How Manchin used politics to protect his family coal company

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Selling scrap coal has earned Sen. Joe Manchin millions of dollars over three decades, and he has used his political positions to protect the fuel from laws and regulations that threaten his family's business

supported an unusual detail in a clean energy bill that was moving through the West Virginia Legislature in 2009.The muddy mix of discarded coal and rocks is one of the most carbon-intensive fuels in America. And Manchin’s family business stood to benefit financially when it was reclassified as something akin to solar, wind and hydropower.

But it also shielded the waste coal that helped build Manchin’s fortune. Classifying it as an alternative energy source allowed utilities to count it toward their renewable electricity goals. Yet over the arc of Manchin’s political career he has pushed measures to promote the coal that Enersystems removes from abandoned mines, nominated officials who helped ensure that the power plant that buys most of that company’s coal did not close, and waged political battles against environmental regulations that threatened the same plant.

There is no indication that Manchin has broken any laws. To many, he’s a champion of his constituents. His actions have benefited the coal industry in West Virginia, along with the families and businesses that rely on it. In some cases, his efforts can be described as environmentally friendly, since removing waste coal from abandoned mines can protect waterways.

Today, Grant Town is the only power plant in West Virginia that still burns waste coal. And it buys almost all of its fuel from Enersystems, according to public documents.Joe Manchin signs an ethics bill as governor of West Virginia in 2005. | Jeff Gentner/AP Photo That contract has been a key to Grant Town’s survival, even as the agreement drove up utility bills in one of the poorest states in the country.

“I would have excused myself from voting,” if the only plant affected was Grant Town, Manchin told The Charleston Gazette at the time. The price of residential power in a dozen other states that share the PJM grid with West Virginia has declined, according to a report released last month from the West Virginia University’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.

When trucks for the Manchin family business pull up to Grant Town, they earn money by coming and going. They deliver waste coal, which is burned by the plant to make electricity. And then they’re filled up with coal ash. Ewall said the industry has fought coal ash regulations because increased costs could be the “kiss of death” for plants that are barely hanging on, such as Grant Town.

The bill allowed states to set their own standards for recycling and reusing coal ash. That meant West Virginia could impose coal ash disposal programs that were less restrictive than those proposed by EPA. More importantly, it also blocked an EPA rule finalized in 2015 that permitted states to sue other states with weak coal ash disposal standards.

The national Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Fund has been reduced to about $2 billion, but the infrastructure bill devotes more than $11 billion to cleaning up former mines. The fund has been steadily dwindling as more coal mines, which pay fees that support the fund, go bankrupt. Still, he said it doesn’t mean that power plants burning waste coal will automatically see an infusion of cash. He said there are often more urgent remediation needs that take up most of the funding.

 

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He and Sincima are obstructionists. Who uses coal like they did before? Is this the best he can do. What did repubs promise him?

The man who thinks his constituents would use the child tax credit on drugs. Classic case of projection.

A politician behaving selfishly? Nah.

Joe Manchin is really a Republican which means he is a liar in all he says and does.

Just smart enough to take bribes but too dumb to care about the consequences.

Follow the money. Corruption and Manchin go hand in hand. Biden should mention that he is going to pull his tax returns. Then watch him jump in line

The left eating their own. Why report on it now. Oh yeah because he won’t vote in the commie takeover bill.

He should be voted out!!

Pelosi used it to self enrich!

Now let's talk of how Pelosi is worth magnitudes more than Manchin

Guess why this shite is in politics at all. What better way is there of protecting ones own interests and being paid, bribed, to look after that common interest of others.

Couldn’t publish this during the height of BBBA negotiations, Politico? 🤦‍♂️🙄

Crazy. It’s almost like politicians get rich off of the laws they pass. I’m shocked.

Meh, the Democrats gave Manchin chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources committee as a reward for being the scapegoat. We're at a point where we should stop looking at Manchin, but at the enablers in the party leadership.

I’m glad Politico is reporting on this now, but this information should have been included in every single story about Manchin and climate or energy for YEARS. Please learn from that mistake.

drvolts drvolts: I really don't know, though I have my suspicions: did Politico cover this story in the years and months leading up to Manchin becoming the Senate's most powerful figure?

