Obama's War on Coal Decimating 'America's Powerhouse'

WEST VIRGINIA – The U.S. coal industry is in a fight for its very survival. Job losses have accelerated in southern West Virginia with more than 6,500 miners now out of work.

West Virginians, by in large, lay the blame at the feet of Barack Obama, who, in 2008, promised to bankrupt the coal industry.

"The war on West Virginia jobs and the war on the West Virginia energy industry is so bad that at the time that this administration took office there were hundreds of functional coal mines in West Virginia that were producing," John O'Neal, a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, said.

"Only 30 some are actually producing coal right now. It's a fraction of what it was when this administration took power," he added.

Devastating Ripple Effect

Doug Epling is the owner of Mountain Edge Mining, which operated three coal mining ventures.

"Coal mining now is the worst it's been since I've been in business," Epling told CBN News.  

At one time Epling employed more than 600 workers.

"At our peak, all three companies combined, we were probably producing two and a half or three million tons per year. We have laid off everyone. ll but the office staff here," Epling said.

Those layoffs have caused a huge ripple effect throughout the state.

"For every coal mining job you are looking at, five to ten supporting jobs outside of that," Epling said.

The West Virginia Coal Association says the economic impact across Appalachia has been devastating. It estimates that 36,000 jobs have been lost, along with $1.5 billion in lost revenue.

Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, says the county, cities and the state of West Virginia all depend on the coal industry.

"We've got a $353 million deficit in the state budget and the majority of that is because we've not been able to sell the coal that we mine." Raney said.

"We've got an economy that is intimately connected with the energy extraction industry…it is our natural resource," O'Neal said.

"So obviously as elected officials we've got to fight for all we're worth to protect the industry that is the backbone of our state.  It is our number one natural resource, and we just can't let that go," he said.

"The shame of it is that we've got the best coal miners in the world, we've got the best coal in the world and we clearly know how to make steel and make electricity out of it," Raney added.

Devastated Families

Raney believes the problem was caused intentionally by the current administration.

Speaking of President Obama, Raney said, "This guy said he was going to bankrupt the coal industry when he was running and he absolutely has."

"And he's never been here to check or meet or talk with the mining families and see what devastation it has brought," he said.

Generations of miners have been taking coal out of these mountains since 100 years before West Virginia was even a state. To this day they still export more coal out of here around the country than any other state in the union.

But that's changing fast and the people who are being affected by these changes and the toxic regulatory environment are the miners themselves, like former miner Chris Martin.

"I'm 47 years old, and I've got all this time in," Martin said. "And now I've got to make a career change?"

Martin worked the mines for 24 years. His grandfathers, father, and brother were all coal miners. But six months ago, that legacy came to an end.

"I took about a $60,000 pay cut verses what I'm doing now," Martin said. "My daughter starts college this year and I don't even know if I'm going to be able to send her. I mean, it's taken a toll. I've come close to losing my home."

"When you talk to men and you see them cry because they can't do for their family, that's just so wrong," Epling said. "And we've got this bunch up in Washington that doesn't do anything but lip service."

Resentment against Democrats

Resentment runs high here, and it's led to a dramatic shift in state's political leanings.

"West Virginia used to be two-and-a-half to one Democrat over Republican. It has changed now, and the trend in West Virginia is going all Republican," Epling said.

O'Neal agrees.

"At the time Bill Clinton was president, 74 percent of West Virginians were registered Democrats," he said. "Today that number is 48 percent."

No matter who wins the White House, these miners hope the new administration will stop the war on coal and see it as a national asset.

"We're America's powerhouse and everybody needs to visit their furnace room once in awhile just to find out how important it is to the rest of the country," Raney said.