Winds of Change Newsletter, February 2006     See sidebar for table of contents

The TRUE Costs of Coal

When coal companies do not pay to mine coal and dispose of waste responsibly, the cost is “externalized” or indirectly paid by all of us. The underground injection of coal slurry is just one example of the way the coal industry externalizes its costs. The industry’s other everyday practices – such as the clear cutting, blasting and valley fills of mountaintop removal, and above-ground coal sludge impoundments – impact not only the environment, but also people’s health and quality of life.

The total costs that the communities in Mingo County have accrued due to the apparent poisoning of their water from coal sludge are untold. The per capita income of Mingo County ranks 2,999th out of 3,086 counties in the U.S., making it one of the poorest counties in the country. Here, many people must rely on bottled water for drinking and cooking. Those fortunate enough to have family and friends to provide tap water from nearby Williamson have the extra costs of gasoline and time to transport it. As people must rely on the contaminated groundwater for bathing and washing clothes, they pay the price of frequently replacing corroded plumbing and fixtures. Carole Hensley of Lick Creek just replaced her hot water heater for the second time in five years. Russell Elkins of Rawl has replaced his family’s water heater three times in 12 years.

And then there are the health care costs. Gas and time away from work to make weekly visits to the doctor weigh heavily on families, as do the fees of those visits and the costs of needed drugs. The worry and grieving over life-threatening diseases is incalculable. How must it feel to think that your once sweet well water is harming your children?

Some of the chemicals found in their groundwater are known to cause developmental and attention deficit problems in children. What is the price of a child’s developmental years?

What is the price of your skin? Your kidney? If we could only begin to answer these questions, then we would begin to understand the priceless value of clean, fresh groundwater, which is one of many things we’re giving up in exchange for “cheap” electricity.