West Virginia and coal
From SourceWatch
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| This article is part of the Coal Issues portal on SourceWatch, a project of CoalSwarm and the Center for Media and Democracy. |
Introduction
West Virginia is the second-biggest coal-producing state in the country (after Montana), with 152.4 million tons of coal mined in 2006 (13.1% of the U.S. total).[1] West Virginia employed 20,076 coal miners in 2006, and the coal mining industry as a whole employs about 40,000 West Virginians - representing 5% of the state's civilian workforce.[2][3] It is difficult to overstate the extent to which coal mining, and the coal industry in general, are politically, economically, and culturally embedded within West Virginian society.
West Virginia had 42 coal-fired generating stations in 2005, with 15,372 MW of capacity - representing 93.4% of the state's total electric generating capacity.[4] No other state in the country gets a higher percentage of its electric power from coal.[5]
In 2006, West Virginia's coal-fired power plants produced 84.2 million tons of CO2, 427,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, and 139,000 tons of nitrogen oxide; power plants were responsible for 73.6% of the state's total CO2 emissions.[6] In 2005, West Virginia emitted 63.0 tons of CO2 per person; the state had the 4th highest per capita level of CO2 emissions.[7]
Lawsuit against coal companies filed in Boone County
In February 2009, about 250 people filed suit against coal companies they allege poisoned wells in two communities in southern West Virginia. The lawsuit contends that coal companies pumped waste coal slurry empty mines, and that underground cracks allowed the waste to pollute the aquifer. However, the state Department of Environmental Protection says it has been unable to link the wells to the injection site.
The lawsuit targets eight coal companies, including Massey Energy, Peabody Energy and subsidiary Pine Ridge Coal, and West Virginia's Federal Coal Co.[8] [9] [10] [11]
In April 2009, a tentative settlement agreement was reached and was awaiting judge approval. The settlement calls for the coal companies to contribute $45,000 to a fund to provide drinking water to residents in the Seth-Prenter area. The companies stated as part of the agreement that the payment does not constitute any admission of guilt and is inadmissible in court.[12]
Lawsuit against coal company filed in Mingo County
After four years of trying to bring a case to court, citizens filed a lawsuit in Mingo County Circuit Court alleging that their water had been fouled as a result of Massey's Rawl Sales and Coal Processing Plant, which had a permit from 1977 to 1986 to inject coal slurry into an underground abandoned mine nearby. Jury selection was to begin February 17.[13]
In an order signed in August, Acting Chief Justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court Robin Davis, ordered the presiding Mingo County Circuit court judge, Michael Thornsbury, to step down from hearing, citing Thornsbury’s previous representation of a Massey company in a case brought about blasting by a resident who is also a plaintiff in the slurry case. [14]
Massey settles lawsuit and agrees to plea deal over Aracoma mine fire
On January 19, 2006, two miners died at the Aracoma Alma No. 1 Mine in West Virginia, after a conveyor belt caught fire. The widows of the miners filed suit against Massey Energy, on the grounds that the company should have anticipated that the lack of an air control wall would allow smoke to fill escape routes. In the complaint, the women accused Massey CEO Blankenship of "personally engendering a corporate attitude of indifference and hostility towards safety measures which stood in the way of profit." The lawsuit was settled on November 17, 2008, although the terms were not disclosed.[15] Seven miners who were injured in the same fire have also filed suit against Massey, seeking punitive damages for their injuries.[16]
On April 15, 2009, a federal judge approved a plea deal with Massey subsidiary Aracoma Coal Company. Aracoma pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges for the 2006 fire. The company was fined $2.5 million and must also pay $1.7 million for violations cited by the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. The plea deal included a provision preventing Massey and its officials from being prosecuted.[17]
Citizen activism
May 31, 2005: 16 arrested in Sundial, West Virginia
On May 31, 2005, 16 people were arrested after crossing into Massey Energy property in Sundial, West Virginia at a protest against Massey's coal processing plant near the Marsh Fork Elementary School. The arrestees were taken to the Whitesville State Police detachment, where they were given citations and released, Vessels said. Vessels did not have a list of names, but said one woman was 80 years old, one was from Alabama, another from Tucson, Ariz., and some were local residents.[18]
June 30, 2005: WV citizens occupy Massey headquarters
On June 30, 2005, Concerned parents, grandparents and other citizens of Coal River Valley, West Virginia, with support from Mountain Justice Summer participants, delivered a list of demands to Massey Energy's headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, insisting that Massey respond. Two were arrested for trespassing when they refused to leave the premises until Massey responded to their demands. The citizens demanded that Massey shut down its preparation plant, coal silo, 1,849-acre mountaintop removal coal mine and 2.8 billion-gallon coal sludge dam - a toxic waste storage facility — located feet from an elementary school, Marsh Fork Elementary, in Sundail, WV. [19][20]
July 30, 2005: Hundreds rally against mountaintop removal at WV capitol building
On July 30, 2005, hundreds of citizens converged on the steps of the capitol building in Charleston WV to voice their opposition to mountaintop removal coal mining. The rally included speeches and testimonials from residents directly affected by the devastation of mountaintop removal.
