Press Releases

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement today condemning the overreach of federal bureaucrats after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked a mining permit for the Spruce No. 1 Mine:

“Yesterday we witnessed another attempt by the EPA to scrap valuable American jobs in the coal fields for no reason. In a time of troubling unemployment rates, I’m outraged that the EPA’s Washington bureaucrats think it’s a good idea to take away good paying local jobs.

“The Spruce No. 1 Mine marks the first time the EPA has ever vetoed a project that was previously granted a permit. This sets a dangerous precedent. If the EPA can grant a permit and then take it away, small businesses and working families are assured of the one thing they don’t need more of – uncertainty.

“The EPA is making it increasingly difficult for the U.S. to tap into its domestic energy resources. The Agency’s decision not only affects families whose livelihoods depend on the coal mines, but it also threatens to raise energy costs for every American. The people of Southwest Virginia sent me to Congress to create jobs and stop the overreach of the federal government. I plan to carefullyreview the details of this regulation and work with my colleagues to see this misguided decision altered. It’s time that we get Americans back to work and get the EPA out of the way.”

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