I grew up in Wolfe County, Ky., and I am writing in regards to the “New Power promises to keep Ky. proud.”
As a resident of a small eastern Kentucky community, I thought it was important for the public to see the real story of coal.
I have lived in Wolfe County my entire life, and until this past year, we have never had a park. Because of coal severance money (the money “Big Coal companies” give back to communities), we were able to build a park. Those big coal companies help many eastern Kentucky counties by improving hospitals and roads, funding volunteer fire departments or upgrading schools, among many other improvements.
One common misconception people have about coal is the process of mountain top removal, or what I prefer to call “mountain top development.” Before the actual mining, to be issued a mining permit coal companies must present a plan of what the land will be used for once the mining is complete. During the restoration process, in some cases, trees are planted and grass is sowed, and in others, hospitals and businesses are built. Mountain top development brings many things to communities, such as golf courses, airports and sports complexes. It stimulates the economy in those regions and creates more jobs.
The coal industry is important to Kentucky because it provides thousands of direct and indirect jobs. For every one job in the coal mine, it creates three more jobs for the state. As important as it is to Kentucky, it is essential for the United States.
Looking at the coal industry from a day-to-day perspective, you can see our low energy rates. From a national perspective, you can see how America avoids being dependent on foreign countries for energy. What does coal do for us? Coal supports well paying jobs to people across the Commonwealth. Coal provides the third lowest energy rates in the country. Coal allows Kentucky to be an energy leader in America. If we’re really going to be Kentucky proud, let’s be proud of what we do best.
Tyler Phipps
Agriculture economics junior
Pollution and Negative Externalities
Excellent piece, I have family from the Hindman/Hazard area and have visited there extensively and have seen the elk herds (the largest east of the Mississippi) that live on some of these reclaimed lands. Most of these mountain tops are completely useless to the local population (and in some cases to wildlife) before they are brought down and reclaimed.
Just FYI, the elk where there before the mountains were blown up and then leveled off. And they ate the grass and shrubs that were there before they too were blown up. And they drank the water in the streams since destroyed by the “development” of which you speak.
I definitely think it’s true that what Eastern Kentucky needs in terms of economic development is golf courses. Not tourism based on exploring the area’s incredible natural beauty. Not schools and teachers. But golf courses. Coal and golf courses. And parks that used to be mountains. Since mountains aren’t usable for recreation. Or nice at all.
I lived in Kentucky from age 6 until age 22, graduated from UK in 2008 and then moved away from the state. I still love it and I still miss a lot of it.
I do not, however, miss the extraordinarily narrow world-view so common in the state.
Coal companies are not, in the long run, helping you or helping Kentucky. Parks do not eclipse mountains. Elk are not meant to roam on man-made flatlands and drink from polluted streams. Humans aren’t meant to drink from polluted streams either.
Coal companies privatize profits and externalize losses, which is beneficial to no one.
The author isn’t considering the lost watershed or the erosion of the ground that occurs when the trees have been cut down. Then, there’s the number of animals rendered homeless by the loss of their habitats. I hope no one was hoping to eat Bambi next month.
i completely agree…i went to eastern kentucky once and couldn’t see anything for all of those mountains in the way. once we level off these mountains and fill in the valleys with toxic, unconsolidated rubble, the view in eastern kentucky will rival any lunar landscape. and we all know how much people are willing to pay to go to the moon. this is a gold mine, people!
Ryan you are correct, the elk were there, but no where near in the numbers they are now after the mountaintop reclamation. And Sarah grass also stops runnoff, its clear you haven’t been to any of these reclamation sites they plant grass and in many casses tree’s have begun moving back into these areas. And I love that all three of you comment, yet have apparently never visited any of these reclaimed sites. Instead of pursuing such narrow views you may want to go visit them for yourselves and see the good that has been done. Oh well I suppose I’m a dreamer… I just hope I’m not the only one.
I completely agree with the author. Not only do the coal companies give numerous jobs to those who live in Eastern Kentucky (who, mind you, are fighting day-in and day-out to get a job and earn enough money to take care of their families) but it brings in big revenue for the state.
These coal companies are vital to developing Eastern Kentucky. Without mountain-top removal, there would be no place to build a hospital- these people do get sick and require medical attention after all- schools, banks, other places of employment, etc….
My family, at one time, owned a small coal company. We totally back coal becuase it is how Eastern Kentucky thrives- it is the essence of what makes us us. If you remove coal, then Eastern Kentucky will slowly die and will no longer be the place that so many (myself included) call home. Please think of that the next time someone asks if you support coal or not.
I have family who live in Soutwestern Virginia in coal mining country and have lived there myself off and on. The way I see it, we are not destroying mountains by flattening them out on top, we are shaping them into someting we humans can better make use of before nature slowly erodes them away. In effect, we are helping nature do her thing, which is to recycle everything back into the center of the earth and back out again. Mountains rise up and are eroded away over millions of years. What exactly are you destroying when you flatten a mountain top? The dirt and rocks are still there, only in a different place. The trees and grass will grow back relatively fast. The trees and grass that were “blown up” are now recycled back into the Earth.
Coal doesn’t pollute. It is organic chunks of energy, not toxic waste. It is a tightly compacted compost heap. I don’t hear you vegetarian tree-huggers calling your compost pile a toxic waste dump. I have been covered with coal dust from head to toe all day long and never even gotten a rash from it.
If not for coalmining, most places in Appalachia would rarely be visited by people. Thus, very few people would ever have seen that mountain that was flattened out and turned into a park with handicap access. Now, many people can enjoy it.
Ryan, Sarah G. and confused…you just got schooled. Well said Jeff.