Kentucky has been among the top 3 coal producing states for past 50 years. Commercial coal miming began in Kentucky in 1820 and the most productive year currently is 1990, with 179 million tons. The Eastern Coalfields of Kentucky are part of a larger swath of bituminous coalfields that stretches from Northern Pennsylvania to Central Alabama.

Coal mining is serious business. Without coal, you probably would not be so freely surfing the net, for lack of energy. Without coal, many newly arrived immigrant families would not have had the chance to work and make their families what they are today. Without coal, America would not have the industrial capacity it wields so eminently in the modern world.

On the other hand, without coal, our mountains would not be scarred or our streams polluted. Without coal, thousands of miners would not have lost their lives and the social injustice and violence that have plagued the coalfields would not exist.

For better or worse, coal is a huge industry, generating over $3.5 billion in Kentucky in 1998, and many communities choose coal to power their homes and businesses. 96% of Kentucky's electricity was generated from coal in 1998 and utility rates would be far higher without coal. Next time you leave your porch light on, think of this: to burn a 100-watt lightbulb for 10 hours, someone has to mine and process 1 pound of coal. Now consider the millions of Americans who burn not only lightbulbs, but TVs, VCRs, computers, hairdryers, and etc....

How was all of this coal formed? During the great Coal Age, roughly 300 million years ago during the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian Periods, lush, swampy forests coverd much of North America. As these swampy forests aged over millions of years, large deposits of organic matter accummulated as peat. Peat is saturated, partially carbonized vegetable matter and peat deposits can become very thick People use peat today for fertilizer, scotch production, and when dried, as a feul. But then, when the seas finally rose and flooded the swamps, peat was buried under deposits that would become sandstones, limestones, and shales. The peat was fossilized and today that fossilized peat is mined as coal.

During this time, life was far different than today. Primitive, scaley trees called lycopods towered 100 feet into the air and ferns grew to 50 feet. Insect lovers would enjoy this period chasing foot-long centipedes, 4-inch cockroaches, and dragonflys with a 30-inch wingspan.

Source:
Kentucky Geological Survey, Coal Information

1998-2000 Kentucky Coal Facts