Romney Campaign Press Release - Bankrupting Coal Country: President Obama "Made That Happen"

"President Obama may be wrong to claim government built America's businesses, but his anti-energy policies prove government can shut them down. The President's burdensome regulations have threatened the nation's coal plants and jeopardized thousands of jobs. As president, Mitt Romney will promote an all-of-the-above energy policy that harnesses America's energy resources and helps create jobs in Ohio and around the nation." — Ryan Williams, Romney Campaign Spokesman

Yesterday, President Obama's Burdensome Regulations Continued Pushing Coal Plants Out Of Operation In Ohio And Illinois:

OhioAmerican Energy Announced The Closure Its Coal Mining Operations In Brilliant, Ohio, Citing President Obama And His Appointees As The Reason. "OhioAmerican Energy, Inc. ('OhioAmerican'), a Subsidiary Of Murray Energy Corporation ('Murray Energy'), today announced the closure of its coal mining operations near Brilliant, Jefferson County, Ohio. Regulatory actions by President Barack Obama and his appointees and followers were cited as the entire reason." (Murray Energy, "OhioAmerican Energy, Inc. Coal Mining Operation Closed In Eastern Ohio," Press Release, 7/31/12)

• "The Obama Administration Has Destroyed 2,868 Jobs In Eastern Ohio With This Forced Mine Closure..." "'At its peak, OhioAmerican employed 239 local people in high-paying, well-benefited jobs,' said Mr. Stanley T. Piasecki, General Manager and Superintendent. 'University studies show that our Mines can create up to eleven (11) secondary jobs in our communities, for store clerks, teachers, etc., to serve our direct employees. Thus, if one uses the eleven (11) to one (1) multiplier, the Obama Administration has destroyed 2,868 jobs in eastern Ohio with this forced Mine closure,' stated Mr. Piasecki." (Murray Energy, "OhioAmerican Energy, Inc. Coal Mining Operation Closed In Eastern Ohio," Press Release, 7/31/12)

Midwest Generation's "Crumbling Financial Situation Could Force It To File For Bankruptcy Reorganization" Following The Closure Of Coal-Fired Plants. "Three months after utility executives at Midwest Generation announced they would shutter Chicago's Fisk and Crawford coal plants this September, the company's crumbling financial situation could force it to file for bankruptcy reorganization. Parent company Edison International said Tuesday that Midwest Generation is not expected to have the cash flow necessary to repay a $500 million debt due in June 2013 and is in danger of defaulting on its lease at the Powerton-Joliet sites." (Julie Wernau , "Illinois Coal Plant Owner Weighs Chapter 11," The Chicago Tribune, 7/31/12)

Stanley T. Piasecki, General Manager And Superintendent Of Murray Energy: "There Will Be Additional Layoffs" Throughout The Country's Coal Industry "Due To Mr. Obama's 'War On Coal.'" 'There will be additional layoffs, not only at Murray Energy, but also throughout the United States coal industry due to Mr. Obama's 'War on Coal' and the destruction that it has caused to so many jobs and families in the Ohio Valley area and elsewhere,' said Mr. Murray. 'Both Mr. Obama and Vice President Biden stated that there would be 'no coal in America' prior to their elections,'" said Mr. Piasecki. 'They are making good on their intentions while they destroy so many lives and family livelihoods in this area for no benefit whatsoever,' he concluded." (Murray Energy, "OhioAmerican Energy, Inc. Coal Mining Operation Closed In Eastern Ohio," Press Release, 7/31/12)

These Aren't The First Plants President Obama's Policies Have Threatened — His Regulations Will Close Over 100 Plants By The End Of 2012:

President Obama's Regulations Will "Effectively Prohibit New Coal-Fired Power Plants." "President Barack Obama's proposed emission rules for power plants effectively prohibit new coal- fired power plants, buttressing the nation's shift away from a power source that fueled the Industrial Revolution to cheap natural gas." (Mark Drajem, "Obama Power-Plant Rule Signals Demise Of 'Old King Coal,'" Bloomberg, 3/28/12)

• Under The Obama Administration, 111 Coal Power Plants Are Expected To Close By The End Of 2012. "But in the past two years, an increasing number of coal-powered electricity plants across the country have announced closures. Estimates vary, but banking and industry analysis firm Credit Suisse put expected and known closures for 2009-2012 at 111 plants, that's one-fifth of the nation's nearly 500 coal plants." (Lisa Desjardins, "The War Over Coal Is Personal," CNN, 7/17/12)

