Reply #7: As someone who lives in the Northern Appalachians . . . [View All]

. . . I'm bookmarking this thread and making a printout to read offline. While the printer is running, I'll simply say that both of my grandfathers lost their lives to coal-mining in West Virginia--one was blown away in the State's 3rd worst mine disaster and the other one coughed himself to death with black-lung--and a few of my cousins were still working in a local mine until it was recently shut down. Also: Because of that same local mine, we are no longer able to raise cattle as we were doing . . . our subsistence farm (49 acres) was dewatered when it was undermined and intentionally subsided (23 years ago) by unregulated and irresponsible shield-support longwall mining methods. So . . .

After I find time to read what you've written, I may or may not--depending on my mood--make comments sometime tomorrow evening. Meantime, perhaps someone else will find time to say something . . . or, at least, keep this thread kicked!