Last week, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), a fellow Presbyterian, went to the Senate floor to give a bold and important speech about coal. It's a major shift for a politician from Appalachia- see the video.
Office of Public Witness Director J. Herbert Nelson sent the following letter, expressing our support and thanks, to Senator Rockefeller.
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June 28, 2012
The Honorable Jay Rockefeller
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator Rockefeller,
Thank you for your bold and honest comments on the Senate floor last Wednesday, June 20, regarding the future of the coal industry in West Virginia. As Reformed Christians, we are deeply concerned about the well-being of our neighbors in West Virginia, and the effects that mercury pollution, climate change from greenhouse gas emissions, and mountaintop removal mining can have on families in Appalachia and around the world.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) stands with you in your support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s rule on mercury and air toxics, and we hope that you will continue support the EPA and other regulatory agencies as they work to improve the lives of all of God’s children and care for God’s good Creation.
As the psalmist reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.” (Psalm 24:1) May the God of all Creation be with you always.
Sincerely,
J. Herbert Nelson, II
Director for Public Witness
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
