U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller delivered a major policy speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate Wednesday criticizing what he called the lack of leadership in the coal industry and the industry's use of scare tactics instead of looking for solutions to coal's problems. Rockefeller then voted against a Senate resolution that would disapprove the EPA's mercury rule on coal-fired power plants. The new EPA rule is targeted at reducing emissions, particularly mercury, from coal-fired power plants nationwide. The resolution was defeated 46-53. Rockefeller voted against it and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin voted for it. Senator Rockefeller said West Virginians and West Virginia coal miners care about their own health and the health of their families, and EPA has backed up its rules on power plants emissions with numerous studies. Rockefeller called on the coal industry to begin showing some leadership and look toward the future as the natural gas industry has done. Rockefeller says he's not giving up on the future of clean coal.
