Published: November 10, 2009 11:44 pm      

Officials join pro-coal campaign

CATLETTSBURG — Two local county governments have signed resolutions supporting a pro-coal campaign.

The Boyd County Fiscal Court voted unanimously last week to join the Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security or FACES. of Coal.

Greenup County Fiscal Court members followed suit on Tuesday, said Greenup Judge-Executive Bobby Carpenter.

FACES of Coal states on its Web site — www.facesofcoal.org — that it is “an alliance of people from all walks of life who are joining forces to educate lawmakers and the general public about the importance of coal and coal mining to our local and national economies and to our nation’s energy security.”

The organization is funded by coal interests and has been linked to the Washington, D.C., public relations firm Adefero Group. It launched its Kentucky campaign last month following grassroots organizing in West Virginia this summer.

The campaign comes at a time when the coal industry is facing increased concern over mountaintop removal mining and at a time when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are reviewing 79 proposed surface mining permits in Appalachia. Of the permits under review, 49 are for proposed projects in Kentucky while the remaining 30 are in West Virginia.

The coal industry also opposes new climate change legislation being proposed by Congress.

A representative of FACES could not be reached for comment.

Boyd County Commissioner Carl Tolliver said the court has made no other commitment to the organization other than signing the resolution, which he described as “just supporting the industry.”

“Coal is really taking a hard number now from the environmentalists. I personally hate to see the mountains destroyed but we need the coal,” he said. “I’m behind it (the industry) 100 percent.”

Carpenter shared his sentiment. “They’ve just go to come to their senses on some of this stuff,” he said.

“Anything that I can do to support coal I am going to do it and my court felt the same way. We’re all supporters of coal. We know what we have to do to keep this area going and keep our electric rates down and get good paying jobs into the area. We’re going to have to stand up for coal,” Carpenter said.

He said he was approached about the resolution through literature provided from FACES to the Kentucky County Judge-Executives Association.