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Coal-to-Liquid Plant Planned for Mingo County?
After hearing about the coal-to-liquid (CTL) plant proposed along the King Coal Highway, Mingo County OVEC members decided that we first need to learn all we can about this specific plant.
In November, we attended the County Commission meeting to ask questions about the CTL plant in relation to the Mingo County Land Use Master Plan.
We learned that the CTL plant is the first and so far only business that has been recruited by Mingo County Redevelopment Authority (MCRA). We believe Mingo County and West Virginia can do better. The County Commissioners suggested we go to the MCRA meeting, so we took their suggestion and started the year off right.
The good news is that when we attended the MCRA meting in January, we not only got local coverage in the Williamson Daily News, but we also learned that the funding is still not there for the costly, dirty plant.
At the meeting, OVEC member Walter Young of Delbarton stood and addressed the board:
Anything manufactured has by-products and waste. Coal-to-liquid will be no exception. As a Mingo County resident, I do not oppose or condone coal-to-liquid, or expect all questions to be answered right now. However, they should be asked:
1. Will the waste be deposited in our environment, such as our water streams, coal seam cavities, or air? And who will be responsible for the impact?
2. Are we supposed to think the coal industry is creating jobs, when there are approximately 80,000 fewer coal miners now than a few decades ago?
3. Could the people of Pike County, KY, know something we don’t by refusing coal-to-liquid plants in their county?
4. Should I expect any reprisal from the coal industry or Friends of Coal for asking questions of concern?
5. How could it possibly be feasible to manufacture oil from coal at a cost of approximately $10 per gallon when there would be no market for such an expensive product?
The board addressed Mr. Young’s concerns by suggesting we meet with the project coordinator of the CTL plant, Randy Harris, which we did in mid-February.
He told us the first phase of the plant could be up in two years. It would be small-scale, but it would be a start. He could not tell us how much water the plant would use, nor what chemicals would be in the waste stream.
While an "Economic Impact Statement" is being conducted by WVU, an "Environmental Impact Statement" is not likely unless MCRA receives federal funding for the project.
When asked about the public health concerns, Mr. Harris said that is not something they can speak to, but that examples of South African problems do not apply here.
He assured us they want to do what is best for people and if they find anything to be unsatisfactory they won’t go through with the plant.
But what if the plant is already built, and then we find out health hazards and contamination of our water and air? What about the global warming gases this plant will emit?
Aren’t these things worth researching before construction? We say yes, we want to know about the water, the waste, the health impacts and other questions before this project goes any further.
We will keep digging for the truth. If anyone is interested in supporting, learning or being a part of OVEC’s efforts here in Mingo County to address concerns with the proposed CTL plant, please call Patricia Feeney at (304) 235-2618 or e-mail patricia@sludgesafety.org.
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