[Mr.Kimball]

Can you coal guys come up with anything else to defend yourself besides the scare tactic putting people out of jobs? How about we get away from mining, clean up the environment, and train people for jobs in new industries?
Sooner or later we are going to have to get away from coal, and the sooner the better. It does no good to explain the damages that MTR is doing, because most of you dont care, or arent wise enough to see it, but the damages will become very clear in the near future.

Yeah, that would be great, but you name me one industry that has the first bit of interest in coming to eastern Kentucky? There is absolutely nobody that wants to come here or has a very high opinion about anything that we have to offer.

Seeing that you claim to be from Knott Co., just what else do you think is going to put bread on your and everyone else's table there?

You are very wrong however in the statement about reclaimed mining areas. They have made useless tracts of land into very usefull properties in Knott Co. very beautiful and useful. If it were not for the coal industry, I can think of a lot of nice touches that would have never happened in Knott Co. I myself, think that the miles and miles of grasslands are pleasant to look at. You would never have had the elk industry for one thing. There is also a fabulous recreation area at the sportsplex there. Where else could it have been built? What would have financed it? Every single good thing that you have in Knott Co. all comes from what coal has done.

I am not associated with the coal industry at all, but I am smart enough to know that every single thing in eastern Kentucky is dependent on it. When it dies , we all die financially.

Your right one of these days it will be gone regardless of if we want it to be or not, and I agree that there are obstacles to overcome. Not any easy solution to this one.