Coal industry flack says mountaintop removal solves ‘lack of flat space’ in Appalachia.

Canuckistanian

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:30 AM
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Coal industry flack says mountaintop removal solves ‘lack of flat space’ in Appalachia.

The coal industry front group embroiled in an Astroturf scandal is now arguing that mountaintop removal coal mining helps communities “hampered because of a lack of flat space.” Joe Lucas, vice president of communications for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE), told the Guardian that dynamiting the tops off of mountains is actually a boon to rural Appalachia:

I can take you to places in eastern Kentucky where community services were hampered because of a lack of flat space — to build factories, to build hospitals, even to build schools. In many places, mountain-top mining, if done responsibly, allows for land to be developed for community space.

Mountain-top mining has been more accurately described as the “rape of Appalachia,” as rural communities are destroyed economically and environmentally for coal industry profit. ACCCE’s Joe Lucas — who can’t even admit that coal pollution contributes to global warming — is giving new meaning to the idea of the Flat Earth Society. The Wonk Room has more.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/08/04/accce-flat-earther/

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Gidney N Cloyd

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:36 AM
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1. I don't think I could spend all day saying things like that and still sleep at night.

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Odin2005

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:40 AM
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2. OMG, what despicable reasoning.

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yourout

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:41 AM
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3. Onion?

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X_Digger

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:44 AM
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4. Actually, that is a good point, but from a scummy source..

I grew up in Grundy, Va, seat of a county that's responsible for 1 billion dollars worth of coal.

90% of the flat land is either flood plain next to a creek/river (google Grundy 77 flood) or carved out of the side of a mountain.

Satellite View of Grundy, VA - click on street view and look around.

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vadawg

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:52 AM
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5. yup it is a good point, though probuably not what most want to hear

its gonna get hot on this thread...

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enviralment

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Thu Aug-06-09 08:57 AM
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6. to bad

these are some of the poorest rural areas in the country and still people try to exploit these people its despicable.

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Stinky The Clown

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Thu Aug-06-09 09:10 AM
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7. I nominate that coal spokesmodel for the Spinner Of The Year award

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