Earlier this month I had the opportunity to travel to Meigs County to talk with Elisa Young about the myth of “clean coal” and the struggle her community is going through in the face of incredible corporate and political power behind the coal industry. Watch these four videos to hear what Elisa has to say about what is happening in Meigs County and what students and others can do to help.
On April 23rd the Ohio Power Siting Board approved the siting of the first of five potential coal-fired power plants within ten miles of Elisa’s farm. Last night at midnight was the deadline for comments on a new coal mine with two sludge impoundments. This summer Elisa is hosting volunteers at her farm to support the Meigs Community Action Network.
In the 1940s and 50s the residents of Meigs County, Ohio were promised jobs and economic prosperity in exchange for two large new coal-fired power plants. Sixty years later the county is one of the poorest in Ohio, residents are suffering from cancer and other serious health effects from air pollution and soil and water contamination. Today the barrage of promises for jobs and economic prosperity from coal is back in full force.
If you do a Google search of Meigs County, the first page you will find, meigscountyohio.com is an invitation for new coal.
“When your company is choosing a site for a new facility, Meigs County should be on your list of potential locations. Why? No county in Ohio has more announced private investment over the next few years than Meigs, according to market intelligence service industrialinfo.com. Corporations like American Electric Power and American Municipal Power-Ohio plan billion dollar projects in the county, while new roads, bridges and schools make Meigs County an ideal place to live, work and invest.”
This 2002 study concludes that the price of coal would be about $150 per ton as opposed to $30 per ton if all of the mining, loss in productivity of the ecosystem, and health impacts were accounted for. Coal arguments aside, Meigs County is certainly in need of investment with 16.8% of the population living below the poverty line (2000 census) and unemployment increasing by more than 5% over the four-year period between 2000 and 2004. However, that investment does not have to come in the form of a new coal power plant or a new mine.
An essential part of this battle is helping to create a just transition for workers and communities at the front lines of energy production. Here is some language on the concept behind Just Transition from Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative:
“A just transition is about making sure no group of people shoulders a disproportionate burden when it comes to transitioning to a renewable resource economy. Effective climate policy will not only phase out fossil fuels in favor of renewables, but it will also make the transition as fair as possible. To ensure equity and self-sufficiency, policies must engage and empower communities with the information and resources to transition to a renewable resource economy.”
An essential part of this concept is the polluter pays principle:
“The concept that the people or companies responsible for creating pollution are also responsible for paying for its cleanup is called the polluter pays principle. It is widely accepted around the world as standard environmental policy. The United States uses the polluter pays principle in most of its environmental laws and regulations. For example, when the oil tanker Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil off the Alaskan coast, Exxon paid $900 million to fund ecosystem restoration.”
Unless we include these concepts in our advocacy for climate solutions, communities like Meigs County, Ohio who have been left behind for decades in favor of corporate profit will be left behind in the transition to a new energy future. More information on the principles and policy models for Just Transition can be found here.
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