West Virginia Attorney General issued the following announcement on Oct. 9.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey led a bipartisan coalition of 22 states, along with unions and trade associations, fighting for coal miners Thursday in urging a federal appeals court to support the Trump administration’s push for sensible regulation that protects the economy.
“My work defending coal miners is all about protecting our way of life and miners’ ability to feed their families,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “We are proud to have participated in these arguments and believe that unlawful, overreaching regulations must be done away with for coal to thrive. We commend the Trump administration for offering a sensible plan that entrusts more power to states to control energy production and emissions, while also protecting coal miners and countless other West Virginians who depend on their success.”
The Attorney General’s Office, in oral argument before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, stood with efforts to repeal the Obama-era Clean Power Plan and argued the Trump administration appropriately replaced it with the Affordable Clean Energy rule.
The Attorney General contends that the Affordable Clean Energy rule stops the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from reaching into areas beyond its control such as energy production – a far cry from the overbroad powers the agency would have had under the Obama-era Power Plan.
The coalition believes the Affordable Clean Energy rule will respect the important role of states in regulating energy and air quality. The rule embraces Congress’ intent for cooperation between the state and federal governments, correcting the Obama-era one-size-fits-all model that promised to devastate coal communities across the state and nation.
Attorney General Morrisey challenged the Obama-era Clean Power Plan on the day it was published, blocked its enforcement with a historic and unprecedented victory at the U.S. Supreme Court and has continued to lead a broad coalition to ensure its repeal.
West Virginia’s historic victory at the Supreme Court stopped the Obama-era regulation in its tracks and provided time for a new administration to correct the attempted overreach of its predecessor.
In 2017, the Attorney General witnessed President Trump sign an executive order that initiated his administration’s review of the Clean Power Plan and later spoke in support of its repeal during a public hearing at the State Capitol in Charleston.
Original source can be found here.