The rally was opened with a prayer and speech from the Rev. Jim Lewis. "You guys are preaching the gospel of justice, " he told the crowd, "This greed will not not buy us off. Greed will not deliver us into wholeness and healthiness and happiness, particularly for the children of our state. What they're doing is wrong."[21]
August 2, 2006: Ed Wiley walks to Washington D.C. for the kids of Marsh Fork Elementary
Ed Wiley - Pennies of Promise
On August 2nd, West Virginian grandfather and Coal River Valley resident Ed Wiley left Charleston, WV to walk to Washington DC. The march was to raise awareness and funds to build a new Marsh Fork Elementary School in Raleigh County, WV.
Marsh Fork Elementary sits directly below a leaking 2.8 billion gallon toxic coal slurry impoundment and 150 feet from a coal processing plant. Directly above the slurry impoundment is an active mountaintop removal site.[22]
On September 13th, after forty days and 455 miles, Ed Wiley reached Washington DC where he met with West Virgina senator Byrd. Over a hundred supporters had joined Mr. Wiley for the final mile. [23]
Mar. 16, 2007: Sit-in at West Virginia Gov. Manchin's office
On March 16, 2007, dozens of West Virginia community members - together with activists from Mountain Justice Summer and Rising Tide North America - occupied the office of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, in protest of the State Mine Board's approval of construction permits for a second coal silo near Marsh Fork Elementary School in Sundial, West Virginia. Community activists demanded that the state move the school; state officials have failed to comply thus far. Eleven people were arrested at this action, and many were treated roughly by police.[24]
January 31, 2009: Sludge Safety Lobby Day, Charleston, WV
Residents of southern West Virginia descended on the state capitol, bringing along jars of black water taken from their wells in Boone and Mingo Counties. They spent the day lobbying legislators to stop slurry injections into sludge ponds until studies could show what toxic materials the slurry contains.[25]
February 3, 2009: Coal River Mountain activists arrested
Five Coal River Mountain activists were arrested and charged with trespassing after locking themselves to a bulldozer and a backhoe at a Massey Energy mountaintop removal site. The activists planted a banner for the Coal River Wind Project in protest of the impending 6,600 acre mountaintop removal strip mine. Later in the day, eight more activists were arrested during a demonstration against Massey's preparations to blast the mountain. Environmentalists contend that the mountain is better developed for a wind energy project, and that the blasting could destabilize the world's largest toxic coal slurry impoundment.[26][27]
February 16, 2009: Two arrested for halting blasting at mountaintop removal site, Raleigh County, WV
On Monday, February 16 2009, two protesters were arrested for interfering with mountaintop removal blasting on the Massey Energy-owned Edwhite site near the Shumate sludge dam in Raleigh County, WV. The Shumate sludge dam holds back 2.8 billion gallons of toxic sludge, the waste by-product of chemically cleaning coal, and sits directly above the Marsh Fork elementary school. aerial map [28]
March 5, 2009: Activists protest mountaintop removal, Pettus, WV
Five activists protested at a Massey Energy Edwight mountaintop removal site on Cherry Pond Mountain, unfurling a banner that read "Stop the blasting, Save the kids." The protesters were calling attention to the blasting taking place near a dam that holds 2.8 billion gallons of sludge and lies just a few hundred yards above the Marsh Fork Elementary School. All five were arrested.[29]
April 16, 2009: Activists arrested at Massey Energy mine
Five people were arrested when activists from Climate Ground Zero unfurled a 40-foot-tall banner that read, "EPA stop MTR" at Massey Energy's Edwight mountaintop removal mine. Massey recently starting blasting at the mine directly above the town of Naoma. Activists are concerned because the blasting is near a slurry dam, which poses a risk to the local Marsh Fork Elementary School.[30]
