Plummer Pledges Support for Pro-Coal Legislation

Press Release

To help bring quality jobs back to Southern Illinois, 12th Congressional District Candidate Jason Plummer announced his support of the "Stop the War on Coal Act" which the House will vote on this week.

On a conference call with reporters, Plummer released the eighth proposal in his 12-point jobs plan, which details his plan to bring energy production jobs back to Southern Illinois.

"Southern Illinois has an abundance of natural resources, but these industries have been decimated by over-regulation from the federal government," Plummer said. "In spite of our massive coal reserves, the 12th District has seen its coal mining jobs leave the area, largely due to bad public policy and rules from the Environmental Protection Agency."

Plummer was joined on the conference call by Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL), who has been a strong advocate for the coal industry during his time in Congress.

"We must send someone to Congress who is not ambivalent about coal, and that person is Jason Plummer," Congressman Shimkus said. "You must be 100 percent behind the coal industry if you want to save these jobs."

The "Stop the War on Coal Act" combines five House bills written over the last two years, four of which have already passed through the House. This legislation will protect Southern Illinois mining jobs by prohibiting the Secretary of the Interior from issuing new rules and regulations that would harm the mining industry and preventing the EPA from imposing a national energy tax. The bill also limits the EPA by returning authority to states in setting water quality standards and coal ash disposal methods.

"Over the last 30 years, our District has gone from having more than 30 operational coal mines to fewer than 10 today," Plummer said. "Thousands of quality coal mining jobs have been driven from the District and the current Administration is threatening the remaining jobs."

Although coal is responsible for generating more than 42 percent of America's electricity, bureaucrats from Washington continue to cause coal facilities to close. According to an American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity report from September, more than 200 coal-fired units could be shut down, largely due to excessive regulations.

Plummer pledged to join Shimkus in advocating for coal jobs in Illinois.

"In Congress, I will fight the bureaucratic red tape that drives jobs from Southern Illinois," Plummer added. "Southern Illinois is blessed with a tremendous workforce, and it's time to get government out of the way and get our coal miners back to work."

Plummer's jobs plan, which includes his energy proposal, can be viewed in its entirety

Source