Attorney General Patrick Morrisey says there is a "sense of urgency" in moving forward a lawsuit against the EPA because West Virginia businesses already are being harmed by the agency's proposed emissions regulations.

During an interview Thursday in Parkersburg, Morrisey said his office filed a motion Tuesday in U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to expedite briefings on the lawsuit because businesses already are suffering, threatening to lay off employees and looking at other reductions and closures due to the Environmental Protection Agency. The lawsuit is supported by 11 other states.

"There is a sense of urgency, because from my perspective, West Virginia and a lot of coal-producing states are being harmed now," Morrisey said. "If you look at the (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) notices that came out with Coal River Energy and with Alpha (Natural Resources) that is close to 1,400 jobs that are going to be placed in jeopardy, and people are citing the regulatory environment as an important part of why the WARN notices were

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