SpeakerPelosi SenSchumer CNNPolitics CNN AOC DNC WhiteHouse POTUS

Shame on you Joe Manchin for filling your pockets and stopping progress for the BBB bill

How manchin protected his bank account. There I fixed it for you

He always looks out for Himself first not the people of West Virginia.

As crooked as they come.

Of course, he’s always teatering in the middle, waffling on to hide the real reasons he can’t seem to back anything

Hahaha he doesn’t agree with your agenda, time to take him down 😂😂 absolutely pathetic

The hatchets are in. Don’t vote against the swamp, they’ll get you.

a conflict of interests

Yeap , shocker 🙄, the definition of a politician.. & keeping his voting 🗳 constituents ignorant is part of their job description & job1 to remain in power 🤦

financially gut this fish

Self-dealing should be a crime.

You mean laws and regulations that would make call illegal and worthless?

That explains a lot. Always follow the money!

Go Mancen

Ok? Typical Washington politics.

BREAKING: There are trees in the forest! 🤷🏼‍♂️ duh

Illegal Immigrants Get $10.5 Billion from Child Tax Credit in Reconciliation; More than Previously Estimated Illegals with both U.S.-born & illegal immigrant children will benefit, as will recent border-crossers FacebookTwitterRedditLinkedInEmailCopy LinkPrint By Steven A.

AOC Just introduced a bill to give hundreds of billions of dollars to other countries to pay off their COVID related debt and add it to our debt. This money should be used to pay down our own debt or for helping our own people. We need to vote these people out of office.

investigate the unprecedented pre-purchase of coal for power generation when Trump took office .

This is corruption but people already know this about senator Manchin. I don't understand why it isn't illegal for a senator to do this?

Please remember the Biden breakfast at his home in Delaware and how the president calls Manchin his great friend who he can negotiate with to pass Build Back Better!! Manchin has two goals protect his family business and make sure average people like seniors get very little.

now due Nancy N' Chuck.. den less roll wit it.. babbie'...

He takes care of himself, while working Americans can't afford decent child care...he wants a means test, so give him one, but not at the rock bottom level he has proposed. This man is a monster as far as I'm concerned...this is particularly hard on women.

Progressives are just like Trump! If you don’t agree to all the progressives terms they will attack you with no regard for truth. It is time to empty Congress of these mean spirited victims!

He is an amateur compared to Biden’s.

He is basically an inch away from joining ' stop the steal '

This guy is more of a GOP operative than a Democratic leader.

No different than what Polosi does but you libs won’t complain about that

The truth comes out pathetic member of. Congress

Does his Maserati run on coal? Only metaphorically.

You people are attempting to get rid of the filibuster which you a little used against Trump 250 times. You are attempting to federalize elections so that no republican can ever win again and voting will basically mean nothing.

Conflict of Interest?

Or perhaps he was also defending high paying jobs for constituents. Nearly all families had someone working in coal at one point.

Politico is attacking Manchin (a democrat) because he listened to his constituents and not the communist party.

Why don’t you investigate where Joe Biden got all his money to renovate his beach houses.

Time to RESIGN!!! Time to RESIGN!!!

Just remember, Manchin is not a straight shooter.

This guy is so smart! Genius!

The, “Don’t look up” democrat.

No shit. Who doesn’t know that Sen_JoeManchin is a major grifter?

Corrupted system

prisonculture We are trapped by our system that allows the rich to buy and build political power. They then use that power to continue to enrich themselves. Manchin and his ilk take advantage of our dysfunctional political system that takes care of the wealthy and leaves working people behind.

Sen_JoeManchin SenatorSinema

So why hasn’t this changed

Right on mask less party girl😂🥂🥂

Can you do a similar analysis of how the JoeBiden family have profited off his various offices? Might be of interest to some. hunter

Manchin has been protecting his family coal business since 2009 through legislation that have made him millions. He should be voted out. He is bad for the country and bad for West Virginia. He's what you call a legal THIEF. Vote him OUT!

Cool coal cool. Now tell me more about Nancy Pelosi and family's investments. Also, curious how much campaign money has made its way to Maxine Water's daughter etc.etc.... Clearly you are unbiased news and have no agenda so your 'reporting' will continue. Can't wait. sarcasm

And

edmiester It keeps getting worse and worse with Manchin.