May 23, 2009: Police remove 11 activists from mountaintop removal protests in West Virginia
State police removed eleven activists from two civil disobedience actions in West Virginia. In one action, six people locked themselves to mining equipment at a Patriot Coal mine on Kayford Mountain. Another group raised a 20-by-60-foot banner at Massey Energy's Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment near Pettus. The protesters are part of a coalition that includes Mountain Justice, Climate Ground Zero, and concerned citizens.[31] Two of the eleven activists arrested were released from custody by May 25. Mike Roselle, the director of Climate Ground Zero, said the group was raising money to pay bail for the others.[32]
June 18, 2009: Activists scale 20-story dragline at MTR site in Twilight, WV
Four protesters visited the Massey Energy Twilight mountaintop removal site in Boone County, WV, and climbed a 20-story strip mining machine called a dragline. The activists unfurled a 15 foot by 150 foot banner that read, "Just Stop Mountaintop Removal." The action launched a week of protests at West Virginia MTR sites, leading up to a special action on June 23 in the Coal River Valley area. The June 23rd action will include local coalfield residents, NASA climate scientist James Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, former US Representative Ken Hechler, and many others.[33]
Ken Hechler discusses June 23 Massey Energy protest in WV
June 23, 2009: Dozens arrested protesting at Massey Energy site in Coal River Valley, WV
94-year-old former US Representative Ken Hechler, NASA climate scientist James Hansen, RAN director Michael Brune, actress Daryl Hannah, Goldman Prize Award winner Judy Bonds, and many other coal activists and local residents were arrested the Coal River action. The protesters crossed onto Massey Energy property to protest mountaintop removal and the destruction of mountains above the Coal River Valley community. Massey supporters were on scene and often behaved aggressively, shouting and ripping power cords out to silence the PA system. One Massey supporter assaulted Judy Bonds and attempted to assault another, and was arrested and charged with battery. The action launched a yearlong national campaign to end mountaintop removal mining.[34]
August 11, 2009: Activists lock down Department of Environmental Protection in Charleston, WV
Four protesters locked themselves to the entrance at the West Virginia DEP, displaying signs that read, "Closed Due to Incompetence" and "Department of Encouraging Pollution." The activists demanded that the EPA and Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Enforcement take over of the agency's programs. They also called for Secretary Randy Huffman's resignation.[35]
August 25-31, 2009: Activists occupy trees to stop blasting in Coal River Valley, WV
Protesters from Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice occupied treetops at the edge of Massey Energy’s Edwight mountaintop removal site in Raleigh County, West Virginia. The activists unrolled banners reading "Stop Mountain Top Removal" and "DEP – Don’t Expect Protection." They were less than 30 feet from the mine and less than 300 feet from the blasting activity, which was forced to stop because of their close proximity.[36] The protest lasted six days, when the last activist finally descended and was arrested. A spokesman for Climate Ground Zero said sleep deprivation had been endangering the treesitters.[37]
October 23, 2009: Activists block coal trucks in West Virginia
Eight activists blocked a road at a Kanawha County, WV surface mine to protest mountaintop removal. The mine is owned by Ed Coal Co. The protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing, consipiracy, and obstructing an officer.[38]
History
Coal was discovered in present-day West Virginia in 1742. Coal mining in western Virginia (at that time not a separate state) began in earnest in the 1820's, and by 1840 300,000 tons of coal were being mined in Virginia each year. Prior to the Civil War, Virginia's coal miners were almost exclusively slaves; extreme coercion was required to make slaves work underground.
