Mines run out of ore. I used to work for the nation's largest gold mining company. The Homestake mine was down to 8,000 feet. (I was lucky enough to be able to go there.) There was ore down to 12,000 feet, but it wasn't economically feasible to go that deep at that time. We found another dandy billion dollar deposit that was mined out in about 20 years.
Miners came and went. I have always felt sorry for displaced miners, but that is a fact of a miner's life. Deposits don't last forever. I agree that excessive regulations are a problem, but even with zero regulations the free enterprise system is going to necessitate mobility in the workforce, especially with miners. The Appalachian region was blessed with extraordinary coal deposits that allowed generations of miners to develop a unique lifestyle, but it simply can't last forever. Chris From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Thursday, October 18, 2012 8:48 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [RC] Coal and politics in Appalachia from the blog : CHARLES MAHTESIAN The Appalachian election backdrop By CHARLES MAHTESIAN| 10/17/12 The Coal Country backlash against President Obama -- particularly in Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Virginia -- is better understood within the context of this deeply pessimistic coal industry forecast. >From The Rural Blog <http://irjci.blogspot.com/2012/10/central-appalachian-coal-mining-will.html > : Alan Stagg, one of the most respected consultants in the coal industry, told a major industry gathering last month that he expects coal mining in Central Appalachia to end in the next 10 to 20 years because the job-hungry region's coal is getting more difficult to mine, mainly because of geological limitations but also because of regulations, Darren Epps reports for SNL Financial. "This is the elephant in the room. No one wants to acknowledge that reserve depletion is profound," Stagg, of Cross Lanes, W.Va., said at Platt's Coal Marketing Days in Pittsburgh on Sept. 21. "Mining conditions are difficult, and the cost to produce is high. That is a physical fact. It's not pleasant. Nobody wants to acknowledge it. That is a fact, and companies that ignore that fact will not do so well. . . . And by nature, regulations will always increase." While the administration's coal policy might not be the only reason Appalachia dislikes Obama, it's clearly the driving force. And when you combine that with the industry's uncertain future, it's easy to envision the president winning less than 40 percent in places like West Virginia. -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
