Hobet Coal Mine
The Hobet 21 Coal Mine in
The Hobet 21 Coal Mine site is currently defunct and in 2016, former West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin proposed developing the environmentally degraded former coal field.[1] This residential, industrial and commercial development plan is intended to offset the economic impacts from the declining coal industry, but has been called "a long way from reality".[2]
History
General history
In 2014 the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund reclaimed what was left of Patriot Coal. VCLF's ERP Compliant Fuels was granted rights for 150 mining permits across Appalachia in exchange for assuming responsibility of the $400 million worth of miner health care liabilities that Patriot Coal was previously responsible for.[6]
Union
Hobet miners were involved in the
Environmental justice activism
The Last Mountain, a 2011 documentary about a neighboring Boone County coal mine, brought the broader area's struggle for environmental justice into the limelight.[9] In 2012, a grassroots activist group called Radical Action for Mountain People's Survival (RAMPS), organized a protest in which some 50 people shut down the Hobet mine, resulting in 20 arrests. The protesters stood up against the environmental degradation taking place through mountaintop removal mining techniques, and were especially angry about effects on the health of nearby human populations. These low-income populations have been inundated with poisonous carcinogenic water and air pollution from the mine.[10] A 2016 study found that populations in greater proximity to both present and past coal mining sites in Appalachia have greater exposure to environmental hazards. Because these areas are primarily low income, this is a form of environmental inequality.[11]
Economics
Output and employment
In 1975, the Hobet mine produced less than 90,000 tons of coal. This number significantly increased to almost 500,000 tons three years later. At its peak in 2002, the mine produced 5 million tons of coal. Alongside the output of the mine, the number of employees increased as well. Employing less than 50 workers at its inception, the mine employed more than 200 by 1982. However, in 1993, in order to secure their health benefits, the workers went on strike from May to December. Both output and the number of workers plummeted, but they were restored in 1994 after the strike ended.[4]
Bankruptcy
With an increase in the availability of
Income demographics
The communities surrounding the mine are primarily low-income areas. Boone County has a poverty rate of 23%, and a per-capita income of $21,387.[16] Lincoln County's poverty rate is higher, at 28%, with a per-capita income of $19,114.[17] This is compared to the national average poverty rate of 14%,[18] and the national per-capita income of $29,979.[19] Only 8.8% of Boone County residents[16] and 10% of Lincoln County residents[17] have a post-secondary education. In 2014 (before Patriot Coal went bankrupt) the mining industry made up 23% of industry in Boone County, and was the largest sector in the county.[20]
Environmental and health impacts
Environmental impacts
The Obama-era
The EPA lists 110 separate organic pollutants and 14 metals/minerals as "priority pollutants" in relation to strip mining practices. Some of the pollutants on the list include:
Human health impacts
In communities surrounding mountaintop removal sites, pollutants often leach into the groundwater. This
The now-defunct mine site contains rubble and retaining ponds that are still producing toxic runoff. This polluted water is in danger of affecting tributaries of the Ohio river. A formerly lush ecosystem, the mine site requires many years of cleanup to become a healthful environment again.
