Comments on: Poor affected most as Environmental Destruction Agency blasts away barrier to expand mountaintop removal mining

By: “Clean” coal ash flood may make new Superfund site « Zachary Roberts

“Clean” coal ash flood may make new Superfund site « Zachary Roberts — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 03:28:02 +0000

[...] an earthen embankment at the Kingston coal plant (source: The Tennessean). S&R’s Wendy Redal blogged about the October, 2000 Massey Energy coal slurry flood earlier this month – this ashslide is bigger, and while it’s more solid, it still covers 400 [...]

By: Scholars and Rogues » “Clean” coal ash flood may make new Superfund site

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:27:29 +0000

[...] ash sludge poured out from behind an earthen dike at the Kingston coal plant. S&R Wendy Redal blogged about the October, 2000 Massey Energy coal slurry flood earlier this month – this flood is bigger, and while it’s more solid, it still covers 400 [...]

By: Scholars and Rogues » Seven Simple Steps to Save Appalachia

Scholars and Rogues » Seven Simple Steps to Save Appalachia — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:58:54 +0000

[...] “Clean” coal’s dirtiest secret: Part III [...]

By: Wendy Redal

Wendy Redal — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:35:58 +0000

Thanks to all of you who have read this piece (and the others) and taken time to comment, and especially to Russ for your generous words. I will have the final installment up sometime tomorrow, with some specific, simple ways that concerned citizens can take further steps to help stop the destruction of land and lives that MTR mining perpetuates.

By: Russ Wellen

Russ Wellen — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 06:03:41 +0000

Just want to congratulate the author for this eye-opening series and, on behalf of the whole country, to thank her.

By: Bob

Bob — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:51:26 +0000

Brian,

I believe Pickens plan is pretty upfront about the fact that natural gas is a bridge to the next solution. From what I understand he is really pushing Natural gas, not so much for electricity, but to power big rig trucks and heavy machinery.

He’s more of a wind and solar guy in terms of electricity. One thing thatis certain: Every solution breeds a new a probem. Yet we must continue to search for the new solution.

By: Ed

Ed — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:39:57 +0000

Read my lips: “There is no such thing a clean coal.” Coal is filthy and destructive when you mine it. It’s filthy and destructive when you process it. And it’s filthy and destructive when you burn it. Anything you do to “clean it up” will only make it expensive.

By: Brian Angliss

Brian Angliss — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:54:16 +0000

BubbaRick, natural gas is only a short-term solution, I’m afraid. Gas produces carbon dioxide too, although it’s only half of what coal produces. All gas really gives us is a little more time than we’d have with coal, We’ll have a hard enough time keeping up with new electricity demand with gas, never mind decommissioning existing coal plants and replacing them with gas.

Gas is better to be sure, but it’s not the panacea Pickens claims. And people have been writing about the water and air pollution associated with oil and gas drilling for even longer than they have mountaintop removal mining.

By: BubbaRick

BubbaRick — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:53:12 +0000

Relying on coal is causing global warming. We need to listen to T Boone Pickens, and switch over to natural gas until wind and solar technologies become $ viable. But first we have to rid the government of bush cronies and wall street lapdogs. Time to drag those repugacan foxes out of the EPA henhouse. They have had free rein for 8 years. Look around. They have destroyed this country. Fire every rightwing idealogue from the government. From dog catcher on up. Return this government to the people, not Peabody Coal and Wall Street.

By: Lex

Lex — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:22:44 +0000

Thanks, Wendy.

I do think that if we want to change MTR, the focus will have to be on the people rather than the environment. We Americans have shown ourselves more than willing to ignore our effect on the environment if changing that effect would mean any change in our lifestyles.

These people might still be written off as hillbillies with as much value as black bears to the average suburban resident, but it will – at least – be more difficult to write off people than bears.

By: David

David — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 00:19:34 +0000

Follow the “cover it up” link in the article, Coaltraindriver. The Bush administration can and should be blamed for this and every other disaster under the Bush watch!

By: Coaltraindriver

Coaltraindriver — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:15:50 +0000

Regarding the blackwater spill near Inez, KY: October 11, 2000 was before Bush was even elected, much less in office to cover it up. Certainly it was horrible. I saw it as my railroad’s main line follows the Big Sandy River. Massey coal company is notorious for its arrogance and was unrepentant in this instance. But no matter what Bush has done, you can’t blame him for this.

By: www.buzzflash.net

www.buzzflash.net — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:59:04 +0000

"Clean" coal’s dirtiest secret, part 3…

The EPA’s removal of the stream buffer requirement for mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining blasted away one of the few remaining limits to the practice. Without the stream buffer rule, the cultural, economic, health, and community damage caused by …