West Virginians question "security" of Bush energy policy Jobs outlook doubted: As coal production has risen, mining jobs have plummeted

CHARLESTON, WV-- Tuesday President Bush is to speak at the National Guard Armory here, then tour a plant in nearby Belle that supplies heavy equipment to the coal industry. Bush is expected to tout his energy policy as
important for national security and job creation. Picketers plan to present
another viewpoint.

"Bush claims the energy plan Enron helped him write is both a jobs bill and
a blueprint for national security. For West Virginia, that's pure bunk,"
said Julia Bonds with the Coal River Mountain Watch.

"It seems like Bush does not have the intestinal fortitude to visit the
coalfields and see the devastating effects of what the coal industry and his
energy policy are doing to the people of West Virginia," Bonds said.

"Monster machines have replaced tens of thousands of coal miners and those monsters are flattening West Virginia's mountains, destroying our forests and streams and scattering mountain communities to the coal-dust laden winds. Where are the jobs in that? Where's the security in that?"

Representatives from several West Virginia citizen groups concerned about
the Bush energy policy and mountaintop removal coal mining will gather near the armory with signs they hope the President will see: "Secure our
Mountains--Stop mountaintop removal!" and "Bush Energy Plan = Mountain Misery."

"I think it is very telling that President Bush is coming to Walker
Machinery, of all the private or public places he could have visited in West
Virginia," said Frank Young, president of the West Virginia Highlands
Conservancy. "Walker supplies to the surface mining industry those big
trucks, giant end loaders, and other equipment used to rip apart our
beautiful West Virginia mountains. Walker is the public relations mouthpiece for the mountaintop removal mining industry in the state."

"We are tired of being the nation's energy sacrifice zone," said Vivian
Stockman of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. "It's time for the
nation to stop subsidizing mountaintop removal and pouring billions of
dollars into the 'clean' coal myth. Yes, the nation gets half of its electricity from coal now, but we have to wean ourselves from this poison We must support the transition to a new energy economy now. The rest of the
world is galloping towards that new energy economy, embracing cleaner
alternative energy in a big way. We're dragging behind, at a great cost to
our children's health and our future well being." Stockman said, "The toll from coal reads like the grim reaper's wish list."

She explained that miners can suffer from black lung disease and that coal
combustion emits a host of pollutants that contribute to global climate
change and acid rain. One pollutant, mercury, settles out of the air from
power plant smokestacks. Fish in the state have become so contaminated with mercury there is a statewide advisory on fish consumption. Mercury presents a hazard to fetuses and can damage the brains of children.

"The state's coalfields are among the poorest areas in the one of the
nation's poorest states," said Nathan Fetty of the West Virginia Rivers
Coalition.

"In northern West Virginia, coal extraction leaves acid impaired
streams, which must receive costly treatment in perpetuity. In southern
West Virginia mountaintop removal coal mining has driven people from their communities, leaving huge swaths of greatly altered, deforested and
dewatered landscapes. Bush's short-sighted energy plan would only bring us more of the same," Fetty said.

"It's obvious that the only security in the Bush-Enron energy plan is the
security of fossil fuel industry executives' bank accounts," said Janet
Fout, coordinator of the People's Election Reform Coalition. "In the 2000
election campaign, coal mining interests gave more money to Bush than to any other politician. And, as we now are finding out, Enron basically bought
themselves a champion in the highest political office in the country. This
energy plan isn't written for the security of the common people. Indeed,
the greed and lack of vision in the Bush-Enron energy plan is stunning˜after
all, we all have to breathe air and drink water. With all the cleaner energy
alternatives available, you have to wonder about the long-term sanity of
this plan," Fout said.

West Virginia's only Republican in Congress, Rep. Shelly Moore Capito, who is appearing with the President, is the eighth highest recipient of
political campaign contributions from coal mining interests so far in the
2002 election cycle.

"U.S. District Judge Charles Haden says that West Virginia surface mining
permitting and practices are conducted in an atmosphere of lawlessness,"
Young said. "By being the centerpiece in this week's public relations stunt
for the West Virginia surface mining industry, President Bush is supporting
this atmosphere of lawlessness."

For more information:
Coal mining employment data: www.state.wv.us/bep/lmi/CNTYDATA/WESTVIRG.HTM
While coal production has been at record highs, there are now about 16, 800
coal mining jobs, down from over 100,000 jobs several decades ago.

Campaign contribution data: Center for Responsive Politics at
www.opensecrets.org

Fish consumption advisory: www.wvdhhr.org/fish/

Background on mountaintop removal coal mining: www.ohvec.org/mountains04.htm
www.wvhighlands.org/#mtntoptgt and www.wvrivers.org/mtntop.htm