Charleston, WVA: U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh on Wednesday visited an underground coal mine at a northern West Virginia facility with Sen. Joe Manchin for the first time.
Walsh did his best to signal that Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration would not be an enemy of the coal industry as he and Manchin visited the American Consolidated Natural Resources Golden Ridge Portal Mine near Wheeling.
“It was quite an experience, I’ll tell you,” Walsh said in a telephone interview on his way to Washington, D.C.
Walsh described donning the proper safety equipment, taking an elevator ride to the mine and then riding a mantrip up Longwall by rail to a machine to grind and remove coal from the seam.
Walsh’s agency oversees the Mine Safety and Health Administration as well as the administration of benefits for coal miners disabled by black lung disease.
I thought it was really important for me to go down and realize what my workers do,” Walsh said. “I have a different understanding and appreciation of the work.”
The mine was operated for years by Murray Energy Holdings, which emerged from federal bankruptcy protection under a new name and ownership group. American Consolidated, based in St. Clairsville, Ohio, is the largest privately owned US coal operator.
West Virginia has lost thousands of jobs over the past decade as companies and utilities turn to other energy sources such as natural gas, solar and wind.
Democratic candidates for president have struggled to connect with voters in West Virginia in recent years, thanks to a push toward clean energy under the Obama administration. Yet, despite his promises, coal did not return under President Donald Trump, although he re-conquered the state of West Virginia in 2020 by a huge margin in his unsuccessful bid for re-election.
Earlier this year, the United Mine Workers’ Union, the nation’s largest coal union, said it would accept Biden’s plan to move away from coal and other fossil fuels in exchange for a true energy transition that would include thousands of jobs and thousands of jobs in renewable energy. expenses are included. Technique for cleaning coal.
In June, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm joined Manchin, the only Democrat in West Virginia currently holding statewide elected office, on a tour promoting the Biden administration’s plans to involve the once-thriving coal state in the development of clean energy. Have become.
Munchkin said in a news release that he discussed with Walsh the implications of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress. Manchin has vowed that the West Virginia coal community will not be left behind as new energy opportunities emerge, and he said he looks forward to working with Walsh and reinvesting in them.
I have always said that the transition to a clean energy future should come from innovation, not elimination, and the bipartisan infrastructure bill passed by the Senate will do just that,” Manchin said.
Walsh said Munchkin told him this in his discussion about the future of coal.
Walsh said the president has goals for carbon neutrality and alternative energy sources. “Of course these conversations need to happen. We have an industry where people are working. They are also worried about the future of their industry.
Disclaimer: This post has been self-published from the agency feed without modification and has not been reviewed by an editor
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