Space Standing Alone as More Legislators Reject Cap and Trade
By JOSELYN KINGWHEELING - It's a "no" on "cap and trade" for U.S. Reps. Nick Rahall and Alan Mollohan.
The U.S. House could vote as soon as today on legislation to reduce emissions from coal-fired plants over the next decade, and Rahall and Mollohan, both D-W.Va., said Thursday they would oppose the measure.
"While this bill is greatly improved from the discussion draft that was first circulated in March of this year - and opponents were saying 'no' even before that draft was written - more improvements are needed to gain my support," Rahall said. "Coal does much more than keep the lights on in big cities across America. In southern West Virginia, it covers the mortgage, puts food on the family dinner table, and keeps open the doors of small businesses."
While the emissions target in the early years of this program were lowered from a 20 percent cap initially contained in the bill, Rahall believes that even the reduced cap - 17 percent by 2020 - "is still too high and too soon to incentivize rapid development and deployment of carbon capture and sequestration technologies, so as to ensure coal mining jobs for the future."
Rahall is chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Mollohan agreed that "this legislation is not in the best interests of my constituents, and it's not in the best interests of West Virginia.
"For the past several weeks, I have joined the electric utility industry, the coal industry, the United Mine Workers of America, and other coal state Representatives on negotiations to improve the legislation," he said. "We have made significant progress on a number of fronts that together would hold down the cost of electricity to residential and industrial consumers, that would help level the playing field for our steel and manufacturing industries that face international competition, and that would enable the electric power industry to continue to burn West Virginia coal.
"As a result of our efforts, the bill is much improved from the original draft, but it still falls short in several key areas, and I cannot support it."
Both U.S. Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and Charles Wilson, D-Ohio, also have indicated they will oppose "cap and trade" legislation when it comes up for a vote. This may or may not happen today, based on the decision of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
"Just remember leadership reserves the right to change the schedule at a moment's notice," said Hillary Wicai-Viers, communications director for Wilson. "If she doesn't have the vote to pass, she could pull it from the floor."
Congress is expected to adjourn after today's proceedings for the July Fourth recess, and to return July 7.
U.S. Rep. Zack Space, D-Ohio, remained uncommitted on the legislation as of Thursday evening.
West Virginia's state legislators also have strong opinions on the measure, as Delegate Randy Swartz-miller, D-Hancock, said he is adamantly opposed to the proposed cap and trade legislation.
"This legislation has the potential to cost this country billions of dollars and it will either come out of the pockets of our hard-working men and women or it will mark the end of many businesses," Swartzmiller said. "Even though I do not have a vote on this legislation since it is a congressional bill, I have written letters to Congressmen Mollohan and Rahall and to Congresswoman Capito expressing my concerns and requesting that they vote against this legislation as it is currently drafted.
"This is the most dangerous piece of legislation that has been introduced in years in regard to how it will affect our state's citizens and businesses. It has all the necessary ingredients to drive up the costs for all coal consuming entities as well as oil and gas refineries."
West Virginia is a coal-producing state with power plants that are fueled by coal, he continued.
"We also have one oil and gas refinery left in the state," Swartzmiller said. "Under the provisions of this proposed legislation, all of these industries will either suffer or go out of business. Either way, good-paying jobs will be lost."
Delegate Patrick McGeehan, R-Hancock, pushes for the use of West Virginia's coal as a national energy resource.
"This legislation is absurd, period," he said. "The federal Congress has outstepped their bounds, and soft tyranny is spreading across the U.S. If property is damaged by pollution, the issue belongs in the courts. The federal government should not dictate policy like this, especially when it hurts people."
And it's the middle and lower class wage earners who will be most affected, he said.
"These people can't afford to pay, and they depend on energy - especially in the winter," McGeehan said.
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Reactionary
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06-26-09 9:04 PM
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Looked at the numbers again, 219 for , 212 against, thats 431. That means 4 gutless b*****ds didn't even vote. I'm sure they all had good reasons to be absent on such an important vote. Hope their constituency finds out. In all likelyhood, the vote would still have passed. but it is just the idea that some self-righteous,self-serving, over-paid PUBLIC SERVANT didn't do his/her job; but will be well paid anyway.
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Reactionary
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06-26-09 8:22 PM
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Just checked C-Span, the House PASSED Waxman, now it goes to the Senate. God Help Us All!
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DaunaMoore
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06-26-09 6:40 PM
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Ah yes; as I type, Pelolsi is pushing the vote; talk about (both sides) with forked tounges...tis happening now! Turn on C-span now... on line or or 22 local! What a slam...but hope we have those that will say NO!
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wv26003
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06-26-09 5:55 PM
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West Virginia cannot recover unless it hits rock bottom.
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Reactionary
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06-26-09 5:40 PM
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Roger that , Dauna. But BLOVIATE is exactly what politicians do. Remember, those cheesey b*****ds are all lawyers; if their lips are moving they're lying!
