[Old School]

We have the ability to build an economy without coal, tourism could be a start, but no one wants to see flat mountains.

But things are different now, it takes a handful of men to do the job that hundreds used to do. Coal is not our savior right now, were one of the poorest regions in the country, our unemployment rate has been the same for the last 30 years, and the future doesn't look any brighter, how is that a savior?


Now to the points you made, the big reason other energy sources aren't being used, or being further researched in this area is because of the greedy oil and coal companies. Too much money is being made to get away from mining. It's that simple. Now you agree that Appalachia is one of the poorest regions in the country, and you know exactly why that is, It's mining. There aren't any other job opportunites here because we don't have the trained workers to do them, most people who get an education move away from here to get jobs, including me. The average age of a coal miner is 55, which shows that young people arent working in the mines, and since you claim mining is our "savior" what happens when all those workers retire, there wont be anyone to work in the mines. We need to get better jobs in this area, which wont happen until MTR practices are controlled.

Just to let you know 6 counties in eastern Ky rank in the top ten nationally in lung cancer, children here are 50% more likely to get asthma, and mothers are more likely to have birth defects, and why is all of this happening, it's because these "great" coal companies are polluting Appalachia. I ask a lot of people to do this, and I would guess that very few do, but I will ask again, go look at google earth and view the destruction.

The point im trying to make is that MTR needs to be controlled and stopped, yes as of right now we need the coal, but there has got to be a better way, MTR takes away jobs, and destroys our environment, and is rapidly destroying our culture.

There is a group that sides with me, and it's a rapidly growing group of people just like you, people who want better for this region. this earth is god given, and all im trying to do is protect it and it's inhabitants.

MTR is destroying this region. MTR is accountably for floods, mudslides, contaminated water, and many other things. The property value of a home near a mine site drops on average by 90%, most people here have very little, and their home is their only possession, imagine how they feel when the lose all the have. Here is one you can probably understand, and it should hit home, Mining jobs have decreased by over 50% since 1970, thats when MTR really started. Is that the great job maker coal claims to be?

CO87: You say we have the ability to build a economy without coal. If this can be done then why hasn't this been started before now.

CO87: No one wants to see flat mountains. As we discussed in another thread, only 6% of the land in Eastern Ky is suitable for surface mining.

CO87: It only takes a handful of men to do the job that hundreds used to do. Give me a industry that employees as many people today that it employeed 30 to 50 years ago. The number of employees at auto manufactures have dropped, due to new technology, Construction companies are using less people and building more. Technology has changed every profession, and mining is no different, miners are able to mine more coal with less people just as the auto industry is able to build more cars with fewer people.


CO87: Lung Cancer, birth defects and asthma due to coal mining. I guess Eastern Kentucky having the highest amount of smokers doesn't affect lung cancer? Could so many women smoking, drinking or taking drugs have anything to do with birth defects?

CO87: MTR needs to be controlled or stopped. Which do you want controlled or stopped, if you want it controlled then you don't want it stopped. You say you against MTR are you ok with Contour Surface Mining?

CO87: MTR takes away jobs. I've heard this comment so many times, and it's completely false 80% of Surface mining operations mine coal that cannot be mined by underground methods. Most of these coal seams are not economical to mine underground, due to low recovery rates, geological conditions etc.

CO87: This Earth is God given. Your right God gave us this Earth, he also gave us the coal, oil, limestone, gas, trees and everything else on it to use.

CO87: Property Value of a home drops 90% near mine sites. I found a article where a reporter found just the opposite, property values were higher! The best thing would be to check with your PVA.