Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
Session 1.03 Natural Resources
Presentation #1 Title
Community and Legal Issues with the Changing Coal Industry
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
From mine safety and black lung issues, to environmental impacts, the sharp decline in the coal industry has far-reaching consequences in Appalachia. As the demand for central Appalachian coal declines, the industry displays a disturbing willingness to abandon environmental and safety regulations. Shell corporations are set up for failure, taking miners’ benefits and reclamation obligations with them into bankruptcy. Thinner coal seams increase the risk of black lung disease and entice operators not to enforce coal dust regulations. With coal jobs at their lowest levels in decades, miners hesitate to expose mine safety hazards for fear of losing a crucial source of income. For citizens who are working and living in the coalfields, the decline of the coal industry poses several profound challenges. How do citizens uphold justice against an industry that demands allegiance in such difficult times? Three attorneys working with the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Whitesburg, Kentucky, will address how drastic changes in the coal industry impact communities and workers in Appalachia and how citizens can become empowered to work for justice.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Mary Cromer, environmental law attorney, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, Whitesburg, KY. Mary's work focuses on legal responses to the environmental impacts of coal mining.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Wes Addington, mine safety attorney, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, Whitesburg, KY. The son of a miner disabled in a mining accident, Wes attended the University of Kentucky Law School and retuned to his home county to practice public interest law.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Evan Smith, black lung attorney, Appalachian Citizens' Law Center, Whitesburg, KY. Evan received a 2013 Skadden Fellowship to build upon ACLC’s public interest work around black lung and mine safety issues.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Amelia Kirby has been involved in Appalachian community change work as a media artist, small-business owner, cultural worker and fund-raiser. She is the development director at the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center in Whitesburg, KY.
Community and Legal Issues with the Changing Coal Industry
Harris Hall 138
From mine safety and black lung issues, to environmental impacts, the sharp decline in the coal industry has far-reaching consequences in Appalachia. As the demand for central Appalachian coal declines, the industry displays a disturbing willingness to abandon environmental and safety regulations. Shell corporations are set up for failure, taking miners’ benefits and reclamation obligations with them into bankruptcy. Thinner coal seams increase the risk of black lung disease and entice operators not to enforce coal dust regulations. With coal jobs at their lowest levels in decades, miners hesitate to expose mine safety hazards for fear of losing a crucial source of income. For citizens who are working and living in the coalfields, the decline of the coal industry poses several profound challenges. How do citizens uphold justice against an industry that demands allegiance in such difficult times? Three attorneys working with the Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Whitesburg, Kentucky, will address how drastic changes in the coal industry impact communities and workers in Appalachia and how citizens can become empowered to work for justice.
