YUP, for the good of WV, stop that MTR'ing

The coal industry says most of the nearly 130 million tons of coal produced at mountaintop mines in Appalachia goes to generate electricity for 24.7 million customers. Moreover, mountaintop mines employ some 14,000 people across West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

The practice has a huge economic impact in Appalachia. Wages average about $62,000 — high pay for rural Appalachia — and states make millions in taxes.

Coal companies have been cutting production, closing mines and laying off workers across the country amid anemic demand, particularly for utility coal overseas and coking coal used to fire steel mill blast furnaces. At least 1,310 jobs have been trimmed at various Appalachian mines in recent weeks.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29862781/

And I wuzza wantin to hike to the top of that mountain just so I could see green trees.




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Sam,

If MTR is forbidden do you really think nobody will mine coal? I believe the coal will be mined employing more miners and using less TNT, once the mining companies are convinced MTR is history. So let's just make it history.

1st question - where are they going to find enough employees to hire?

What's the unemployment rate now, Sam?

Stephanie wrote:What's the unemployment rate now, Sam?

Steph, just why do you think they are paying coal miners wages that average about $62,000 per year.

I hope it is not because you think they all have a Phd. in Coal Mining Technology?

Steph, there probably isn't a shortage of applicants for MTR mining jobs.

But deep shaft (underground) mining, ........ it takes a special breed of person to even apply for one.

And incidents such as Sago ....... does not help in the recuitment of any new breed.

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Are you saying there aren't people right now willing to mine coal for those wages in this state? Has there been difficulty getting people to work mining coal?

I'm going to ask my husband when he gets home if he'd hang up his chef's jacket and go mine coal because that is a whole lot more money than he makes now. Plus, I would imagine most miners get nights, weekends, and holidays off. I'm thinking he probably would.

I think the reason the coal companies have been blasting the tops off of mountains is because it is allowed and because it is cheaper. If MTR is forbidden, they'll revert to employing more people to mine the coal and less explosives.

I will await your honey's reply.

lol

That man is so funny. He said, "I don't know. That would depend upon how much shit I'd get from you over it. If you'd not complain I probably would."

Stephanie wrote:lol

That man is so funny. He said, "I don't know. That would depend upon how much shit I'd get from you over it. If you'd not complain I probably would."

Now there is a man who knows how to walk a marital 2 X 4 without falling off either side of it!

He's thinking something I've heard him say a number of times. "I have the wrong kind of wife for that." lol

First Stephanie, most mines are open 24/6 so miners don't get off weekends, nights and if their relatively new, they don't get many new holidays. I had a couple of offers to work in mines but I would have had to drive 90 miles one way to work 5-12 hour shifts and every other Saturday. I would have missed more ballgames working in WV then I do working in Cincinnati.

Second, if MTR is banned, yes Arch Coal (the largest MRT miner and an exemplary mining company-Ziggy said so) would continue to mine coal.

In Wyoming. The margin for them to mine coal underground would be so low that they wouldn't even bother to mine high sulfur coal in WV when they could go to Wyoming and mine 'cleaner' coal and make a hell of a lot more money.

Aaron,

As a chef, my husband will always work nights, weekends, and pretty much every holiday with the exception of Christmas, not that he has never worked Christmas. He worked 3 of them the first 6 years we were together. He has worked at least 50% of the Thanksgiving, Easter, Independence, Memorial and Labor Days since we've been together. He has worked all but one Mother's Day and two Father's days. 30 years from now if he's still working as a chef that will not change.

As a coal miner, eventually that would change. Plus the pay would be better.

I disagree with your assertion they will not mine coal in WV if MTR is forbidden. The coal will be mined and more people will have jobs as a result.

Perhaps you should do some research before you disagree. I can't find the article right now but Arch Coal CEO Steve Leer said as much during their fight for a permit near Blair Mountain. The gist of the statement was that if the permit were not granted, Arch Coal would shut down resources and move them to more profitable mining in Wyoming and not sink them into low profit underground mines in WV.

I'm sure that if MTR is stopped in WV, eventually companies will once again, as you state, return to underground mining to get to the coal. It just won't happen in mine or your lifetime. Perhaps Loyd's kids might get a job in one of the mines but I doubt he will either.

Stephanie wrote:I disagree with your assertion they will not mine coal in WV if MTR is forbidden. The coal will be mined and more people will have jobs as a result.

Steph, can your hubby spend $6 cooking up a plate of spaghetti and meatballs ....... and sell it to one of his customers for $5?

You know, kinda like "Zigster economics".

..

Idle threats, Aaron. The coal is here they will mine it.

Sam,

I understand your concerns. Either the price of coal will rise or the unions will have to make concessions or a combination of both. I would imagine the price of coal would increase.

Whatever you say Stephanie.



I am interested in the section where you commented about Poca and Winfield kids making statements about Buffalo.

From my daughter.

"They say we're all just a bunch of stupid rednecks and we're all just a bunch of whores."

She has heard this from PHS students at competitions and in stores etc when she's wearing BHS t-shirts. The girl has a bunch....band, softball, basketball etc.

Hmmm. I'm not surprised that it happens some as every school talks trash about the others in Putnam county but I would be surprised if it happens as much between Poca and Buffalo students.

Like I said, the two are pretty much intertwined in all their elementary and middle school stuff which leads to a great deal of familiarity between the students.

If you went to their football game last year, from the people in the stands, particularly the students, it was hard at times to tell whose side belonged to who. There was as many Buffalo people on Poca's side and vice versa.

I have never been to a game at PHS. I did attend every BHS home game but don't remember a game against Poca. That said, I spent every minute of every home game with the exception of "senior night" in the concession stand. Kate's not here right now for me to ask.

You were talking about if there were coal companies would go get it. Perhaps you could explain why no one has gotten the major seem that runs from just north of Raymond City and runs in 3 or 4 different directions. One goes just north of 62 and follows parrell along Grandview towards Buffolo, one seam heads north up Manilla and out towards Derricks Creek and I think there's a couple going out along other ridges in northern Putnam County. They've been there for years and was once mined as part of the upper Kanawha field.

You'll have to forgive me. Football seasons sometimes run together.

Poca played at Buffalo in 2007when Nick Harris was a senior. Personally I thought he was a better baseball player but I guess he didn't want to be compared to his dad who make it AA ball (I believe) . I'm not sure who dropped who. I've hear it both ways.

Aaron,

They're not mining that coal there because they are making more money blasting the tops off of mountains in other parts of the state.

Maybe. Except they stopped mining coal there years before MTR mining started. I really think you need to do some studying on the subject. I'm not saying your wrong about MTR but I don't think you fully understand what will happen once the Obama adminstration revokes permits and bans the practice. Especially given that demand for coal is on the decline and prices are once again falling.

Aaron,

Do you really think energy prices will continue to decline given Obama sits in the Oval Office and Nanny Pelosi & Dingy Harry are running the Legislature? I do not.

Look, when the price of oil shot up we had individual oil wells that had remained dormant for years opened again because it became profitable to do so. Coal is no different.

Another thing that I think is being overlooked by far too many people is that WV really needs to get to work on diversifying the economy. I don't care what the product is, no single resource is going to be able to indefinitely keep the economy healthy.

Stephanie wrote:
Another thing that I think is being overlooked by far too many people is that WV really needs to get to work on diversifying the economy.

Are you SERIOUS?

It is not being overlooked, ...... it is being prohibited and/or inhibited from being done because of too many Laws, Statutes, high taxes, fees ....... and too many people who are adamently against any new or diversifying changes in the economy.