A FEW DISCOURAGING WORDS…..ABOUT COAL

First, our state senate is out of its ever lovin’ mind when it passed a bill to end state inspection of coal mines...leaving the job to the feds.

This is not the way to help balance the budget, by firing more state workers in E. Ky. Can any coal supporter, in their right mind, believe we need fewer mine inspections---given safety concerns there..and the abject failure of many mine owners in this area?  See: Blankenship, Don & Massey Energy on the web.

Mine safety is often what the foreman makes it. The senate bill would end required mine foreman safety training and leave it up to the companies. (See Blankenship, Don and Massey Energy on the web.)

The feds and the state inspect for different things at different times. Both are needed.

Then there’s clean coal. It is possible…but while mine owners and the industry, even the UMW support it...nothing I am aware of its being done to make it viable. Indeed the industry keeps claiming EPA regs are the reason the coal industry is suffering, while almost never pointing out that coal’s chief competitor, natural gas, is both considerably cheaper these days, as well as cleaner.

Unless you’re HRC, that is.  When she stumbled by saying, badly, “we’re going to put a lot of coal companies out of business”, the industry pounced. Clinton tried damage repair with a letter to her supporter, W. Va. Senator Joe Manchin stating she strongly supports those “who keep the lights on” and pledged to bring jobs to Appalachia and support “carbon capture technology”—which many believe is the best method to make coal clean.

The industry keeps saying It supports “clean coal” but talk is cheap..I wish they would finally walk the walk.

I'm just sayin'...