Published: February 17, 2017 |

Congressman Evan Jenkins paid a visit to talk with miners about his efforts to stop the Stream Buffer Zone Rule.  Congress voted last week to pass the resolution which was co-sponsored by Jenkins.  “This is filed under the congressional review act. It’s a mechanism that Congress can step up and say no,” said Jenkins.

The congressman says, if the buffer rule took effect, the impact would be far reaching.  “This would have resulted in an estimated tens of thousands of coal miners out of work, then hundreds of thousands coal-related jobs, out of work.”

Some environmentalists worry this resolution could lead to more pollution in our waterways. Jenkins was quick to point out that he and other Republicans are not against conservation. He believes the laws should be enforced locally, not federally.  “We absolutely want to protect the streams. We have a balanced approach where states take a leadership role in making sure the environment is protected.”

Jenkins believes this resolution will bolster coal production, which in turn can help boost the economy.  “If we get the economy going, the demand for steel… you’re going to have a lot of demand, both in the US and around the world, for coal. We just want to make sure our coal miners can keep working.”

President Trump has indicated that he will sign the resolution into law.

Source: (February 9, 2017) WVVA.com

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