Following the Civil War, the industry underwent explosive growth. Beginning in the early 20th century, the industry underwent extensive mechanization, and by 1927, 146.1 million tons of coal were being mined in West Virginia each year (nearly as much as the 2006 total). In 1913, an average West Virginia coal miner's wages were 48¢ per ton of coal mined, or $738 per year - less than $16,000 per year in 2007 dollars.[39][40] Accompanying these relatively high wages was a great deal of personal danger: in 1907 the worst mining disaster in U.S. history killed 362 coal miners in Monongah, WV, and coal mining disasters (defined as 5 or more deaths) claimed the lives of 1,455 West Virginia coal miners between 1900 and 1920.[41][42]
The early days of West Virginia coal mining were also marked by massive labor battles, often resulting in deaths or injuries on both sides. However, after the passage of the National Industrial Recovery Act in 1933, labor unions were legally recognized, and the next several decades saw dramatic improvements in both the wages and the working conditions of U.S. coal miners.
In recent decades, the West Virginia coal mining industry has been characterized by swift and massive decline. West Virginia coal has a higher energy content than Western coal, by about 50%; thus, prior to 1970, Western coal was mined at a much lower rate, and Appalachian coal was preferred by power plant operators. However, in 1970, the Clean Air Act was passed, and caps were placed on sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions; suddenly, Wyoming coal, with a sulfur content averaging around 0.35%, became widely preferred over Appalachian coal, with its much higher SO2 content.[43] Furthermore, relative to Wyoming coal, West Virginia coal has become much, much more expensive in recent decades, due to depletion of easily mineable reserves and much higher unionization rates, compared with easily mineable coal and very low unionization rates in Wyoming; in 2006, West Virginia coal averaged $45.94 per short ton, compared with $9.03 for Wyoming coal.[44] Due to these rising costs, coal mining companies increasingly practice mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia, an extremely ecologically destructive practice that has decimated hundreds of square miles of southern West Virginia.
Capito appointed to House energy independence committee
In February 2009, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) was appointed as a member of the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Capito vowed to bring a coal-state perspective to the committee.[45] "From clean coal, to wind energy and other alternative technology, our state has an important role to play," she said.[46]
Legislative issues
On February 8, 2008, West Virgina State Senator Jon Blair Hunter introduced a bill that would in effect end the practice of mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia. In a press statement the Senator said, "I introduced Senate Bill 588 because I fervently believe that God did not intend for us to destroy the mountains, the streams, the forests and His people in order to mine coal."[47] The bill would eliminate the current practice of burying West Virginia streams under hundreds of millions of tons of mining waste during the mountaintop removal process.[48] The bill is currently stalled in the Energy, Industry and Mining committee.[49]
On February 24, 2009, Del. Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, introduced a bill that would provide tax credits and exemptions to encourage the construction of a coal-to-liquid fuel plant in West Virginia. The state would receive fuel at a pre-negotiated price during the first four years the plant is in operation. According to a press release, the plant would create approximately 2,000 full-time jobs and 4,000 construction jobs.[50]
House resolution supports wind farm on Coal River Mountain
More than 40 members of the West Virginia House of Delegates signed a resolution backing the development of a wind farm on Coal River Mountain in Southern West Virginia. The resolution was introduced in April 2009 by Rep. Sally Susman, D-Raleigh County, and created by members of the citizen group Coal River Mountain Watch. Backers of the resolution say building a utility-scale wind farm would produce more jobs and tax revenue than the mountaintop removal mining operation planned by Massey Energy, and that continued strip mining would ruin the area's wind energy potential.
