Saturday, July 18, 2009

Coal interests say boycott of Tenn. tourist sites to protest Alexander's support of bill is spreading

We reported more than 10 days ago that subsidiaries of Arch Coal were boycotting Tennessee tourist sites because Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of that state is sponsoring a bill that would greatly limit or ban mountaintop-removal strip mining for coal. The boycott is spreading, others in the Appalachian coalfield told Roger Alford, a Kentucky correspondent for The Associated Press.

Roger Horton, director of Citizens for Coal, which started the boycott, "said some 5,000 coal miners already have joined the week-old boycott, which he hopes will spread to involve all of the nation's 81,000 coal miners," Alford writes. "Kentucky Coal Association President Bill Caylor said he expects the boycott to grow. ... Democratic state Rep. Fitz Steele, a former miner in the eastern Kentucky coalfields, said the boycott is gaining steam beyond the miners themselves. Store clerks, waitresses, even politicians whose livelihoods are affected by mining are taking part."

On the other hand, "TECO Coal, with headquarters near the Tennessee border, initially announced that it had joined the boycott, saying the legislation hurts miners and businesses in the region. Days later, however, the company relented, and spokesman Jim J. Shackleford issued a statement of apology." (Read more)

No comments: