Region Has Benefited From Coal Mining

The EPA has arbitrarily decided to subject 79 pending coal mining permits in Appalachia to a so-called “enhanced review” process. These officials in Washington don’t seem to understand that coal powers our economy, creating good jobs in many different sectors, from mining and manufacturing to retail and restaurants.
One only needs to visit Wise County, Va., to see the tremendous benefits that surface mining has provided for the communities of the county. More than 200 entities are located on land made suitable for its current use by surface mining. These entities include hospitals, housing units, churches, schools, restaurants, shopping centers, hotels, an airport, county landfill, cancer center and many more businesses that are vital to the well-being of the county’s residents and visitors. Without these entities, these residents would have to drive 50 miles or more to obtain these services.
The reality is that we need coal – for jobs and for affordable energy. Surface mining has proven to be a safe and environmentally and economically responsible mining method. In Appalachia, it’s the right method for balancing our equally important needs for good paychecks, affordable energy and protected environment.
These mining permits mean jobs and food and commerce to the people of Appalachia. The fact that a gaggle of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., is toying with tens of thousands of lives is an outrage. I hope our leaders here and in Congress will choose economic prosperity and energy security and help lift these arbitrary roadblocks.

James La Force
Abingdon, Va.