Advocates for the coal industry have been vocal in recent months voicing concerns about the coal industry and the economic hardships it's facing. 

During December 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency signed a rule to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants from power plants. 

Power plants that were affected the most were coal fired power plants. 

6 News reporter Brittany Boyer talked to several mine operators and workers in the industry to see if and how they have been affected. 

"Nobody really understands what it is until you come in," said Rosebud Mining miner operator, Matt Elesnky. 

This is what it's like 400 feet underground, and more than a mile from civilization. 

"Everybody has this idea, they just think it's just this little hole in the ground that you crawl around," Elensky said. 

Miners are crawling around in the Harmony deep mine in La Jose. They only have 39 inches of head room. It's the equivalent of working underneath your kitchen table eight hours a day, five days a week. 

"It's hard on your body, once you get adjusted to it, its not bad. Starting out it's hard getting your muscles used to it," Elensky said.

Elensky has been a miner operator for 26 years. For him and his co-workers at Rosebud Mining, working underground is a way of life. 

Rosebud Mining is just one of about 100 mine operators in our area. Most of the industry has a heavy presence in Clearfield and Somerset counties. 

"I do not think the country could survive without the coal industry as part of the electrical generation," said Kenneth Stossel, general superintendent at P&N Coal Co. Inc.

P&N Coal Co. Inc., has been a surface mine operator in our region since 1946. The company has about 55 employees. Company leaders said most of them have been in the coal industry for more than 30 years. 

In Pennsylvania, less than one percent of the workforce is made up of workers mining coal. According to the National Mining Association, in 2011 there were 63,000 people working in the industry in Pennsylvania.

In 2012, industry workers expect that number to decrease. 

"With all the regulations the EPA is putting on the power plants and that, people are starting to get scared off," said Rosebud Mining general superintendent, Brian Burkett. 

"They've eliminated a lot of jobs, they're going to make the generation of electricity more expensive in this state," said Alan Walker, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. 

The Environmental Protection Agency said the new regulations are targeted toward coal fired power plants, ones that emit high mercury levels into the air. 

6 News tried to contact the EPA on multiple occasions to see if the new regulations will add jobs. 

Calls from the EPA were never returned. 

According to their website, it's expected that retail electricity prices will increase throughout the United States by an average of 3.1 percent by 2015. When it comes to jobs, the EPA said that the regulations will generate tens of thousands of jobs for Americans. 

The EPA believes the regulations will help add 46,000 short term construction jobs, and 8,000 long term utility jobs. 

"A person doesnt realize what coal is actually used for. They just think of the dirty power plants," said Rosebud Mining foreman, Troy Johnston. 

According to the EPA, coal fired power plants have caused premature deaths and thousands of respiratory illnesses. 

The tougher regulations mean power plants generating 25 megawatts or more have to cut back on emitting mercury by 2015. 

Studies show this will affect 1100 coal units. 

The EPA is hoping to reduce mercury emissions by 90 percent.  

"There’s a station close to here it's called Shawville. Most of the coal from here goes to that operation," said president of P&N Coal Co. Inc., John Prushnok. 

The same 58-year-old power plant Prushnok is talking about is just one of five coal fired power plants closing in Pennsylvania. 

GenOn Energy Inc., has plans to close these power plants: Elrama Generating Station, Portland Generating Station, New Castle Generating Station, Shawville Generating Station and the Titus Generating Station. 

All five of the power plants are expected to go offline by April 2015. 

Eighty workers at the Shawville Generating Station in Clearfield County will be unemployed.

"I don't understand at this time with a state of high unemployment," Stossel said. 

Some industry leaders agree, the unemployment is high, but its not just because of the regulations.

"There’s not as much demand.It isnt as much price as it is nothing is moving," said RES Coal LLC., president, Mitch Harvey. 

Since July at least six mines in our region have closed. They are based out of Jefferson and Somerset counties. 

The Dora 8 Mine, Horning Deep Mine, Friedens Surface Mine, Berwind Lohr Mine, Rhodes II Surface Mine and Hart Surface Mine.

The mines were operated by AMFIRE and PBS Coals. 

Both companies said the decisions were based off of the market conditions and increased pressure from the EPA. 

"Our state regulatories, the Department of Environmental Protection, do more than an adequate job already," said Stossel. 

According to the EPA, the new regulations will benefit 27 states and the 240 million Americans living in states that are believed to be polluted from coal fired power plants. 

For workers in the industry, they understand the need to protect the environment. However, they do not want to become one of the 530,000 unemployed people in Pennsylvania. 

"I think there's a lot of people who aren't sure they're going to be able to retire from this industry. It's a shame, it really is, that's just the way it is now," said Johnston