Over the past year, President Obama has traversed this nation speaking to a variety of organizations and/or labor groups about jobs.

Call it ‘sour grapes’ or whatever, but during the same period, he has practically turned his back on the mining industry.

He has nothing good to say about coal.

Moreover, it seems that everything coming out of Washington lately has been detrimental to the industry.

The EPA seems to have special powers to arbitrarily promulgate new regulations that go totally against reason.

Mining jobs are in jeopardy because of the whims of the EPA and nonsense requirements favoring bugs over people.

And most of this is in response to vocal environmental groups who probably don’t realize they’re biting the hand that feeds them.

Coal mining is a critical component of everyday life in a great big part of America. Coal produces the electricity that brightens our way and keeps many of us warm this winter.

Hopefully, when our newly-elected representatives appear in Washington in January, they will be able to make a meaningful CHANGE.

Until then, I urge The Tribune readers to visit the FACES of Coal website: facesofcoal.org and consider becoming members.

I am a Friend of Coal.

John F. Enyart

Ashland, Ky.