Photo by Joselyn King West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s speaks before local coal miners at West Virginia Independence Hall on Thursday.

WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice promised to fight back against new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rules announced Thursday that would require electric plants to either capture 90% of their carbon dioxide emissions by 2032 or close their doors.

A group of coal miners filled the seats as Justice made his comments during a stop at West Virginia Independence Hall on Thursday morning.

“I think it’s terrible. That’s all there is to it,” Justice said of the new EPA rules after the speech. “They (Biden Administration officials) are weaponizing agencies again, and it’s absolutely going to affect our way of life here in West Virginia.

“Not only that, I think it will weaken the country. If we don’t watch out, it is going to make us vulnerable to war, and that’s the last thing on the planet we need.”

On hand to introduce Justice was Chris Hamilton, president of the West Virginia Coal Association.

“This is (Biden’s) signature issue as he continues to decarbonize and eradicate fossil fuel energy, coal and coal miners,” Hamilton said.

Accompanying Justice to Wheeling were Republican gubernatorial candidate Moore Capito and current State Treasurer J.B. McCuskey — a current Republican candidate for state attorney general.

Justice is running for the GOP nomination to the U.S. Senate on the May 14 ballot.

He added the next step is to try and stand up for coal and coal miners.

“We have to fight, and fight back in every single way to circumvent this,” Justice said. “I truly believe we’re going to accomplish this. If we don’t accomplish it, we’re going to accomplish it at the voting place in November and hopefully elect another president.”

Last week, Justice endorsed the Republican Capito to be his successor as governor.

“It just proves how out of step Washington D.C. is,” Capito said of the new EPA rules. “This is sort of a rerun of the Obama administration.

“I come from a generation that is almost gone in West Virginia. The reason it is gone is the Obama administration wages war on West Virginia.”

Capito continued that he is standing with Justice “to fight back against Joe Biden and the crazy regulations that they think will solve problems across this country.”

“I think we all know these are all causing more problems across the country,” he said. “We all know that coal and gas have to be in the future of West Virginia, and we will be screaming loud and clear that West Virginia’s fossil fuels will lead us to energy independence.”

McCuskey added West Virginia “has been a leader at pushing back against rogue agencies for a very long time.”

“As the next attorney general, we’re going to double down on that effort so that every single coal miner and gas worker is able to be employed, that we protect our country’s power grid and we assure the economy West Virginia is safe against those who don’t care about our value set or that we make money in West Virginia,” he said.

Justice acknowledged he really never had a desire to run for U.S. Senate, as most people probably wouldn’t.

But you could be the one “who shows some kind of reason,” and “your number is called.”

He noted there are many people in the military being shot at “and willing to do that for us.”

“You could have done the job that I have done as governor, and you could be told you’re the one to flip the Senate,” Justice continued. “Would you do it? I’ll bet my life every last one of you would do it. That’s the only reason I want to do it.”

He added he wants “to shake up the world.”

“If (Republican Donald) Trump doesn’t win the election (for president), it will be bad,” Justice continued. “We’ve gotta stop this craziness.”