While the communities surrounding coal mines are in danger from environmental pollution-related diseases and infrastructure failures such as the
Future developments
In 2016, then West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin proposed the development of a $140 million industrial site on the Hobet 21 site.[30] The mountaintop removal site was selected for development for its close proximity to a four-lane highway and its relatively large size, which the governor's office cited as being important for the economic development of the area. Current Governor Jim Justice has stated that he supports going through the plan to develop the site.[31] The proposed development plan has been controversial among environmentalist groups, as scientists have claimed that long-term pollution from the former coal operation will cause water quality problems for the users of the proposed development.[30]
In 2015 the Sierra Club, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and West Virginia Highlands Conservancy filed a lawsuit against Patriot Coal Corporation, accusing the company of releasing pollutants into water systems in the surrounding area, in particular into the Mud River, which these groups claim has become "biologically impaired" by the Hobet 21 coal mining site.[32] In 2016 a settlement was reached between the Sierra Club, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, and the Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund (VCLF), which reclaimed the remains of Patriot Coal in the wake of Patriot Coal's 2015 bankruptcy. The settlement established a $6 million stream restoration and reforestation project that VCLF was made responsible for carrying out. VCLF assumed Patriot Coal's $400 million worth in worker's compensation liabilities and environmental restoration responsibilities in exchange for multiple mining complexes in West Virginia and several mining permits.[14] Additionally, VCLF was granted a 3+1⁄2-year extension on the previously existing deadline to treat selenium water pollution, which was the subject of the 2015 lawsuit brought up against Patriot Coal. It was also agreed that the 2015 Clean Water Act conductivity pollution enforcement case was to be postponed as part of the settlement.[33] Despite this, development of the Hobet site is being carried out. In 2016, The West Virginia Department of Transportation requested approval for the design and development of a 2.6-mile access road to the site. Construction is expected to begin in March 2017.[31]
Tomblin named the project Rock Creek Development Park, and announced that the West Virginia National Guard will contribute to it. The Guard is expected to use the property to maintain national vehicles, train, and invest in agricultural needs such as planting apple trees and constructing greenhouses.[34]
In 2022, a 250 MW solar farm is planned for the area.[35]
See also
- Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia
- Social and economic stratification in Appalachia
References
- ^ "Tomblin: Time to reinvest in W.Va. coalfields". Coal Tattoo. January 14, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ "Tomblin proposal for Hobet mine site development a long way from reality". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
- ^ "West Virginia Coal Facts". West Virginia Mine Safety. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ a b c Rucker, Patrick. "The rise and demise of a West Virginia coal mine". Reuters. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Rucker, Patrick (August 5, 2016). "Shifting Fortunes: How Big Coal summoned Wall Street and faced a whirlwind". Reuters.
- ^ "COAL: Environmentalist's foray into mining gets bolder". www.eenews.net. Retrieved March 17, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ Nyden, Paul J. (August 17, 2015). "Miners protest Patriot Coal's efforts to cancel union contracts, benefits". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ Sturgis, Sue (July 30, 2012). "Anti-mining protests heat up in West Virginia as evidence of damage builds". Facing South. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- .
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
- ^ Merced, Michael J. de la (July 9, 2012). "Patriot Coal Files for Bankruptcy Protection". DealBook. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ a b Corporation, Patriot Coal. "Patriot Coal Enters Into Agreement To Sell Certain Assets To Virginia Conservation Legacy Fund". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Virginia Conservation Fund Acquires Patriot Coal Assets in $860 Million Sale". Pillsbury Law. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ a b "Population estimates, July 1, 2015, (V2015)". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ a b "Persons under 18 years, percent, April 1, 2010". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ Bureau, US Census. "Income and Poverty in the United States: 2015". www.census.gov. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ "US Household Income | Department of Numbers". www.deptofnumbers.com. Retrieved March 5, 2017.
- ^ "Boone County, WV". Data USA. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ a b "Environmental Impact Assessment: Mountaintop Removal in West Virginia". EOI.
- ^ a b "Hobet Mine, West Virginia". Visible Earth. NASA. August 11, 2009. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Environmental Impact Assessment: Mountaintop Removal in West Virginia". EOI. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ "Stream Protection Rule". Federal Register. December 20, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
- OSTI 6147580.
- ^ "Patriot Coal to phase out mountaintop removal". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ Ghabra, Omar. "After the Spill: Life in West Virginia's Coal Country". The Atlantic. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- S2CID 13404358.
- ^ a b "Tomblin proposal for Hobet mine site development a long way from reality". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ a b McGee, Jatara; Heckel, Matt; Robinson, Kathryn. "UPDATE: Industrial site project moving forward in southern West Virginia". Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ "Sierra Club and Groups Sue Patriot Coal Over West Virginia Water Pollution". Sierra Club. Archived from the original on May 17, 2017. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
- ^ "Environmental Groups Secure Settlement from Coal Mine Owner to Restore Mining Sites Across West Virginia" (Press release). Sierra Club. August 19, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ^ "Hobet project gets new name and National Guard investment". WV MetroNews. October 27, 2016. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
- ^ Miller, John G. (April 2022). "A new light shining over West Virginia: SEVA WV will develop former Hobet Mine site into mixed-used development powered by 3,000-acre solar field". WV News.