Brad Johnson:

The West Virginia coal industry has become a virulent opponent of President Barack Obama’s reform agenda, while the state’s political leaders cheered. In June, West Virginia declared coal the state rock. In September, the coal industry sponsored a rock concert and rally to demonize “environmental extremists.” In October, coal companies organized mobs to attack the Environmental Protection Agency’s halting steps to enforce Clean Water Act limits on mountaintop removal mining. In November, the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce told Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to hold health care reform hostage until climate legislation is killed.

Today, Sen. Byrd had enough. In a stunning rebuke, Byrd told his state to admit that change is coming, and that the coal industry has to clean up its act.

Listen:

Here is Senator Byrd’s stunning Op-Ed:

FutureofCoal1109 –