FRANKFORT — Coal came under attack Thursday in Frankfort from a citizen activist group but not much is likely to change according to some key lawmakers.

About 40 representatives of the Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, some of whom are former miners and who live in coal producing counties, said coal interests dominate the state legislature and their concerns about the environment and the health and safety of those living near surface mines aren’t heard in Frankfort.

The coal industry has “had a stronghold there for a long time,” said Rick Handshoe, a retired police officer from Floyd County. Lawmakers “have never asked us what we want.”

Patty Wallace of Lawrence County said coal interests intimidate those who question the effects of surface mining and especially the practice known as mountaintop removal and the industry’s financial might and influence with key lawmakers drowns out their voices.

Carl Shoupe, a disabled miner and former union organizer from Harlan County, said the political system is corrupt, and he pointed to recent vote fraud investigations in southeastern Kentucky as evidence.

Handshoe said Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, doesn’t even live in Floyd County which he represents. Stumbo said that’s not true.

“Well, I live in Floyd County and I pay taxes there and I vote there,” said Stumbo later. He said he maintains a home in Lexington during the week because of the time-consuming nature of his job as Speaker, something he began doing when he was Attorney General from 2003-2007.

Stumbo said his young daughter attends school in Lexington, as Handshoe claimed.

“She’s been enrolled there ever since I was Attorney General and we chose not to move her,” Stumbo said, adding that he goes home to Floyd County on weekends.

The group, which included author, essayist, environmentalist and poet Wendell Berry of Henry County, called on Stumbo and House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, D-Sandy Hook, to enter into “genuine, open conversation with all stakeholders” about the coal industry, call for an end to “extreme and sometimes violent speech that is being aimed at citizens” speaking out on the environmental impact of mining, to remove what they said is too many pro-coal lawmakers from the Natural Resources Committee and to remove its chairman Jim Gooch.

“We think Chairman Gooch is not likely to be removed in the near future,” Stumbo said. He said the complaints about extreme comments directed at the group “sounds like sour grapes to me.”

Gooch, whose family owns a company which sells equipment to the coal industry, said his committee isn’t any different than most legislative committees.

“Not compared to anything else up here,” Gooch said. “Look at the Judiciary Committee – is there anything but lawyers on that? Health and Welfare, is there anything on that committee other than chiropractors and nurses and farmers on the Ag Committee?”

Stumbo and Adkins made no apology for supporting the coal industry.

“It’s my responsibility, our responsibility, to represent our districts and our region and coal plays an important part in the economy and the jobs that we have in our region,” Adkins said, who often sponsors energy legislation and has worked for coal and energy companies while serving in the House.

Earlier Thursday, Dr. Michael Hendryx, Director of the West Virginia Rural Health Research Center and an associate professor at West Virginia University, told the House Health and Welfare Committee that areas where mining occurs have higher mortality rates, lower birth weights and are poorer. He said the health indicators remain worse in coal mining areas relative to non-mining areas even after adjusting for smoking, diabetes and poverty rates.

But Adkins said he “disagree(s) completely” with Hendryx’s conclusions.

“I think the coal industry provides good health insurance to individuals who work in that industry,” Adkins said. “I think the coal industry is a responsible industry that has been a positive industry and has provided a positive economy for our region.”

Stumbo was just as emphatic.

“Coal is a vital industry in our area, in my district,” he said. “It’s the largest employer and I have a responsibility to protect those jobs and those families that are fed by that industry and I’m going to continue to do that.”



Ronnie Ellis writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort, Ky. He may be contacted by email at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.