Federal, state, county, and business leaders emerged from a private meeting with the Governor Tuesday evening with tough words for the EPA and a clear plan of action to ensure the future of the coal industry. Governor Manchin says there has been no clear direction from the federal agency on how the state can get these permits moving to mine coal.

"We know that energy is going to be needed for quite some time now as we transition to the fuels of the future. We're just trying to find that balance right now," the Governor said.

Joining Manchin were U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, Third District Congressman Nick Rahall, and Second District Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. The Congressional Delegation had some tough words for the EPA ahead of the possible meeting in Washington, D.C.

"A lot of people are not familiar with what the EPA can and cannot do. We're not sure the EPA is familiar with what they can and cannot do," said Senator Rockefeller.

Congresswoman Capito echoed Rockefeller's frustration. She has attempted to schedule a one-on-one meeting with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. Jackson has rescheduled both meetings twice in the past few weeks. Capito is hoping the larger group can finally get the attention of the administration.

"If it is looked at politically, (there's) nothing better than have both sides of the political spectrum represented in a course of civil discourse over how we solve this problem, how do we meet the standards, tell us what we need to do, and let us work within the boundaries," Capito explained.

During his remarks, Congressman Nick Rahall also called for the EPA to provide clear answers for the coal industry and ultimately the economy of West Virginia.

"We need to know what the rules of the game are. We need certainty and we need the EPA to not only get their own act together to provide the same answer to the same people, but we need as well coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, with the Officer of Surface Mining, and, just as importantly, with our state DEP," Rahall said.

The state's leaders are hoping the meeting with White House officials and the Environmental Protection Agency will be scheduled before the end of the year.