Tim Mandell
A pair of local teachers had an opportunity to see firsthand how energy is being used in Kentucky.
Susan Haddix, who teaches earth and physical science and physics at Madison Southern High School, and Tracy Powell-McCoy, an 8th-grade science and gifted and talented teacher at Madison Middle School, participated recently in the Bluegrass PRIDE energy education program.
Funded by the Kentucky Department of Energy Development, the program allows teachers the chance to learn how coal is mined, its history and future in Kentucky, and the environmental impacts of mining and burning coal.
“It’s designed to show the good and bad about the coal industry in Kentucky and let us make our own decisions,” said Powell-McCoy, who said she already had strong feelings against coal mining, but wanted to get a different perspective to see for herself what is happening.
She spent time in an active underground coal mine and a strip mine and learned other facets of the coal industry.
“My overall impression is that coal is and will continue to be a dying institution and we just need to wake us as Kentuckians and start moving forward,” Powell-McCoy said. “Strip mining, in my opinion, is an abomination of God’s creation. If I was a coal company owner, I would be investing in alternative energies.”
Powell-McCoy said that despite the mine’s enormity, she only counted an average of 21 people working each shift, which she said made her question claims from the coal industry that coal mining has a positive effect because it provides jobs.
“Underground coal miners are basically being used and abused,” she said. “Your average underground coal miner only makes $30,000 a year. That to me is atrocious for being in such harmful conditions.”
Powell-McCoy also refuted claims that people in central Kentucky are not affected by coal mines in eastern Kentucky.
“They say it doesn’t affect you, but yes it does,” she said. “My husband’s family is from a coal town that ran out of coal and once the coal runs out, the company doesn’t care about the people. The coal industry won’t take any responsibility once the coal is gone.”
One positive Powell-McCoy took from the experience is that she has been able to pass her newfound knowledge on to her students, who have been studying the effects of coal mining and how alternative energy can be used.
As a result, her students are meeting with representatives of the governor on Feb. 11 to express their opinions and ideas about the coal industry and alternative energy.
“We need to teach kids the real world and this is a relevant topic,” Powell-McCoy said. “They don’t have to believe what I say, but they need to explore things further and look into it for themselves and form an opinion based on what they have learned.”
Haddix could not be reached for comment.
Tim Mandell can be reached at tmandell@richmondregister.com or 623-1669 ext. 6696.
