[Old School]

[quote=Coach_Owens87]


If you can give me the total income for the state. Then those numbers may mean something. I want debate you on the fact that Coal Companies make a lot of money they do. But just where is that money going. It's not helping Appalachia.

That reclamation law mentioned nothing about the requirements, or standards for reclamation. No wonder coal companies do such horrible jobs. Well that and reclamation cost money, lots of it. Most companies don't want to pay it. Thats why they pay a bond before mining that is supposed to cover reclamation if the state must step in. A lot of bigger companies create subsidiaries that shut down after one mining job. This way they cant be punished for breaking the law. You cant punish someone or something that doesn't exist.

I don't care what the total income is, 9 Billion Dollars has a huge economic impact!! Surely you're not that blinded to realize that. I'll tell you again Coal companies have no input on where or how the tax money is spent, and they can't tell their employees how to spend their hard earned money. You need to contact Frankfort if you have a problem with the way they spend the Tax dollars.

Each State has sightly different law concerning reclamation, first of all each company has to obey all state and federal laws (you can contact the West Virginia DEP or the Kentucky Department of Mines and Mineral to obtain information on each State) yes that means that you woiuld have to go to another site other than that Environmental Site you only visit now.

You are correct each company has to post a bond for their mining permit, apparently you're not familiar with the "Applicant Violator System" this is how it works, for each mining permit application the owners and officers of every company must be listed with their SS#. Once a Coal company goes into bond forfeiture a couple of things happen first they lose all off the bond money and secondly the names of the owners and officers are placed on the Applicant Violator List (a black list of sorts). These people can never apply for another coal mining permit anywhere in the United States even if they work for another Coal Company. Personaly I think this is punishment and it is deserved!

CO87 you keep talking about only using 1% of the existing land.
The source for the following information comes from the Environmenttal and Public Protection Cabinet
Mining is only a temporary land use, Mountaintop mining has created several sites for new Schools, Hospitals, Shopping Centers, Parks, Golf Courses, Housing, Airports, Industry, agriculture and timber in Kentucky
Here's a few of the Post-Mining land use and the County
1) Big Sandy Region Airport - Martin
2) Hatcher Field Airport - Pike
3) Carroll Field Airport - Breathitt
4) Ford Airport - Perry
5) Ohio County Airport - Ohio
6) Federal Correctional Institute - Clay, Martin
7) East Kentucky Correctional Complex - Morgan
8) Medium Security Prison - Muhlenberg, Knott
9) Otter Creek Correctional Center - Floyd
10) Juvenile Boot Camp - Breathitt
11) Earle C. Clements Job Corps Center - Muhlenberg
12) Army National Guard Training Center - Muhlenberg
13) U.S. Postal Service - Laurel
14) County Park - Ohio
15) Madisonville South By-Pass - Hopkins
16) Solid Waste Landfills - Daviess, Greenup, Ohio, Hopkins, Perry and Lee
17) Hazard Armory - Perry
18) Jail and State Police Barracks - Perry
19) Veterans Nursing Home - Perry
and the list goes on with another 75 Industrial or Commercial operations, and also includes 16 Farms or Agricultural Projects. Fish and wildlife projects include
20) Duck Refuge Areas - Ohio, Perry, Breathitt, Knott, Martin, Muhlenberg
21) Catfish Farming - McLean
22) Wildlife Management Area - Muhlenberg, Ohio, Perry
23) Wetland Development - Eastern Kentucky

CO87 I have a question for you, it's apparent that you've never worked in the Mining Industry, because the only information you can come up with is what the Environmentalist feed you, but have you ever visited a Active Surface or Undergound Mine Site?

In most of your post you keep saying that you are informed (post #19) and if you want to know about a topic you research it (post #12). When you research topic shouldn't you research all aspects of the topic? You keep telling me to look at Reece's web site and Appvoices and I have. I also know Reece is Anti-Coal and will never make a positive comment about Coal, this may suprise you a little but I often visit OHVEC's web site usually once or twice a week just to see what their up to.
I think you owe it to yourself to look at both sides of this topic and then form your own opinion.

CO87 did you know that only 7% of Eastern Kentucky is suitable for Surface Mining?