The resolution was sent to the House Rules Committee.[51]
Appalachia Restoration Act introduced in U.S. Senate
On March 25, 2009, U.S. Senators Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced Bill 696, also termed the Appalachia Restoration Act. The legislation would amend the Clean Water Act to ban the dumping of mining waste into streams, which in turn would effectively end the use of mountaintop mining. "My goal is to put a stop to one of the most destructive mining practices that has already destroyed some of America’s most beautiful and ecologically significant regions," said Senator Cardin, who is Chairman of the Water and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Committee on Environment and Public Works.[52]
Legislature includes coal energy sources in Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act
In July 2009, the West Virginia legislature approved Senate Bill 297, also termed the Alternative and Renewable Energy Portfolio Act. The bill, which was championed by Governor Manchin, mandates that 25 percent of the state's energy be generated by "alternative and renewable" sources by 2025. However, the new standard includes highly-polluting energy sources in its definition of "alternative." The legislation offers credits for electricity generated by renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal, but also includes nuclear power, natural gas, and several coal-derived sources in its list of qualifying energies. Among the coal technologies included in the classification are carbon capture and storage technologies, integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC), coal-to-liquids, coal bed methane, and waste coal. Environmental groups have blasted the legislation, accusing state government of continuing its history of environmental pollution and harmful environmental health practices under the guise of a renewable energy standard.[53][54]
EPA releases list of 44 "high hazard" coal ash dumps
In response to demands from environmentalists as well as Senator Barbara Boxer (D-California), chair of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, the EPA made public a list of 44 "high hazard potential" coal waste dumps. The rating applies to sites at which a dam failure would most likely cause loss of human life, but does not include an assessment of the likelihood of such an event. West Virginia has 4 of the sites, 3 of which are owned by American Electric Power.[55]
The following table is derived from EPA's official list of Coal Combustion Residue (CCR) Surface Impoundments with High Hazard Potential Ratings. To see the full list of sites, see Coal waste.[56]
| Company | Facility Name | Unit Name | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny Energy | Pleasants Power Station | McElroy's Run Embankment | Willow Island, WV |
| American Electric Power | Philip Sporn Power Plant | Fly Ash Pond | New Haven, WV |
| American Electric Power | Amos Plant | Fly Ash Pond | St. Albans, WV |
| American Electric Power | Mitchell Plant | Fly Ash Pond | Moundsville, WV |
Issues at AEP's Philip Sporn surface impoundments
An engineering report submitted to EPA in November 2009 recommended upgrading the rating of two surface impoundments at the Philip Sporn Power Plant in West Virginia from "poor" to "fair." Engineers from Dewberry, an EPA contractor, said the dams were likely to hold in the event of an earthquake, but that repairs and additional tests were still necessary. EPA said it would consider the recommendations, and American Electric Power said it would conduct further tests at the site. In addition to these investigations, the Department of Environmental Protection also discovered two nearby coal ash dams that officials were not aware existed, and that did not meet state safety regulations.[57]
Report claims coal's costs in premature deaths outweigh economic benefits
A study co-authored by a West Virginia University professor reports that coal mining in Appalachia costs five times more in premature deaths than the industry provides in jobs, taxes, and other economic benefits. According to the study, the coal industry creates about $8 billion per year in economic benefits for the Appalachian region, but even using conservative estimates, the cost of premature deaths attributable to coal mining is valued at approximately $42 billion. Michael Hendryx, along with co-author Melissa Ahern of Washington State University, recommends that politicians seek other means for improving the economy and quality of life of Appalachia, in such areas as renewable energy, sustainable timber, small-scale agriculture, and ecosystem restoration.[58]
The authors acknowledge that their study is not a complete cost-benefit analysis of the coal industry. Such a study, they suggest, would need to include reduced employment due to illness, reduced poverty values associated with coal mining, increased expenditures for public programs like Medicaid and food stamps, and the costs of natural resource destruction.[58]
Obama administration EPA actions on mountaintop removal
March 2009: Obama EPA begins to crack down on mountaintop removal
