As should be clear by now, coal is not cheap, despite what the coal industry wants you to think. The coal industry has America convinced that coal is plentiful, cheap, and potentially clean, part of a "greener" and energy-independent America. What they are not telling you is that it is cheap and plentiful, in large part, due to the lack of "expensive" safety measures for coal mines that would keep miners safe. Tragedies like the ones
currently unfolding in West Virginia usually happen because mining companies decline to properly ventilate unused portions of the mine, allowing dangerous levels of methane gas to accumulate. Yes, ventilation would be expensive, potentially raising the cost of coal. But, I would argue, that is the REAL cost of coal. Corporations are being allowed to "externalize" their costs onto others, notably the environment (climate change, destructive mining practices) and tragically, miners who lose their lives in preventable accidents.
While it is too soon to say with certainty the cause of yesterday's blast that killed 25 and left 4 missing (as of this writing), but the history of the coal industry does not inspire confidence and many are asking questions. How much longer will
coal miners pay with their lives?
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