More on Strip Mining Coal From Boucher and Kaine

Some more from Congressman Rick Boucher on strip mining coal and the benefits there of. From the Kingsport Times

“Today, I am pleased to report the status has been restored,” Boucher said. “The federal decision recognizes that Alpha and Pioneer can dramatically reduce road building costs by preparing the roadbed as coal is extracted.”

The Alpha/Pioneer study suggests a 50 percent savings in project costs of the $4 billion in estimated costs in 2004, he said, with the number of bridges reduced from 35 to seven, and the length of the corridor shaved by two miles.

“With special federal experimental project status restored, our prospects for construction of the road have never been better,” Boucher said. “The coal companies will (help) build it quicker at half the cost with a better design and higher speed limit than if the road were built by VDOT alone.”

Boucher expressed appreciation to Kaine and Virginia Secretary of Transportation Pierce Homer “for their unwavering commitment” to the project, and praised Alpha Natural Resources and Pioneer Coal “for their clear dedication to the best interests of our region. Their leadership and assistance to this project have been instrumental, and without them we would not be where we are today.”

Read more here. Boucher, Kaine and Mark Warner have all made it clear that coal mining is a part of our future. Can we trust them?

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