Attack on Coal costing everyone

The coal industry of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia has provided affordable energy for a large portion of the United States for many years. This industry fired the industrial revolution, and continues to provide a dependable source of energy.
The men and women who work to make this possible are dedicated to their jobs, and are proud to be a part of what made this land great. Our ancestors worked in terrible conditions, and there is a history to which we all feel a tie.
Under the Obama administration, and in conjunction with environmental groups such as the Sierra Club that pride is under attack. It’s not just the history of our way of life, it’s also the future of America’s way of life. Each new regulation the EPA, Army Corps of Engineers, or MHSA comes up with costs the working people of the country in one way or another.
The immediate effect being a sharp rise in power bills. The more we have to pay for electricity means the less we get to use for other items thus slowing the economy.
The next effect is the loss of jobs. Many industries cannot afford power bill increases as they are operating on such a marginal basis It doesn’t take an economist to understand what corporate entities do when a facility becomes overburdened with expenses, they move or shut down.
The regulations in question include water conductivity levels. This is the level of electric charge water will conduct due to the mineral content of the water. The main contributors to water conductivity are sewage plants and storm drain run-off. Surface mining is one of the least contributors, but is now being targeted by the EPA and environmental groups.
The level the EPA is forcing on the coal industry is 300 to 500 micro ohms per centimeter. The level of Propel energy type drink sold in stores is over 1000 micro ohms per centimeter. The levels coming from storm drain run-off and sewage plants is far greater. The trouble this is causing the coal industry can be seen on your electric bill.
The national sentiment towards the healthcare bill has been negative due to the cost. If more people in America were aware of the cost damage the government is doing to the energy market it would create a similar response.
The economy of the United States depends greatly on low energy prices. Phony science and liberal environmentalists are bringing those low energy prices to a halt. The hope we have in the coalfields is for a national dialogue about coal. One of the problems we have in that effort is the difficulty in getting news out of the mountains to the rest of the country. The media is not friendly to the coal industry.
As long as this situation exists the people of America can expect their power bills to continue to climb, their jobs to decline, and the economy to suffer.

Randy Walters
Coal Fed Families
Coalfedfamilies.com
About the author.
Currently General Manager of WLZD-LP Hazard, Kentucky and Director of Coal Fed Families.
Former co-owner of two eastern Kentucky newspapers.
Former member of Peabody Testing’s In Service Inspection team doing non destructive testing in nuclear power plants. Former Level II inspector in Radiography, Magnetic Particle, and Penetrant testing.
Former Coal Miner.