HD is a pos

Manchin & SINEMA need to be censored!

Are you going to cover SpeakerPelosi family ties to China?

Do Hunter next. 🤡

Wake up, West Virginia.

We the consumers must realize we have the power to change course for the better. Start by supporting Neil Young and pulling your money out of the Big 4 US Banks, which are funding fossil fuels.

jcgfrippout Besides Medicaid expansion, why exactly is he a democrat?

rhonda_harbison SenCapito Sen_JoeManchin In West Virginia, more than 26% of people ages 65+ have no natural teeth left the highest rate of any state. Yet the chances of expanding Medicare to offer dental coverage are slim because of opposition from their Senators.

rhonda_harbison Sen_JoeManchin SenCapito An estimated 346,000 West Virginia children, 93% of all kids in the state, live in households that likely receive Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments. BuildBackBetter

rhonda_harbison Sen_JoeManchin SenCapito How West Virginia stands to gain from Biden’s climate agenda The policies proposed in the reconciliation bill could benefit Sen. Manchin's state enormously. Canary media logo in type with yellow circle period.

rhonda_harbison SenCapito Sen_JoeManchin The FTVA is compromise legislation reflecting concessions responsive to critics of the FTPA, including both Republicans and moderate Democrats, such as Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (an original sponsor of the FTVA).

rhonda_harbison Sen_JoeManchin SenCapito SEN. MANCHIN’S OPPOSITION TO BUILD BACK BETTER ACT IS NOT BASED ON THE FACTS

Dudes a US senator... There's 1,897 better ways to make money, not fuck everyone over, and fly under the radar

rhonda_harbison SenCapito Sen_JoeManchin Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey shows that many parents spent the first three Child Tax Credit advance payments on child care or school expenses.

rhonda_harbison Sen_JoeManchin SenCapito A survey of West Virginia parents overwhelmingly (86%) reported that the monthly Child Tax Credit payments have made a “huge difference” for their families. This is why we need to act now and pass BuildBackBetterAct.

rhonda_harbison SenCapito Sen_JoeManchin Without the boosted child tax credit, nearly 10 million children will fall back deeper into poverty The final monthly payment of the advance child tax credit was delivered to bank accounts on Dec. 15.

rhonda_harbison Sen_JoeManchin SenCapito UMWA statement in an open letter urged West Virginia Senator to support BuildBackBetterAct and Voting Rights legislation.

ManchinMendacious Gandhi, when asked why he forgives evil people who hurt him, said: I am such a scoundrel myself, I have compassion for other scoundrels in the world. Can patriotic Americans do the same, forgiving greedy Manchin for killing voter rights

Tells you something about the gullible voters of WV

brianbeutler Just a reminder that Schumer had a choice and put Manchin in charge of the Energy Committee. He's either feckless or corrupt but either way, Schumer's gotta go.

God is still on the throne.

Also if he supported Build Back Better would this article have even been written? I’ll wait

Protecting an industry that employs a good portion of his constituency. Monster!

Isn't that why some politicians run for office...to protect their own financial interests. All these politicos have to do is provide the rhetoric to gin up the voters while they rake in the cash.

Now do one on Nancy pelosi and her millions.

If the media really is about fairness, then bring out EVERY not just Joe Machin. EVERY Politicians' earnings when they hold position, Republicans, Democrats or even the Independents. Make everything TRANSPARENT.

No not Joe say it ain’t so.

ManchinCorruption

Of course. And his daughter robs epi-pen users like my family.

Send a dm if you need help paying your credit card bills I’m Daniel , a Powerball lottery winner and I’m doing this to help as many people as I can If you need this help send me a dm ASAP .

Chip off the ol coal mine. The elite maintaining their wealth through power or power through wealth.

Nothing wrong with that...the day will come where coal is king again

If it works still use it

What made Pelosi, Maxine Waters Biden and others so wealthy

Isn’t that why most get into politics? To enrich themselves, while they pretend to be for the people? Sen_JoeManchin

But he’s not corrupt 🤣

Wow. Three decades, but a story now.

Protecting his family not WVA citizens

Joe M. is in it for the 🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑!

America doesn’t negotiate with Terrorist! This a Terrorist 👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

He's a Republican what did you expect? So corrupt he got elected as a Democrat

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