Justice vows to fight new EPA rules | News, sports, jobs

|Photo by Joselyn King| West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, center front, shares a moment with first dog ‘Babydog’, Republican gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito and Republican attorney general candidate JB McCuskey.

WHEELING – West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has vowed to fight back against new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules announced Thursday that require power plants to either capture 90% of their carbon emissions by 2032 or doors have to close.

A group of miners filled the chairs as Justice delivered his remarks Thursday morning during a stop at West Virginia Independence Hall.

“I find it horrible. That’s all there is to it,” Justice said after speaking about the new EPA rules. “They (Biden administration officials) are re-arming agencies, and it will absolutely impact our way of life here in West Virginia.

“Not only that, I think it will weaken the country. If we are not careful, we will become vulnerable to war, and that is the last thing we need on this planet.”

Introducing Justice was Chris Hamilton, president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

“This is (Biden’s) signature problem as he continues to decarbonize and eradicate energy from fossil fuels, coal and miners,” Hamilton said.

Justice to Wheeling was joined by Republican gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito and current State Auditor JB McCuskey – a current Republican candidate for attorney general.

Justice is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on the May 14 ballot.

He added that the next step is to try to stand up for coal and miners.

“We have to fight and fight back in any way we can to get around this,” Justice said. “I really believe we will achieve this. If we don’t achieve it, we will achieve it at the ballot box in November and hopefully elect a different president.”

Last week, Justice endorsed Republican Capitol as his successor as governor.

“It just proves how out of step Washington DC is,” Capito said of the new EPA rules. “This is kind of a repeat of the Obama administration.

“I come from a generation that has almost disappeared in West Virginia. The reason it’s gone is because the Obama administration is waging war on West Virginia.”

Capito went on to say that he stands with the Justice Department “to fight back against Joe Biden and the crazy regulations that they think will solve the problems in this country.”

“I think we all know that these are all creating more problems across the country,” he said. “We all know that coal and gas will be the future of West Virginia, and we will shout loud and clear that West Virginia’s fossil fuels will lead us to energy independence.”

McCuskey added that West Virginia “has long been a leader in reducing rogue agencies.”

“As the next Attorney General, we will redouble those efforts so that every coal miner and gas worker can get to work, that we protect our nation’s power grid, and that we ensure that West Virginia’s economy is safe from those who don’t care. our values ​​or the fact that we make money in West Virginia,” he said.

Justice acknowledged that he never actually had any desire to run for the U.S. Senate, as most people probably wouldn’t.

But you could be the one “showing some reason” and “your number is being called.”

He noted that there are a lot of people in the military who get shot at “and are willing to do it for us.”

“You could have done the job I did as governor, and you could have been told that you are the one who has to flip the Senate,” Justice continued. “Would you do it? I bet any of you would. That’s the only reason I want to do it.”

He added that he wants to “shake the world.”

“If (Republican Donald) Trump doesn’t win the election (for president), it will be bad,” Justice continued. “We have to stop this madness.”

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