First, Thanks Bonnie for another excellent analysis. You're a great interpreter.

Now,

Here are two interesting statements I found in a July 1998 Legislative debate from the Department of Interior. (Note that these paragraphs were not found right next to each other in the document)

>>>I represent an area which has extreme coal reserves. We had 10 years ago 12,000 coal miners. We have today 2,500 coal miners. They do not work in eastern Pennsylvania. They work in western Pennsylvania. <<<

>>>We have done everything we could to increase the efficiency of burning coal. We have 600 years of coal deposits so we are trying to find ways to use this energy resource. We right now are more dependent on foreign oil than we were in 1974 when I came to Congress.<<<

I just wonder, with such a limited number of coal miners employed now, could the coal mines even supply the surplus coal required for stockpiling?

-- Anonymous, January 18, 1999

Answers

Meg, I suppose one reason there might be so many less miners now is that their jobs were replaced with automated machinery. If that's the case, then stockpiling shouldn't be too much of a problem. If the machinery uses embedded computer systems or is digitally controlled, then there could definitely be problems if they're not checked for compliancy and/or remediated.

You've hit on one more possible reason why "doing things manually" if equipment and computers malfunction, is not an immediate option. In most areas, the employee base for manual operations is no longer there, and after ten years or more it's not likely many of those former employees are sitting around waiting to jump back in if needed. They'll have other jobs by now.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 1999

A woman in southern Illinois told me last week that her local power companies are not stockpiling coal because the State requires them to pay an inventory tax on it. (The interdependies of this are amazing. As Rick once said, about the only thing not coming into play are the dinosaurs decaying in the ground.) Only citizen awareness and action can overcome those kind of hurdles.

Personal Note: Computer's busted; in cyberhospital. Sneaking online at work for brief moments. Wanted to thank Bonnie for the superb analysis of the NERC report: Thanks, Bonnie!

-- Anonymous, January 19, 1999