Flanked by more than two dozen coal miners at the Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump signed an executive order officially rolling back President Barack Obama's climate change agenda.
"My administration is putting an end to the war on coal," Trump said. "I want to thank the miners. You know, my guys get enough thanks. These guys haven't had enough thanks. They've had a hard time."
"We’re going to have safety, we’re going to have clean water, we’re going to have clean air, but so many [regulations] are unnecessary, so many are job-killing,” Trump continued.
"In particular, I want to thank the miners." @POTUS signs executive order rolling back Obama-era energy regs https://t.co/Ew37He8x98 pic.twitter.com/6L997Y4Kan
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 28, 2017
Vice President Mike Pence, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Energy Secretary Rick Perry were also on stage.
"We see coal miners who have been sidelined without a thought given to their future. This executive order will begin the process to unravel the red tape that has been keeping us on the sidelines," Perry said.
"Our nation can't run on pixie dust and coal," Zinke added. "The world is safer when America is strong, and our strength relies on energy."
The executive order rescinds Obama's Clean Power Plan, which was implemented to put coal power plants out of business through impossible emission compliance regulations. It also opens up gas leases on federal lands.
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