Robert L. Burns, Jr. Quoted in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about Regulations in the Coal Industry

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding what some describe as the "War on Coal" following his presentation at the University of Pittsburgh’s Energy Law & Policy Institute conference, Robert L. Burns, Jr. was asked about how federal air pollution regulations applicable to coal-burning power plants are adding to the challenges faced by the coal industry.

Burns explains why the issuance of federal air regulations applicable to power plants is complicated. "It takes years for agencies to finalize rules. Interest groups sue the EPA for missing deadlines. Courts compel it to act. Presidential administrations come and go, setting their own priorities and, sometimes, reversing the work of their predecessors."

The article describes other challenges facing the coal industry, including less demand for power and an increase in low-cost natural gas.

Read the full article – "Many weapons in 'War on Coal' deployed long before Obama took office" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, August 12, 2013)