What do individuals think when the word coal comes to mind? Usually, heat, use in generation of electric, mining, way of life for millions of individuals, etc. Yes, those are the normal thoughts, but what about by products of the industry? Nature has treated the United States generously with excellent coal resources and much more is derived from the coal industry than just lumps of the black material from our land. That is only the beginning of a process that provides the world a multitude of products that are very beneficial in our every day life. We all know that we get Power and Heat if we burn coal. In addition, processing of coal provides us with hundreds of useful products.
How many people think about cement, roofing materials, sulfuric acid, linoleum and even perfume as items that are derived from the coal process? When we are attacked by individuals for the way coal is produced or mining practices, those individuals never look into the overall picture of what is affected. In the case of surface mining, the overall final result may end with a home for a new school, airport, shopping center or even a city. All of which result in thousands of new jobs and homes for our citizens.
With our advanced technology, we now can provide our soil and plants with nutrients to revive depleted soil. These nutrients are derived from gypsum-rich by products of flue gas scrubbers. Power plant fly ash from scrubber waste is developed into Portland cement for concrete and concrete products.When we think of coal, do we think about road construction materials, masonry products, roofing materials, insulation, wallboard, carpet backing or asphalt? I seriously doubt it, but in truth, those are by products of the coal process.
Do we think about paint pigments, sulfuric acid, electrical insulation or linoleum as coal gas by products?
When we think about items such as smelling salts, rubber cement, fertilizers, baking powder, billiard balls, food preservatives, ammonia, perfumes and fire proofing, do we think of coal? Probably not, but in truth, they are derived from chemical by products of coal.
When we think about moth balls, paint thinners, storage batteries, carbon dioxide, soda water, artificial silk, sugar substitute and sulfur, do we think about those items coming from coal tar or coke?
Lastly, do we think of coal being used for medical purposes? Actually, coal tar topical is a medicine used as a scalp shampoo to treat psoriasis. Even aspirin and vitamins can be derived from these processes.
Industry has used coal combustion byproducts since the 1950s. For example, the 31-story Columbus, Ohio, headquarters of American Electric Power, one of the nation's largest utilities, is built from materials containing coal combustion byproducts. The runways at the Brownsville/South Padre Island, Texas, International Airport are made from concrete enhanced by coal combustion byproducts. In Galveston Bay, off the Texas coastline, coal combustion byproducts have been used to stabilize reefs and promote oyster breeding.
As more utilities adopt advanced clean coal technologies, key technical challenges are being addressed and developed by the energy Department to change chemical and physical characteristics of coal combustion byproducts. As productive Americans, we continue to move forward with more advanced coal technologies in beneficial applications that can continue to expand.
Those are just a few examples of uses and benefits of coal that most individuals never think of. As a hydrology specialist, I travel a lot of our hills, valleys and streams due to the extensive new regulations that are imposed upon the industry. I see the wonderful land that we have first hand and I don’t see anything different once a mining project is complete. Yes, sometimes the land characteristics are changed, but the beauty is transformed from one vision to another and the quality of the land is always as good and in most cases better. We live in a changing world and we must change with it. The word change sometimes concerns individuals, but it must be looked at as a good thing and change should always be for the better. We as Americans need to pull together and stand up for what we have and believe in. Coal is a way of life for us and we must stand up and fight for our belief. Our ancestors fought for what they believed in to provide us with a free and productive country to life safely in. We now need to stand up and fight for our way of life!
I am a life long West Virginian, owner of GDF Consulting and driver of the 1980 Chevrolet Camaro which proudly displays the Friends of Coal logo. I am proud to take the message of the Friends of Coal around the state and county while I drive and compete in races with the FOC racing Camaro. I will be competing in Richmond, Va October 15th for a World Championship and will proudly display the FOC logo on my car and carry our message to the crowd there. Let’s all stand up for coal and America.