Longwall Mining Causes Instant Drought

Watering (verb) supplying with water. Dewatering (verb) to remove the water from; drain. In six plus decades I have often heard and used myself the word watering. But, dewatering? that was new for me. Until of course, as I explained in an earlier post, I went to Pittsburgh, PA.

So back in Georgetown, TX, I am trying to explain to my wife this whole concept. Dewatering meant that people who had good, clear, clean well water one day, awoke the next to find that they had not brackish, dirty water, but no water at all. None.

"Instant drought," she said. "Dewatering is like having a drought. Except that it's never going to end."As an explanation, Central Texas is in an extreme drought. It has been going on for two years. Crops have withered, livestock have been sold off and in some cases, folks have lost their farms. In this case the drought was caused by El Nino. In November, or near there, we should receive abundant rain. The people I talked to in Greene County, Pennsylvania? Won't. First of all, their drought was man made. Caused by the longwall mining of Consol Energy. With no regard for the destruction it would/will cause, the company grinds away under stream headwaters and beneath the homes in the area.

The water that flows in a stream, or sits in a small aquifer seems on first glimpse, to be fairly constant. And, so it is. Unless of course something extreme happens to cause it to change. Longwall mining produces new cracks and fissures in the earth, and in so doing changes the flow of the water. For wells it is the same. New fissures open and the water changes course. Instant drought.

The mining companies know this. In fact, they have insurance to cover such events because they know damned good and well it will happen. And, maybe even more importantly, they have the three things which will force those affected to settle for a pittance. Time, money and lots and lots of lawyers.

Unlike the people in Central Texas who have been affected by the drought caused by La Nina, the people affected by the destructive practices perpetrated upon them by the likes of Consol and Massey, will not recover. Longwall mining means instant drought. And, the instant death of their way of life.

Mining? Environmental Protection?

So, there you are in the big corner office. On the front door of the office is your name and title, freshly stenciled. A well polished new desk, with your name engraved on the marker at the front. You worked hard to get here. You ate a lot of bad chicken. Shook a lot of sweaty hands. Stepped on and over some people to get here. But, here you are. Now the big question that every person in your shoes must answer. Who do I call first? Wife? No. Mom? No.

No. The first person you call is the CEO of the largest coal mining company in the state. Because he, more than anyone else, put you in this place. It was he after all, who paid for the expensive tv ads that made such a difference. And what ads they were. Green grass, smiling faced children laughing and playing, and clear blue skies. All bs, of course. But, man they sure worked when it counted.

What kind of cynical, crazy person could or would possible think like that? Well, let's see. How about if you were the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency for a state where coal mining is a large part of the economy? Is it possible that a person would take a job such as this for the purpose of helping coal companies?

Suppose rather than living in Rhode Island, you were to live in one of those places where mining is the largest company in the state. Or, at least in the top five. Is it possible that someone would conspire to take that Environmental job, who rather than making sure people had safe drinking water and clean air, instead worked to make sure that coal companies didn't have to obey the laws for those purposes?

Mountain top destruction and longwall mining destroy human and animal habitat. To include the water they drink. And who makes sure that such things are allowed to happen in the peoples name? Why that would be the very guy at the top of this post with the shiny new office. And, he is assisted by the federal government. The very EPA who is supposed to make sure all of the states are following laws and guidelines to protect our air and water.

At this very moment, such a person as described above, has been selected to oversee mining for the federal government. He is known to be in the pocket of the large coal companies. It is already known that he would do everything in his power to make sure that mining operations are not held up by pesky rules about water and air.l

Perhaps now would be a really good time for all of us to make ourselves known to our representatives, including the President of the United States. That we make it clear that longwall mining and mountain top destruction are not to be put before clean air and drinking water. That instead of hacks and shills for the coal companies, we expect our Environmental Agencies, at all levels, to be manned by people of integrity and principle.