It's important to note that public trust in government is near historic lows, according to Pew Research.
The increasing mistrust of government isn't baseless. Government has garnered a reputation as a "revolving door" in which people from the private sector-- the coal industry-- find themselves in government positions, or vice versa. Indeed, it's difficult to determine the exact number of "revolving door" personnel, the amount of all political campaign contributions (undisclosed contributions included), or the effectiveness of lobbying dollars that is poured into the political machinery that keeps coal afloat. This is not to mention the investments that Senators and Congress members have in coal and related industries. These apparent conflicts of interest cross party lines, and undoubtedly serve to foster public mistrust in government. |
Not only was government intervention against coal miners a problem, but the ineffective enforcement of mining laws was also a major issue. Child labor laws began to be enacted in the mid 1890s with a Pennsylvania law that forbade employment of anyone under the age of 12 from working in a coal mine. Lack of enforcement meant that many employers got away with forging documentation. It was only in the 1910s that the number of children working in coal mines began to drop, mostly because of technological improvements. By 1920, child labor in mines was virtually nonexistent because of the efforts of individuals and groups that educated the public on children working in mines.
Coal industry subsidies began in 1932 as the federal government permitted companies to deduct some of their income. Since 1950, the government has handed the coal industry more than $70 billion in tax breaks and subsidies (adjusted for inflation). [source] |
A look at history, especially in the last century, reveals strong ties between the coal barons of yesteryear and those in the political sphere. Coal companies relied on government to provide support in breaking up strikes. In Morewood, Pennsylvania in 1891 miners were striking for higher wages and an 8-hour workday. Deputized National Guard members fired into the crowd of strikers, killing 6. Later, in 1903, an armed posse of 30 led by federal, county and labor detectives conducted a dawn raid in a house full of strikers in Stanaford, West Virginia, killing 3. Another 3 were also killed in related violence.
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Over time, many of the states that actively practice coal mining eventually established a state-level program that met SMCRA's standards. These states are referred to as "primacy" states. 24 states have primacy at this time: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. The only non-primacy state with active coal mining at this time is Tennessee.
To recap: The OSMRE's responsibility in primacy states is to provide oversight of a state's implementation of their regulatory program. "Interestingly," McElfish and Beier state, " the coal industry has always backed state primacy and minimal federal oversight. States and the industry have denounced even weak OSMRE oversight as too strong and intrusive" (Source). |
"the economic importance of the coal industry to at least some of the mining states produces powerful pressures on state legislatures and regulators to accommodate coal interests." McElfish & Beier |
According to the Center for American Progress, the 27 representatives that sponsored or co-sponsored the Congressional Review Act bill received nearly $500 million from mining interests last year.
"A 40 Year-Old Law Literally Changed the Appalachian Landscape" (100 Days in Appalachia)
CCC and Kentucky Resources Council joint press release: "40 Years Later: 1977 Landmark U.S. Coal Mining Environmental Law Still Under Threat" |
"The environmental impacts of mountaintop removal mining and other forms of strip mining might be worse without SMCRA, but ...the lack of enforcement by states has severely undercut the law’s effectiveness. A federal investigation released in February, for example, found that West Virginia was lax in enforcement; a week later, Governor Jim Justice criticized state environmental regulators, not for failure to enforce federal laws but for dressing too casually."
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Citizens Coal Council
130 Friend Road Washington, PA 15301 Phone: 724.470.3982 |
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