Voters Like Coal Industry More than the EPA

According to a new Rasmussen Reports poll, more American voters view the U.S. coal industry more favorably than the Environmental Protection Agency, and Americans are split on whether President Barack Obama has plans to kill the agency.

Fifty-one percent of American voters said they viewed the coal industry at least somewhat favorably, and only 29 percent of voters view the coal industry unfavorably. Thirty-five percent of voters have a favorable opinion of the EPA.

But voters are split on what exactly it is Barack Obama wants to do with the coal industry: 31 percent say Obama wants to outlaw it, while 33 percent say that's not the case. Thirty six percent said they aren't sure.

More voters -- 41 percent -- believe the president's new regulations on the coal industry will ultimately hurt the economy, while only 21 percent believe the regulations will help the economy.

The survey of 1,000 Likely Voters was conducted July 14-15. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.