negative externalities

Reader comment on: Coal Mine Regulation Budgets

Submitted by ben (United States), Apr 7, 2010 08:25

Blaming environmentalists for this tragedy is a bit much. According to the Times this morning, this company received almost 500 code violations last year alone. Perhaps we need more teeth in the regulations that make the companies actually follow them. Also, we should keep in mind that mining, particularly surface mining that lops off the tops of mountains causes an enormous amount of pollution. The runoff water ends up in water supplies that people drink, harming them. The birth defects and heightened cancer risks cause deaths just like an explosion in a mine. I too do not care much for the "protect the animals at the expense of the humans argument," but I am not sure that is what these regulations are doing. I am no coal industry expert, but I would just caution us to look at the whole picture.

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