On March 23, 2009, the Obama administration began making moves to block or stall mountaintop removal mining permits. The EPA issued letters meant to halt or slow two mining permits proposed by the federal Army Corps of Engineers in West Virginia and Kentucky. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson made an official announcement on March 24, saying, "The two letters reflect EPA's considerable concern regarding the environmental impacts these projects would have on fragile habitats and streams. I have directed the agency to review other mining permits requests. EPA will use the best science and follow the letter of the law in ensuring we are protecting our environment."[59]
The decision to delay and review the two permits calls into question more than 100 pending valley fill permits in the Appalachian region.[60] In response to widespread industry dissent warning EPA not to block mining permits, as well as praise from environmentalists for the decision to deny permits, the organization issued the following clarification of its intentions:[61]
The Environmental Protection Agency is not halting, holding or placing a moratorium on any of the mining permit applications. Plain and simple. EPA has issued comments on two pending permit applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expressing serious concerns about the need to reduce the potential harmful impacts on water quality. EPA will take a close look at other permits that have been held back because of the 4th Circuit litigation. We fully anticipate that the bulk of these pending permit applications will not raise environmental concerns. In cases where a permit does raise environmental concerns, we will work expeditiously with the Army Corps of Engineers to determine how these concerns can be addressed. EPA’s submission of comments to the Corps on draft permits is a well-established procedure under the Clean Water Act to assure that environmental considerations are addressed in the permitting process.
April 2009: EPA challenges three MTR permits
In April 2009, EPA issued objections to three more mountaintop removal mining permits pending issue from the Army Corps of Engineers. The specific mines are Massey Energy's Republic No. 1 Surface Mine in Kanawha County, West Virginia; Frasure Creek Mining’s Spring Fork No. 2 Mine in Mingo County, West Virginia; and A&G Coal Corp.’s Ison Rock Ridge Surface Mine in Wise County, Virginia. According to the EPA letters, the three mining operations would bury about eight miles of streams.[62]
May 2009: Army Corps of Engineers suspends MTR permit for A&G Coal
On May 7, 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers suspended its approval of A&G Coal Corp.’s Ison Rock Ridge Surface Mine in Wise County, Virginia. The decision follows on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the Sierra Club and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards to block the permit. The Corps stated that the suspension provides officials "an opportunity to fully evaluate concerns" raised by EPA in April 2009.[63]
June 2009: Obama administration announces plans to toughen standards for MTR permits
On June 11, 2009, the Obama administration announced plans to toughen standards for mountaintop removal mining, rather than banning the practice entirely. Officials from EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Interior Department, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality said they would order a more rigorous environmental and legal review of pending and future permit applications for MTR projects. The announcement did not clarify whether the new standards would result in more or fewer mining permits being approved, leaving both environmental and coal industry groups uncertain about whether to support the new policies.[64]
August 2009: Court rejects attempt to turn back Bush's midnight regulations on MTR
On August 12, 2009, U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy, Jr. denied an effort by Obama's Interior Department to overturn a last-minute rule change by the Bush administration. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar had filed a motion to toss out a Bush regulation that made it easier for coal mining companies to dump debris into valley streams. Salazar's motion was opposed by the National Mining Assocation. In his decision, Judge Kennedy said that Salazar erred in trying to "repeal a rule without public notice and comment, without judicial consideration of the merits."[65] A spokesperson for the Interior said the department is examining the court's decision and is "determined to improve mining practices."[66]
September 2009: Obama administration seeks to block West Virginia MTR permit
On September 3, 2009, the EPA issued a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers calling out problems with a permit issued for a strip-mining project in Logan County, West Virginia, the largest such permit ever issued in the state. EPA found that the mine would violate the Clean Water Act, having the "potential to degrade downstream water quality, and to cause or contribute to potential excursions of West Virginia’s narrative water quality standards." EPA has asked the Corps of Engineers to suspend, revoke, or modify the permit. In response, the Corps is seeking a 30-day stay in legal proceedings over the permit, so that its experts can re-examine the project.[67] The full EPA letter is available here.
