NC Bill Aims to Outlaw Coal Mined by Removing Mountaintops
Wednesday May 28, 2008 4:26 PM
http://www.newsobserver.com/print/wednesday/business/story/1087504.html
"Half the coal burned by Progress Energy's and Duke Energy's power plants would become illegal in North Carolina under legislation proposed Tuesday by state Rep. Pricey Harrison. The Guilford County Democrat wants to outlaw importation of coal that has been extracted by a controversial form of strip mining known as mountaintop removal. The process involves blowing up several hundred feet of mountaintop to expose embedded veins of coal."
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"Progress and Duke import nearly all their coal from Appalachian coal mines. About half the coal -- about 15 million tons a year -- comes from mountaintop removal, while the rest comes from underground coal mines. North Carolina is one of the nation's top users of mountaintop coal."
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"But coal prices have doubled in the past year, and Progress and Duke are seeking rate increases to pass costs on to their customers. Progress recently asked for a 6 percent rate increase in South Carolina and will file a request soon with state regulators in North Carolina. Duke is seeking a 4 percent increase. Both companies say worldwide demand for coal is the main driver of the price increases."
"Half the coal burned by Progress Energy's and Duke Energy's power plants would become illegal in North Carolina under legislation proposed Tuesday by state Rep. Pricey Harrison. The Guilford County Democrat wants to outlaw importation of coal that has been extracted by a controversial form of strip mining known as mountaintop removal. The process involves blowing up several hundred feet of mountaintop to expose embedded veins of coal."
...
"Progress and Duke import nearly all their coal from Appalachian coal mines. About half the coal -- about 15 million tons a year -- comes from mountaintop removal, while the rest comes from underground coal mines. North Carolina is one of the nation's top users of mountaintop coal."
...
"But coal prices have doubled in the past year, and Progress and Duke are seeking rate increases to pass costs on to their customers. Progress recently asked for a 6 percent rate increase in South Carolina and will file a request soon with state regulators in North Carolina. Duke is seeking a 4 percent increase. Both companies say worldwide demand for coal is the main driver of the price increases."
