Republicans are speaking out in protest of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) regulations on the energy industry across the nation and in Pennsylvania. U.S Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA-18), Washington County Commissioner Diana Irey Vaughan, and U.S. Senate candidate Tom Smith describe the regulations as a declaration of war on coal.

Murphy said the regulations the EPA has set for the nation’s power plants have already resulted in five plants shutting down in Pennsylvania.

“We have the energy resources to unleash tremendous prosperity in this land,” Murphy said, “but first and only if the federal government gets out of the way.”

Murphy argues that the EPA under President Barack Obama is not working towards making power plants cleaner, but instead  making them inoperable.

“Governor Romney believes our scientists and engineers can be working to create solutions for clean coal and our laborers and our electricians and our boilermakers and our operating engineers should all be working towards building clean coal power plants, and cleaning them up, not tearing them down,” Murphy said.

Murphy said they have no tolerance for anybody who violates a law or violates regulations.

“But we also don’t want this stalled, waiting extra months or years while [federal] regulations aren’t even in existence yet,” Murphy said. “Let’s move forward, let’s be partners, let’s do this smart, but let’s do it.”