October 20, 2004

Residents claim coal trucks back to old habits

Associated Press

CUMBERLAND, Ky. - Eastern Kentucky residents are complaining that some coal truck drivers have resumed hauling overweight loads, some six months after a state crackdown forced them to trim back.

Brenda Morris of Cumberland was one of a group of residents who told law enforcement officers that overloaded coal trucks are driving by her house at dangerous speeds and stirring up dust or mud, depending on weather conditions.

About 100 resident and truck drivers from six counties met in Harlan County last week to talk about the overloaded trucks.

Greg Howard, commissioner of Kentucky Department of Vehicle Enforcement, encouraged residents at the meeting to lobby for legislation that would allow his office to hold coal companies responsible for sending overloaded trucks onto the state's roadways.

Howard said current Kentucky law doesn't spread the responsibility evenly.

"I'm constantly searching for ways to make everyone equally responsible," he said. "We are citing coal companies, but it's few and far between."

Howard encouraged residents and truckers who say they want to haul legally to work together for laws that hold coal operators responsible for extra-heavy loads.

"Why in the world aren't you all working together?" he asked the drivers and residents. "If you all were on the same sheet of music, do you know how strong your voice could be?"

Residents also complained about coal trucks driving at excessive speeds.

Howard agreed that speed is becoming a bigger problem.

"We're on top of that as much as we can be," he said. "As weights go down, speeds will go up."

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Information from: Harlan Daily Enterprise, http://www.harlandaily.com