CTL Conference at Glade Springs... False Hopes for West Virginia

by: wvblueguy

Tue Aug 14, 2007 at 19:15:16 PM EDT

A first ever Coal to Liquid Technology conference was held today at the Glade Springs Resort in Daniel, West Virginia near Beckley.  The conference will continue through tomorrow.  A front page article in today's Bluefield Daily Telegraph headlines the event as "Powered by Coal - CTL Takes Spotlight". The article by Samantha Perry can be read by clicking here.

The article describes the conference as follows...

BLUEFIELD — Key players with the potential for shaping the nation’s energy future will converge on southern West Virginia today for the nation’s first-ever Coal-To-Liquids Coalition conference.

“We’re holding this conference in West Virginia so that the people in West Virginia can hear from the experts on what coal-to-liquids means to your state — what it means to the future of West Virginia,” Coal-To-Liquids Coalition Spokesman Corey Henry said Monday. “We’re talking about the potential of tens of thousands of new jobs,” as well as the role the Mountain State could play in America’s future energy independence.

The conference will feature two of our Washington representatives Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV), and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) who are really charged up about this technology as a return of King Coal to West Virginia and a source of salvation for the state's economic woes.  There are many other key players at this conference including US Air Force personnel, UMWA personnel, and Coal industry leaders.

Rahall really has some dramatic imagery as he is quoted as saying...

“I have a dream one day every NASCAR race will be fueled by CTL,” