Published: October 29, 2009 05:27 pm      

Residents must voice support for coal

Coal is the lifeblood of West Virginia. West Virginia coal helped build this great nation, and continues to light the way for America and the world today. West Virginia’s future depends on our coal, and the hard work and dedication of a special group of Americans that are proud to be called “coal miners.” From the genius of Don Blankenship, right down the line to the trainee “Red Hat,” who has chosen this industry to teach them a skill, to be productive, and to provide for his or her family. These people are a special breed.

There are 14,000 coal miners employed in our state. With each mining job, there are eight more jobs created. This means there are 112,000 West Virginia residents going to work, every day. From the doctors and school teachers, right along to the cashier at Kentucky Fried Chicken taking your order, all these jobs are a direct result of West Virginia coal. Most of us in southern West Virginia are no strangers to coal. I was raised a coal miner’s son, in a coal camp, in a coal company house, in Wenonah, W.Va. My father, and my grandfather, were both killed in mining accidents.

Today, it is one of the safest industries in America. Coal provides my livelihood today, and has for most of my adult life. Coal provides the livelihood for my employees and their families. Coal severance taxes make up 50 percent of our state’s budget. Every one of us who believes coal is vital to our state must stand up and contact our elected officials in Washington and voice our support for coal.

The time has come. We must express our concerns to the EPA, specifically, in their decision to rescind a permit which was issued in 2007 to Arch Coal’s Spruce Mine in Logan County. This particular permit took 10 years to process. If we don’t speak up our way of life as we know it may soon cease to exist. If we let this decision stand as it is, without voicing our support for coal, it will open the door for more of the same in the future.

There are 79 mining permits being reviewed by the powers that be right now. Twenty-three of those permits are for West Virginia coal mines. As you read my plea for help in this important matter, please don’t say to yourself, “It doesn’t matter, they won’t listen to me.” Yes they will! Your voice does matter. You can reach our elected officials by calling the Action Center at (877) 603-2237, or write them if you wish.

As we all know, the squeaky wheel here is the environmentalists. This particular group of people, are extremists. They don’t care about us, nor do they care about our families. They don’t care about our way of life. They don’t care that their actions have already cost a lot of West Virginia coal miners their jobs. Are we, as proud West Virginians, going to stand idly by while a bunch of others who, by the way for the most part, don’t even live here, try to shut down our state’s biggest Industry? If we let these people go unchecked, it won’t be long until everything we love is gone. Hunting, fishing, racing, working ... everything.

We need not forget who our elected officials are listening to, and catering to, either. We need not forget what these politicians have done when election time rolls around.

Carl Hubbard

Heritage Equipment Inc.

Beckley