Julia Roberts Goad

Staff Writer

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson has been called a friend of the environment as well as an enemy of the coal industry, so when she announced she was stepping down, there was reaction from those who support coal.

Since Jackson and the present administration took office, permits for new surface mines have trickled down, and the permitting process has grown from a matter of months to years in what has been labeled a “permitorium.”

Bill Bissett, President of the Kentucky Coal Association, said Jackson’s departure is not a make or break for the industry.

“This is good news for the coal industry,” Bissett told the Daily News. “But it is immature to assume this administration will change their anti-coal policies. It all depends on who replaces her.”

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said that while he and Jackson did not see eye-to-eye, their interaction reflected a mutual respect.

“There is no question that Lisa Jackson and I definitely have our differences, but we were always able to have a respectful dialogue,” Manchin said. “I wish her well in her next endeavor.”

“I will continue to fight for a balanced energy policy for the United States – which is exactly what we have in West Virginia – and I look forward to working with anyone willing to help bring this commonsense West Virginia approach to the 113th Congress.”

KCA President Bissett also called for a more balanced approach to coal mining regulating.

“Will it be a person who can balance the needs of the environment with the economy, or just another anti-coal ideologue? We need someone who is not more motivated with political science than following the law.”