Lawmakers screen film on coal

Documentary looks at harmful effects of industry on residents.

It's movie night on Capitol Hill, at least for activists and staffers interested in coal mining.

Representatives from Rhode Island and North Carolina are screening "On Coal River" at the Capitol Thursday evening. There are no West Virginia members hosting the film about the state's coal mining industry.

The movie follows residents like Ed Wiley, a former miner who tries to have his granddaughter's school moved away from a coal waste facility. It explores the side effects of the nation's dependency on coal, which fuels half the power grid.

Coal also provides jobs in these communities, making the lawmakers who represent them hesitant to back clean energy proposals. That has been one of the major setbacks for Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) as they try to round up support for their climate bill.

Wiley and others featured in the film are expected to attend Thursday's screening, which is aimed at putting the spotlight back on the nation's energy problems.

-- Ambreen Ali, Congress.org

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