September 2009: EPA holds 79 MTR permits for review
The EPA identified 79 mountaintop removal permits issued by the Army Corps of Engineers in Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia that it said would likely affect water quality. The agency put the permits on hold to allow for further study to ensure the projects will not violate the Clean Water Act. Mary Anne Hitt of the Sierra Club described the move as "a sea change in enforcement" over the Bush administration, during which the EPA did not oppose a single permit.[68][69]
October 2009: EPA to revoke permit for West Virginia surface mine
On October 16, 2009, the EPA announced that it planned to use its authority to revoke the permit for Mingo Logan Coal's Spruce No. 1 mine, which is owned by Arch Coal. The agency said it was acting on its authority for the first time since the Clean Water Act was enacted in 1972. The project at issue would be the largest authorized mountaintop removal operation in Appalachia. In a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers, EPA Regional Administrator William Early said the action "reflects the magnitude and scale of anticipated direct, indirect, and cumulative adverse environmental impacts associated with this mountaintop removal mining operation."[70]
Memo detailing West Virginia Coal Association's action items
On March 27, 2009, a memo from Chris Hamilton, Vice President of the West Virginia Coal Association, to the members of the Mountaintop Mining Coalition, became public. The memo detailed efforts underway to counteract EPA's apparent movements against mountaintop removal mining permits. "Action items" included:[71]
- arranging an urgent meeting with the Council on Environmental Quality and EPA.
- a multi-state congressional briefing on May 5-7 in Washington, DC, with mine visits in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia scheduled on May 20-21.
- a media campaign, including a Powerpoint presentation, white paper, blog, brochure, website, and video promoting mountaintop removal mining.
- support for Governor Manchin's SB 375, which, among other things, makes it easier for the coal industry to get around tough reclamation requirements for mountaintop removal sites.
- support for SB 461, which grants a three-plus-year extension to the coal industry to meet water quality limits for toxic selenium discharges into waters supporting aquatic life.
The entire memo is available here.
Coal exhibition opens
In March 2009, the $3.5 million Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine opened to the public. The 14,000-square-foot building includes an underground mine, coal camp, and children's museum with artifacts and memorabilia. The complex also includes a visitor's center and gift shop. The exhibition center was built with grants and federal and state funds. Backers hope it will become a popular tourist attraction.[72]
Proposed coal plants
Active
- Longview Power Plant, Maidsville, WV
- Mingo Coal-to-Liquids Project, Mingo County, WV
- TransGas Development Systems - Mingo County, WV
- Waste Management Logan County plant, Logan County, WV
- Western Greenbrier Co-Production Demonstration Project, Rainelle, WV
Cancelled
- Benwood Project - Marshall County, WV
- Mountaineer Power Plant - Mason County, WV
- Upshur County Project - Upshur County, WV
Coal lobbying groups
Coal power companies
- Allegheny Energy
- Monongahela Power Co., owned by Allegheny Energy
- Appalachian Power Co., owned by American Electric Power
- Ohio Power Co., owned by American Electric Power
- Dominion
Existing coal plants
West Virginia had 42 coal-fired generating units at 20 locations in 2005, with 15,372 MW of capacity - representing 93.4% of the state's total electric generating capacity.[4][73][74] Click on the locations shown on the map for plant details:
Here is a list of coal power plants in West Virginia with capacity over 400 MW:[1][2][3]
