[Old School]

Well, I can say out of everybody at the mines I worked, that it would be fair to say that nobody that voted, voted for him..even a couple of the die hard Dems said they couldnt vote for him..

I just wonder how Obama and Biden were elected, if you ask people today who they voted for, very few will admit to voting for Obama.

As I said before, low coal prices are only a part of the equation that yields job losses. Mining costs are equally important and our federal government is actively working to increase those costs in a bad economy.

When coal prices bounce back, as they inevitably will, those higher costs caused by Obama's meddling will not drop back to current levels. Temporary job losses in the coal industry have been common in the past. The coal industry has a long history of booms and busts. Obama's attack on the industry is what makes the current layoffs different and it is what threatens to make the job losses permanent.

These higher costs are being passed on to the consumer. IMO this administration is trying to bring the cost of energy produced by coal to the same levels as solar and wind among other alternative sources.

At what, presenting the truth about some of the mines laying off because of cheap coal prices? As I said at the first of the thread, I spoke with a high up Cam person. He told me their layoffs coming up are because they can't mine the coal cheap enough to sell it right now. They have plenty of permits for the next 5 years. The Miller Bros. layoffs are coming because of their parent company coming out of bankruptcy. How can they humiliate me with that? They are the ones bringing in off topic stuff that doesn't bear any weight to the topic of the thread. I'm no coal expert and don't try to act like I am. I just know what I see with my very own eyes.

Coal prices are down on the spot market, and for those who are trying to sign new contracts. Many coal companies are still selling coal for the contract prices that were signed last year when prices were much higher.

Also keep in mind that these permits that have not been activated can and more than likely will have their 404 and NWP21 revolked by the EPA.

Venezuelan coal is going to be a big player. Keystone energy is already looking into bringing a large amount into the Jacksonville area wehre they are a big player.

Utility companies in the Virginia area were importing coal form Venezuelan also.

:Thumbs: And people from this area don't realize the effect that PRB coal is having on this area as well. Some of those seams are 100 FOOT thick and are unbeliveable to see. Companies like Arch and Peabody are putting more and more money into those area's and less into Central App coal. PRB coal is already being shipped to the east in large quantities to be blended with the higher BTU coal from Central App. as of 10/16/09 PRB coal had actually came back up to just over 9 dollars a ton. This coal is cheap and can be ship and blended with Central App coal to be used in power plants and it is happening more and more. Add to that the coal that is starting to pour out of the Illinois Basin and one can see where coal in this area of the country is slowly being elminated. Wyoming has been the number 1 producer for the last few years and they are only widening that lead. The PRB loadouts can load 15000 tons of coal into railcars in just over an hour and they load 8 to 10 trains per day. As they expand rail lines in the area this will only increase their output more.

What really gets me is that the proposed EPA changes will only effect the Appalachian region, and does not effect PRB, Illinois, or Western Kentucky coal fields.