Sen. Paul Talks Coal in Return to W. Kentucky

Kentucky Senator, and Republican presidential candidate, Rand Paul returns to western Kentucky more than seven months since starting his campaign for the White House.

He told attendees at a coal forum in sturgis more needs to be done to stop new environmental regulations -- including the clean power plan.

"The time for talking is over," says Sen. Paul.

In Union County, there was more talk and applause over an industry where there's increasingly less activity in western Kentucky.

"It's all about enforcing laws on us that are not justified," says Jim Sexton, who runs Fluid Power Services in Madisonville, which  makes mining equipment for Tri-State mines. He says recent mine closings have cost him 15% of his business.  Sexton blames recently enacted environmental regulations, including the Clean Power Plan, for the loss of coal jobs and business.

"That's a considerable amount of business," he says. "I employ 30 people. So, we have 30 families we have to think about. That's 30 families that are devastated by rules and regulations that are being enforced."

Senator Rand Paul says Congress needs to use its leverage more over the regulations, including suing the White House, refusing to fund the EPA, even shutting the government down to stop them.

"One man should not be able to destroy all the jobs in Union County, destroy all the jobs in eastern Kentucky. So we have to stand up to him. The time for talk is over. We need to take him to court, and we need to stop him," he says, referring to President Obama, and the rules Sen. Paul says hurt the Kentucky coal industry.

"It would help us all, because then they would be forced to rethink some of the EPA, and Bureau of Land Management," adds Sexton.

Senator Paul adds environmental regulators should look more at a balance between the environment and the economy before making new rules.

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