"Regulatory Excess Of The Obama Administration" Cited For Layoffs At The Ohio Valley Coal Company's Powhatan No. 6 Mine In Belmont County, Ohio.  "The Ohio Valley Coal Company announced Friday it has been forced to reduce its workforce at the Powhatan No. 6 Mine in Belmont County, Ohio. According to a news release 29 hourly jobs will be cut. The company cites regulatory excess of the Obama Administration as a direct cause to the layoffs." (Colin Lawler, "Ohio Valley Coal Co. Announces Layoffs," WTRF, 7/21/12)

In Ohio, FirstEnergy Will Begin Downsizing Its Bay Shore Plant In September; Eventually 73 Workers Will Lose Their Jobs. "Electric utility FirstEnergy Corp., Toledo Edison's parent firm, said this week it will begin its planned downsizing of the Bay Shore plant in Oregon on Sept. 1 by permanently laying off workers. The number of workers to be laid off eventually will total 73." ("Layoffs To Begin Sept. 1 At Bay Shore Plant," Toledo Blade, 7/20/12)

In Pennsylvania, "PBS Coals Inc. And Its Affiliate Company, RoxCoal Inc., Laid Off About 225 Workers" Due, In Part, To "The Escalating Costs And Uncertainty" From EPA Regulations. "PBS Coals Inc. and its affiliate company, RoxCoal Inc., laid off about 225 workers as part of an immediate idling of some deep and surface mines in Somerset County. The company now employs 795 workers. In a statement, PBS President and CEO D. Lynn Shanks said foreign and domestic markets were seeing softened demand for coal. 'Additionally, the escalating costs and uncertainty generated by recently advanced EPA regulations and interpretations have created a challenging business climate for the entire coal industry,' he said in the statement." (Eric Schwartzel, "Two Coal Companies Downsize," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 7/20/12)

In West Virginia, Consol Energy Is Laying Off 318 Coal Miners, "Citing Pressure From Federal Environmental Regulators." "At the same time Consol Energy is ramping up its natural gas drilling efforts, company officials are laying off 318 West Virginia coal miners, citing pressure from federal environmental regulators." (Casey Junkins, "Coal Jobs Cut; Consol, Others Scaling Back," The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register, 7/8/12)

The Plain Dealer: Plant Closures In Ohio "Will Be A Punch In The Gut For Communities Already Battling Sour Unemployment Numbers." "These plant closures will be a punch in the gut for communities already battling sour unemployment numbers. Three of the plants are in Cleveland, Eastlake and Ashtabula, which stand to lose millions in property taxes as well as many jobs." (Editorial, "Coal Plants' Loss Will Hurt Ohio," The Plain Dealer, 1/29/12)

President Obama's Hostility To Coal Is No Surprise — His Administration Has A Long History Of Trying To "Bankrupt" Coal Plants:

Candidate Barack Obama, On His Cap-And-Trade Plan: "If Somebody Wants To Build A Coal Plant, They Can — It's Just That It Will Bankrupt Them." OBAMA: "So, if somebody wants to build a coal plant, they can — it's just that it will bankrupt them, because they are going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted." (Sen. Barack Obama, Interview With San Francisco Chronicle's Editorial Board, 1/17/08)

Senator Joe Biden, In Ohio In 2008: "No Coal Plants Here In America." (Joe Biden, Remarks, Maumee, OH, 9/16/08)

Steven Chu, In 2007: "Coal Is My Worst Nightmare." (Steven Chu, "The Energy Problem: What The Helios Project Can Do About It," Berkeley, CA, 4/23/07)

EPA Chief Lisa Jackson Encouraged College Activists To Campaign Against Coal. "College environmental activists met Thursday with Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson to tell her what they're doing at their schools to try to shut down campus coal-fired heating plants. 'It's so important that your voices are heard, that campuses that are supposed to be teaching people aren't meanwhile polluting the surrounding community with mercury and costing the children a few IQ points because of the need to generate power. It's simply not fair,' Jackson said." (Renee Schoof, "EPA Chief Encourages College Activists In Campaign Against Coal," The Kansas City Star, 10/27/11)