When the Environmental Protection Agency held hearings last year on its proposed regulations for coal-fired power plants, organizers skipped the areas that would be most affected by the new rules.

Meetings were held in Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Kansas and Washington, D.C. Pittsburgh was the only location near eastern coal states, such as West Virginia and Kentucky.

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., asked about that last week during hearings in Washington, and the response was not only dismissive but insulting.

Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation Janet McCabe explained that the agency chose locations "where people were comfortable coming." One can only assume McCabe does not think people are comfortable coming to West Virginia, and Capito pointed that out.

"You can get to West Virginia. We're not that isolated. It's a beautiful spot," the new senator responded. But Capito also stressed that the real injustice of snubbing the Mountain State was that the new proposal "heavily impacts the economics of our state. Our ability to compete."

That is why the EPA should have had and still should hold hearings on the climate change rules in West Virginia and each of the coal states that will be affected.