EKB News

Thursday morning, Pike County Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford and former Governor Paul Patton joined about 275 people in a state forum held on the University of Kentucky campus. While speaking, Rutherford told the crowd that, if Pike County were a state, it would be the 10th. largest coal producer in the country. Patton verbally attacked critics of coal's pollution and mining practices, saying driving automobiles is a much dirtier way to use fossil fuels than burning coal for electricity. He says the biggest enemies of coal come from other states that want to compete with Kentucky for new industries. Experts, coal company executives and government leaders gathered for a day-long coal forum. The forum's featured speakers discussed the past, present and future impacts of coal on the state's economy and environment. Speakers discussed coal's role from its early history, its first commercial mine in Muhlenberg County in 1920, its more recent activities and its controversial history. One speaker showed slides of massive scars caused by mining, while saying that's what some people see. But, he then showed slides of reclaimed mines that coal supporters boost.