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DaunaMoore
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06-26-09 5:32 PM
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no matter what side you are on....go see C-SPAN live on the net: blow hards are on both sides; Just hope they don't VOTE today as they need to leave for the July 4th holiday!.....Darn; we employ then to READ before they vote, not bloviate!
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Reactionary
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06-26-09 5:31 PM
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FYI-----Methane is the main component of Natural Gas. It's already used as a fuel/combustable of sorts--Methanol. I've worked with methane before. You have to respect it, but it is not that dangerous to use as a fuel. No more so than gasoline, Hydrogen,or Nitro/Methane. Now there is some stuff to boost your horsepower! But it does produce CO2, just not as much as other hydrocarbons.--Note, any carbon based matter that is burned WILL produce CO2.
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Reactionary
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06-26-09 5:07 PM
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Cory, that was a good one! Saw the same thing in Mad Max-Beyond Thunderdome! "The lights, the vehichles,all run on a high powered gas called Methane. Methane cometh from Pigs**t" There must be something to it . The coal companies are sucking the gas off the coal fields now. Back in the day it was just flared and burned.
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zip064
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06-26-09 4:49 PM
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Sure, it's a good thing... if you hate America and want to put everyone except the elite liberals into poverty. Got you're change yet?
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dmxem20011
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06-26-09 4:40 PM
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Everyone should be against this. ITs a transfer of wealth to the coasts. It causes severe job job loss in manufacturing, agriculture, and other energy intensive businesses. Rural America was left out to dry and is being forced to bend over and take it
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dmxem20011
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06-26-09 4:40 PM
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Everyone should be against this. ITs a transfer of wealth to the coasts. It causes severe job job loss in manufacturing, agriculture, and other energy intensive businesses. Rural America was left out to dry and is being forced to bend over and take it
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cory1978
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06-26-09 4:05 PM
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I just read that China has already started producing electricity from methane gas produced from cow dung.
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GoldenArm
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06-26-09 3:55 PM
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Gross... lol
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Thebudman
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06-26-09 3:53 PM
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Fairly abundant where I'm sitting too!
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dolphin3111
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06-26-09 3:50 PM
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Thank You digdoug. I believe the entrepeneurial spirit is still there. Deep inside. Left alone, Americans have the ability to solve any problem. With government socialist intervention, it's hopeless. Good Luck.
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cory1978
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06-26-09 3:45 PM
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the current problem with methane is that is it extremely unstable and explosive...but why not try to use it...it occurs naturally and is ABUNDANT in our area.
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Thebudman
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06-26-09 3:41 PM
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Every week a new coal fired power plant goes online in China.
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DaunaMoore
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06-26-09 3:40 PM
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wondewhy...I am wondering why I 70 W was shut down as my husband was stuck in that (Claysville) for an hour plus: he reported seeing only a dead deer, and a motorcycle as they finally got moved into one lane...but neither our her, or the Washington PA paper reported on in this morning.
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GoldenArm
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06-26-09 3:39 PM
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DigDoug, good point. Methane sequestration would be hugely beneficial to this nations energy problems.
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GoldenArm
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06-26-09 3:36 PM
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dmxem20011, hi, I'm against this bill. As are many environmental organizations. Even Greenpeace is against this bill. I was just throwing out some info that was relevant to some of the other posters comments.
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DigDoug
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06-26-09 3:32 PM
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I thought the Kyoto Protocol expired, but I have not looked it up. Keep America out of these global policy groups. What ever happened the the entrepreneur spirit in America? Do you know the best way to sequester CO2? Plant a tree!! Did you know that Kyoto does not limit methane gas? If our politicians actually want to do something for the environment, they should propose the capture of methane gas, it can be used for fuel, adding to America's energy independence.
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dmxem20011
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06-26-09 3:31 PM
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Golden Arm. Please stop reading the Defenders of Wildlife and Sierra Club email updates. Over 150 National Organizations Oppose this measure, ones that play important roles in jobs for America.
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cory1978
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06-26-09 3:29 PM
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China can do what ever they want to do now...they are the richest country in the world. They can burn whatever they want to. They can can sell the world lead paint. They can enrich their milk with toxins. Yet we Still buy it. Yet we still take money from them for our bail out. They can be friends with terroristic regimes. Don't people find it funny that China is basically killing the world and other countries economies yet we continually call them our friends.
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DigDoug
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06-26-09 3:24 PM
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GoldenArm: Coal Power Plants all over the US, especially the older ones, i.e. in the Ohio Valley, Kanawha Valley, Muskingum Valley, all are being equipped with scrubbers and other systems to reduce emissions. Examples: SOx, NOx, Mercury, particulate matter There are other coal plants being built to test system to reduce some of the other emissions, like manganese, aluminum, and of coarse CO2.
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Thebudman
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06-26-09 3:20 PM
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It's been about six months ago. I can't direct you to it.
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