Nothing About Coal Is Clean

Floor Speech

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, nothing about coal is clean. From extraction, to waste slurry, to stream contamination in Appalachia, nothing--I repeat--nothing about this energy source is clean. In order to extract coal from the ground, mountains are literally blasted apart, killing wildlife and destroying forests, contributing to erosion, flooding and pollution that hits local communities and causes severe health problems. Over 1,200 miles of stream in Appalachia alone have been buried or completely contaminated because of mountaintop mining.

In order to prepare the coal for burning, an overwhelming amount of water is needed to clean the coal. For every ton of coal cleaned, 20 to 40 gallons of water are used to wash the coal, creating a sludgy pollutant known as slurry. Over 90 million gallons of slurry are created every year while harvesting and preparing coal for burning. Keep in mind, we haven't even begun to burn the stuff yet.

Green jobs are the key to economic and environmental progress in regions torn by surface and mountaintop mining and struggling economically due to the destruction of the land. These include jobs in wind, hydroelectric and biofuel power. These jobs will give hard-hit communities a long-term future for their families instead of a short-term paycheck in exchange for the quality of life in the region forever.

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