A panel session at Ohio University Monday saw a strong focus on the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed policies to combat global warming on the coal industry in Ohio and nationally.

“Frankly, the EPA’s enacted, proposed, and yet-to-be proposed regulations regarding the permitting, mining and utilization of coal have already caused, and will continue to cause, catastrophic economic consequences for our state and our nation,” Murray said.

Murray is on the record as saying that he does not believe global warming exists.

The panel session, held by Representative Mike Dovilla, blasted the EPA for threatening the economic future of Americans.

Murray said the government’s policies would further damage jobs and make electricity unaffordable for many Americans.

“This represents a coordinated effort to accomplish the total destruction of the United States coal industry,” Murray said.

“President Barack Obama, his appointed cabinet cronies, and his supporters in the US House and Senate are rapidly accelerating their attacks on our jobs and nothing has been enacted to even slow them down, let alone stop them,” Murray said.

“Mr Obama has totally usurped the legislation branch of our federal government in his radical agenda.”

Dovilla said that about 38 coal-fired power units had been scheduled to close in the state, which would result in the loss of 6850 megawatts of energy.

“All Ohioans should be concerned about the growing list of announced power plant closures in our state, with no plan to bring online additional power-generating capacity to meet our current and projected needs,” Dovilla said.

Also on the panel was Ohio Coal Association president Zane Daniels, who said the state’s coal industry was responsible for about 33,000 jobs for a combined payroll of over $1.6 billion.

“As for our industry, production will cease if the EPA makes it uneconomical or illegal to burn coal for electric generation, but I believe it is best left up to those in the utility sector to discuss the impact that the New Source Performance Standards will have on their business and how they will affect the rates of their customers,” he said

Ohio is the 10th-largest coal-producing state, with an estimated total production of 28,166,000 tons in 2011.