| Plant Name | County | Owner | Year(s) Built | Capacity | 2007 CO2 Emissions | 2006 SO2 Emissions | SO2/MW Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John E. Amos | Putnam | American Electric Power | 1971-73 | 2933 MW | 15,300,000 tons | 117,299 tons | 73 |
| Harrison | Harrison | Allegheny Energy | 1972-74 | 2052 MW | 14,200,000 tons | 5,063 tons | 262 |
| Mt. Storm | Grant | Dominion | 1965-66, 1973 | 1662 MW | 12,700,000 tons | 3,139 tons | 266 |
| Mitchell | Marshall | American Electric Power | 1971 | 1633 MW | 8,478,000 tons | 53,152 tons | 58 |
| Pleasants | Pleasants | Allegheny Energy | 1979-80 | 1368 MW | 6,722,000 tons | 42,867 tons | 89 |
| Mountaineer | Mason | American Electric Power | 1980 | 1300 MW | 7,727,000 tons | 31,052 tons | 107 |
| Fort Martin | Monongalia | Allegheny Energy | 1967-68 | 1152 MW | 7,328,000 tons | 87,565 tons | 21 |
| Philip Sporn | Mason | American Electric Power | 1950-52, 1960 | 1106 MW | 5,407,000 tons | 39,741 tons | 42 |
| Kammer | Marshall | American Electric Power | 1958-59 | 713 MW | 3,244,000 tons | 119,369 tons | 16 |
These nine plants represent 90.5% of West Virginia's coal energy generating capacity, 70.9% of the state's total CO2 emissions, and 64.2% of its total SO2 emissions.[4]
Major coal mines
| Mine Name | Location | Owner | 2006 Production |
|---|---|---|---|
| McElroy Mine | Moundsville, WV | CONSOL Energy | 10,477,000 tons |
| Loveridge Number 22 Mine | Fairmont, WV | CONSOL Energy | 6,383,000 tons |
| Robinson Run No 95 Mine | Fairmont, WV | CONSOL Energy | 5,740,000 tons |
| Federal No. 2 Mine | Fairview, WV | Peabody Energy | 4,622,000 tons |
| Twilight MTR Surface Mine | Twilight, WV | Massey Energy | 4,493,000 tons |
Patriot Coal Corp. closing mines
On April 2, 2009, Patriot Coal Corp. announced plans to reduce production in West Virginia. The company will idle two mines at its Wells complex, cut production at Hobet, and postpone the start of production at its newly developed Blue Creek mine. The cuts will decrease Patriot's annual output by 2 million tons in 2009. The company plans to reopen the facilities when coal markets rebound.
In January, Patriot temporarily closed two other coal mines in West Virginia and laid off 400 workers.[6]
In August 2009, Patriot announced it will close the Samples Mine in West Virginia, eliminating 314 jobs as of October 5, 2009. The company blamed weakened demand associated with the economic downturn as the reason for the closure.[7][8]
Massey and Cliffs Natural Resources cutting coal production in West Virginia
In April 2009, Massey Energy and Cliffs Natural Resources announced they were cutting coal production and laying off almost 600 employees in West Virginia because of market conditions. Massey idled the Black Castle surface mine in Boone County and laid off 300 people. Cliffs idled its Green Ridge No. 1 Mine indefinitely and plans to idle its Pinnacle mine for two months, laying off about 290 people.[9]
Citizen groups
- Citizens for Alternatives to Longview Power
- Coal River Mountain Watch
- Greenbrier River Watershed Association
- Keeper of the Mountains Foundation
- Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
- Sierra Club West Virginia Chapter
- West Virginia Environmental Council
- West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
- West Virginia Rivers Coalition
Resources
References
- ↑
- ↑ Environmental Integrity Project, "Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants", July 2007.
- ↑ Dig Deeper, Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.
- ↑
- ↑ Major U.S. Coal Mines, Energy Information Administration, accessed June 2008.
- ↑ Kelsey Volkmann, "Patriot Coal to idle more mines," St. Louis Business Journal, April 2, 2009.
- ↑ Ken Ward Jr., "Patriot Coal to close Samples Mine; 314 jobs eliminated," Charleston Gazette, August 2, 2009.
- ↑ "Patriot Coal Announces Closing of Central Appalachia Mine," Patriot Coal, August 3, 2009.
- ↑ "Massey, Cliffs idle WVa coal mines," Associated Press, April 10, 2009.
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