinley and a few other lawmakers are determined to deny the agency funds it needs to undertake specific regulatory initiatives against the coal industry. As we have reported, the EPA’s assault is on at least three fronts – one to restrict air emissions from industries including coal-fired power plants, another against coal ash produced at generating stations, and a third to deny permits to some surface mines.
The rest here.