Anthony Cloud
Staff Writer
It all started out as a Facebook post. Within days, it turned into a state-wide sensation.The “Hands of Coal Across Bell County” event is set to take place at 2 p.m. on Aug. 11. The event will take place from the county line in Flat Lick to the Cumberland Gap Tunnel.
Joe Harris, owner of Harris Printing in Pineville, stated on Facebook that he would like to see citizens unite hand-in-hand from county line to county line in support of the coal industry. The community took notice.
“It’s a dream of mine,” said Harris. “I immediately got comments from the community.” Harris said five days after posting the statement, it received over 63,000 hits. After that, his daughter created an events page.
Harris predicts that at least 20,000 people will be needed to form the complete line.
“Since (the posting of the event), this has grown quicker than I ever imagined,” said Harris. Now even businesses are wanting to get involved with the event.
According to Harris, businesses have called to adopt certain sections of the highway to be responsible for during the event. Harris said he would like for more businesses to get involved and adopt a section of the highway.
Harris asks any business that would like to adopt a section of the highway email him at joe.harris@kyn.twcbc.com.
Officials have taken notice as well.
“With the EPA’s assault on all things coal-related, it’s more important now than ever that we literally join hands to draw attention — hopefully on a national level — to the negative impact the EPA’s attack is having on families throughout the coal fields,” judge-executive Albey Brock said in a press release. “In my job as County Judge Executive, I see first-hand the hardship not only on displaced miners and their families but also to the numerous industries that support mining, from trucking to metal fabrication shops that rely almost solely on coal.”
“I look forward to joining hands with all the others in our area who know that the well-being of our communities depends on coal. This is our chance to be heard,” said Rep. Rick Nelson in a press release.
Harris’ inspiration for the event comes from his hopes of getting the area back to the way it was in the old days. He believes the event will help out the community.
Pineville used to be a busy town, according to Harris.
“You would have to turn sideways to walk down the street on Saturday,” said Harris.
He said there used to be two movie theaters, three or four motels and all kinds of restaurants.
Harris said now it is hard to explain to his 16-year-old son how things used to be.
“I don’t want my son to bring his children back to Pineville and attempt to tell them that there used to be a town here,” said Harris.
Harris said business will start shutting the door if coal leaves the area.
“Without coal it will be cold in the winter and hot in the summer. Coal is what keeps the lights on,” said Harris.
Harris explained there is no person in the area that does not have a coal miner in their family. In some cases coal mining is a second and third generation career, according to Harris.
Harris encourages anyone that wants to know more about the event or stay updated join the events page entitled “Hands of Coal Across Bell County.”
“We must take out stand because we are coal,” said Harris.
Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com.
If you don't pay closer attention to road maintenance (just like it was your job or something), you could wind up losing the election. In a landslide - so to speak.
Coalwatcher's comment about no device to measure mercury comes from the comments made by Albey Brock in the February 29, 2012 edition of the Middlesboro Daily News. Mr. Brock was quoted as saying
“They have known for years that we would have to emit zero mercury because it’s a health hazard,” said Brock. “They can produce power and be virtually zero mercury emitted. You know what the problem is? There is not a device that tests it (emission of mercury).”
Brock stated that until there is a device that can detect mercury emission, they will stop the use of this type power plants. “The coal-fired power plants you see on the river, if this [the bill] sticks the way it is, will either spend $1.5 billion to remodel or they’re done,” stated Brock.
My wife, who works for a MAJOR power utility company in the south, routinely does compliance monitoring at fossil fuel power plants. Testing the levels of mercury is one of compliance parameters!
Nest Lie Please!
When it was just a matter of grandma and grandpa's Warm Morning coal heater, pollution was way down the list of our worries. With worldwide population levels being what they are, the volume of pollution has now gotten out of control. One person needs a job. Another person needs to breath. Leads to some tough choices, doesn't it?
It isn't as simple as taking a side. That just gets us into "Tastes Great - Less Filling" type arguments. Any long-term hope for coal will require some new ideas. We need new mining methods. We need new ways to use coal. And we need a plan for when coal runs out. If we aren't working on all those things - and working hard - we all lose. I'm not opposed to a showing of moral support for our region. That alone just won't provide a solution.
Mercury especially threatens pregnant women and young children. I will never forget my wife’s being warned by her doctor, when she was pregnant, not to eat fish known to be high in mercury, because of the danger that mercury exposure would cause developmental problems – a lowered IQ, and delays in walking and talking.
Fortunately, we were informed, but many mothers are not. Alarmingly, as many as 1 in 6 American women have enough mercury in their bodies to put a baby at risk. That means that over 300,000 babies are born each year at risk of mercury poisoning.
And so I’m especially disturbed by a new analysis from the Environmental Integrity Project that shows total state-by-state and plant-by-plant emission levels for arsenic, chromium, mercury, cobalt, hydrochloric acid, nickel, and selenium, all of which are toxic pollutants.
More shocking results from this report:
--The top 20 percent of all power plant mercury emitters reported 43,020 pounds, or almost 22 tons, of the chemical in 2010. This is 65 percent of all power plant mercury emissions nationwide. Considering that one drop of mercury pollution is enough to pollute a 20 - acre lake, this is a jaw-dropping amount of mercury pollution.
--The electric power industry emits two-thirds of the nation’s industrial mercury emissions – our single biggest source of mercury pollution.
We cannot let this continue. Thankfully, President Obama is preparing to issue the first nationwide protections for toxic mercury from coal plants, which would slash 90% of toxic mercury from coal-fired power plants. We expect those standards out later this month, and we will need everyone to weigh in with a strong show of support, since they are sure to come under attack from the biggest polluters.
As part of Mercury Awareness Week this week, Americans are showing their support for these long-overdue protections. Unfortunately, Big Coal and Big Oil are lobbying hard to block these common-sense safeguards.
This air and water pollution must stop, for our families’ sakes. Holding rallies to support Big Coal makes you an accessory to the homicide of Planet Earth.