CHARLESTON — The role of the state of West Virginia in powering the nation was the subject of a much-anticipated debate in Charleston between opposing forces – the coal industry and environmentalists.

Robert Kennedy, Jr., chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance, one of the country’s leading environmental groups, spoke at the University of Charleston along with Don Blankenship, CEO of Massey Energy, the fourth largest coal company in the United States and the largest in Central Appalachia.

Kennedy spoke of the connection between his family and the state of West Virginia, calling surface mining in Appalachia the worst environmental crime in history, destroying the health of those living in the coalfields and impoverishing the state.

Blankenship took a more pragmatic stance, calling Kennedy’s arguments rhetoric, and calling for the need for cheaper energy from coal to maintain the quality of American life.

He noted the health of Americans compared to undeveloped countries, saying that electricity produced by coal is one of the main factors in the American quality of life.

“Don says coal produces cheap energy,” Kennedy said. “But the coal industry shifts the burden of cleaning up after itself to the people, along with health problems and global warming, these costs are passed onto the public.”

Blankenship defended the coal business:

“Is it easy to call the coal industry evil,” he said. “But coal made the industrial revolution possible, it has helped our country win wars. Coal funds our counties and our state, we provide more to our communities than we take away.”

Kennedy said West Virginia would be better served by working to diversify and create renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power.

“China has committed $7 trillion to alternative energy, an increase of 20,000 percent,” Kennedy said. “If we don’t change, we will be buying green technology from China like we are buying oil from the Saudis now.”

However, Blankenship countered that his company has looked into building wind farms in the state, but that it was simply not profitable.

Kennedy told the audience coal companies followed a “ruthless pursuit of profit” while Blankenship said, “You are the coal industry, the people teaching Sunday school and coaching our children.”