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House Natural Resources Committee holds hearing on the benefits and challenges of mining Wyoming’s vast coal resource. 
 

Washington, Jul 9 -

Tuesday the House Natural Resources Committee held an oversight hearing entitled, “Mining in America: Powder River Basin Coal Mining, the Benefits and Challenges.” The Wyoming-centric hearing focused on the jobs, economic benefits and national energy security provided by the nation’s largest active coal reserve.

The hearing comes on the heels of President Obama’s recent speech outlining his climate and energy strategy, a strategy that focuses almost entirely on raising the price of electricity on Americans.  The Administration’s anti-coal agenda threatens energy prices for Americans nationwide, and compromises the thousands of jobs and the local economies of communities not just in Wyoming, but across the nation.

Wyoming’s own U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo), a member of the Natural Resources Committee, welcomed to the witness table Commissioner Dan Coolidge, Chairman of the Campbell County Board of Commissioners, who pointed out the many benefits of robust coal mining to the residents of Campbell County, WY, and the nation.

“Coal mining in the Powder River Basin offers undeniable benefits to Campbell County, Wyoming, and the entire nation.” Rep. Lummis said. “This industry is providing American’s with the security of safe and affordable electricity and providing thousands of citizens with high paying jobs. It is, and long will be a basic staple of an all of the above plan.  Unfortunately, it has instead become fodder for the Obama Administration to unfairly criticize and single out.  Today’s hearing provided a stark contrast between the real, tangible benefits of coal mining in Wyoming, and the confusion and misunderstanding perpetrated by the Administration through reports like the one issued by the Inspector General.  It was clear today that the IG herself does not have a basic understanding of the coal leasing program, and the efforts of some to use the IG report as a smoking gun simply blow away in the Wyoming wind.”

For clips of the exchange between Rep. Lummis and Acting IG, Mary Kendall visit:http://youtu.be/SXxtC766zog

For clips of the exchange between Rep. Lummis and Campbell County Commissioner visit:http://youtu.be/24wOK34ndIM

For more on today’s hearing visit: http://naturalresources.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=341835