But the mercury content in coal is .17 parts per million. There is more mercury in a can of tuna fish at .39 parts per million.

Having that science that you claim the EPA uses, I wish you would use it to fight the right area, where people truly do have issues.

We want to go from 15 milligrams per cubic meter down to 12.

If you burn coal, you get an ash. The EPA since 2009 has been contemplating and developing and perfecting a piece of legislation, a new rule and reg. that would potentially classify flyash as a hazardous material.

I can't comprehend that. I go back on that where they are saying that there is no layoff, there have been no layoffs in coal.

But, if this becomes hazardous material? Don't you think consumers--I know that there are studies that say across America, there are 316,000 jobs involved in the recycling of coal ash and gypsum.

Twenty-five years we are still talking about it. Is that what I am hearing from the panel?

I am just one of two engineers in Congress who practice engineering.

But I want to remind you back--we had a hearing last year when gas was, gas prices were $7 or $8 an MCF.

Not only have we written letters, but we have asked you here to get back.

We have got to be more sensitive to the middle class people across this country, and particularly those that have mined coal, that have made America what it is.

How much more studies are we going to have?

Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

Should we? Can we afford that as a society when 24 million people are either unemployed or underemployed?

I am astounded that you can sit there and say there is no war on coal.

You know, when the President comes out and says, I am going to bankrupt any new coal-fired powerhouse...

Traditionally, I think of America as being a world leader and I think we need to do leadership.

Clearly, this is an international problem. And if the United States acts alone, it will be futile.

I am asking that you don't allow the EPA to destroy the industry that provides us the revenue to get to that next level.

Unfortunately, we've been here before--in 1999 a federal Judge halted mining at the Dal-Tex site where the Spruce permit is located.

They know very well this is a war on coal.

I am one of maybe three or four people in Congress that have a construction background, and I have dealt with permitting agencies for 40 some years.

If it were science, then let's build on the science.

Coal mining--particularly surface mining such as proposed at Spruce--can provide us jobs today and possibilities for tomorrow.

It certainly was not the intention of Congress to change the business model for the American economy.