Jun. 21--Electric bills doubling, even tripling. Widespread layoffs across the coal industry. Thousands of jobs, many in the $60,000-plus range, suddenly vanishing. State revenues taking a dramatic nosedive.

That grim scenario, as painted by Steve Roberts, president of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, is what he perceives as the likely result if Congress persists in passing HR2454.

Formally, it's known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, a 932-page document aimed at trimming emissions of "global warming pollution," spurring carbon capturing technology and imposing a cap-and-trade system.

Its effects in this region, based on Roberts' dark prediction, would turn a recession into a depression, and it wouldn't take long.

Already, says Roberts, the economy in West Virginia is on the verge of reeling even further now that the Obama administration is slowing down the bedrock industry of coal.

"We have 48 permits that have been put on hold in West Virginia that 18 months ago would have been issued," Roberts said in an interview.

"These 48 account for an outstanding number of jobs and tax revenue that we're losing because of lost coal production. And once we take this coal production off line, it doesn't come back."

What ensues is that power companies simply will turn to Illinois and Wyoming for coal purchases, as mountaintop permits are held up by the new administration in Washington, the Chamber leader said.

"It's really West Virginia and eastern Kentucky and southwest Virginia that are really in the crosshairs and will suffer greatly," Roberts said.

Fearing the worst, Roberts said the Chamber is trying to muster public support to apply pressure on West Virginia's entire delegation in Congress to buck the leadership of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to thwart HR2454.

"They need to work for us, not for Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid," Roberts said of the state's senators and three House members.

At mid-week, Roberts and other Chamber leaders from across West Virginia met in Charleston to discuss the coal situation and the likelihood of job losses if the environmental bill winds up at the White House.

"We all left here very enthusiastic," he said.

"They are very determined to speak with a much louder voice about what the change in (mining) permits and the cap-and-trade proposals will do to West Virginia working families."

Cap-and-trade is an idea that lets a government entity set a limit on how much pollution may be discharged.