King Coal's reign challenged in courts, D.C.

[IDemo]

Environmentalists sue, lawmakers use stimulus for cleaner renewables

Associated Press - updated 52 minutes ago

BILLINGS, Mont. - Beneath the frozen plains of eastern Montana and Wyoming lie the largest coal deposits in the world — enough to last the United States more than a century at the nation's current burn rate.

The fuel literally spills from the ground where streambanks cut into the earth, hinting at reserves estimated at 180 billion tons. But even here lawsuits over global warming and the changing political landscape in Washington are pummeling an industry that has long been the backbone of America's power supply.

In recent weeks, a group of rural Montana electric co-ops abandoned a partially built 250-megawatt coal plant, ending a four-year legal campaign by environmentalists to stop the project. The co-ops plan to instead get their electricity from a natural gas plant — more expensive for customers but also more likely to get built.

A few miles away, the U.S. Air Force dropped plans for a major coal-to-jet fuel plant once touted as the harbinger of a new market for coal. There are no signs it will be revived.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29571196 /

[quidam56]

1. Appalachia is turning into a toxic waste dump third world America

BUSH/CHENEY are TOXIC TERRORISTS ! http://www.wisecountyissues.com STOP BOMBING OUR MOUNTAINS !

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. I wonder, - IS there a way to mine and burn coal safely?

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Just so ya know how old I am

WE had a coal bin in our basement, about 10 feet by 20 feet

an outside door(window more like) with a chute for a truck to off-load the coal into the bin(room)

The coal furnace was converted to oil when I was about 5 years old

yup - used the same furnace/stove, just hooked up the motor and burner in the front of the stove where the coal used to get shoveled in

If indeed the article is correct that this amount of coal is readily available in the USA

I think it would be prudent to investigate harvesting it and utilizing it SAFELY.

Sure

It will cost more than present methods, initially

But would not have the undocumented costs of damages to the environment and people's health . .

something to ponder . .