Comments on: Speakers say bill would save streams, kill jobs

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:21:44 +0000

Although a great deal of concern on environmental protection must be assessed when associated with mountaintop removal as a mining method for coal mining, regulators need to focus on stricter enforcement and punishment for violations of current environmental law instead of enacted stricter law which would devastate the coal mining industry and the economy in Southwest Virginia.

So many people argue to the extremes of both sides of this issue, which is why no change is happening for either side. Middle ground must be reached in order to reach reasonable goals for BOTH sides of this issue.

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:21:38 +0000

Jerry,

Correct me if I am wrong, but are there not other methods of mining that are less destructive to the environment? Do these methods sometimes create more jobs?

Also, are there other ways to create power that are less destructive to the miners, community and environment?

I have no fantasies of coal burning going away anytime soon, but we seriously need to come up with cleaner ways to produce electricity.

Do not worry, producing power will continue to create jobs for the rest of time

By: Jerry

Jerry — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:28:06 +0000

I am a 57 year old surface miner and have been for over 25 years now. My father-in law died at the age of 56, he had 32 years in underground coal mining. I just want everyone to know that i support coal mining and surface mining. What are you people thinking ? If you stopped the coal industry, how do you expect people in southwest Virginia and other areas to survive. I would be willing to bet there’s some of you that don’t even know what a piece of coal even looks like. This Ticer woman needs to retire and join Martha Stewart and talk about recipes and keep her nose out of things she knows nothing about.
This is my opinion, everyone is entitled to one, unless the government changes that too !!!!!!!

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:48:46 +0000

Chris,

Something needs to be done. The coal companies need to be held responsible for destroying the land.

We all need power and it is a messy business no doubt, but mountain top removal is the worst.

By: chris

chris — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:15:05 +0000

i work on a surface mine and i think this will end up being a war right here in the united states. the first thing we should do is pull the power from the tree hugging people who want to stop mountain top removal and let them set in the dark for a month or two and let them get a little taste of what they will be getting when they shut us down……

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:12:50 +0000

Visit http://ilovemountains.org/ for some disturbing footage. There are towns where children’s teeth are rotting out due to the pollution of the water. Entire neighborhoods of homes are worthless because there is no clean water available due to the runoff. They have to have water delivered. It’s total madness.

By: james

james — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:20:32 +0000

Coal miners may not win in Patsy Ticer’s committee, but the bill has to go through the House too, and Republicans value jobs a lot more than Democrats. If the Senate passes it, the House will kill it dead.

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:02:08 +0000

It may kill mountain top coal removal jobs, but it could help spur other energy related jobs.

Look, I really feel for a guy that might lose his jobs, but mountain top removal is extremely destructive. If you want to go see it first had, go white water rafting on the Cheat Canyon in WV.

By: robsmithiii

robsmithiii — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 11:25:54 +0000

The opposition to the bill did not mention several items during the hearing. First, mountaintop removal was initially designed to kill jobs. The process is less worker-intensive than traditional, underground methods of mining. In fact, in West Virginia, which has had more mountaintop removal project sites over the years, employment in the mining industry [i.e. the number of miners] has decreased from over 150,000 jobs to just 16,000 jobs. The coal industry is not trying to guarantee these jobs, even though they attempt to paint a picture that that is their number one concern. They didn’t have any actual miners speak on their behalf at the hearing, by the way. Second, dumping is less labor intensive than the coal companies actually picking up after themselves. Hiring a third-party vendor to take care of their mess would create jobs. What if we didn’t require construction companies to take care of their scraps and solid waste at work sites, whether residential or commercial? The opposition did not quote how much the cost to big coal would be for taking care of their refuse instead of dumping it into streams and, consequently, the water table. We can assume that since they have been having a consistently upward trend in profitability — and since they won’t come out and quote any numbers — that cleaning up after themselves won’t “bankrupt” them. If they shed jobs, it’s their own fault for not using their profits wisely with a mind to keep jobs, which they somehow insist is their number one priority. Furthermore, they admit guilt by insisting that there is nothing in the Bible regarding the morality of keeping the Earth intact — which negates that mountaintop removal and the resultant dumping are questionable acts.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, where I have lived since the day I was born, has an interest in keeping its integrity intact. We give tax credits for coal to operate, often ignoring the needs of small businesses, and coal has not been creating jobs but has been slashing them since mountaintop removal was introduced. Coal miners have a right to be worried about their jobs. Mountaintop removal will guarantee that they will lose them. Virginia should take steps to introduce other business to the reaches of Southwestern Virginia and, as that need is met, should pull the plug on mountaintop removal, lest we lose our mountains. An overwhelming proportion of Virginians feel the same way.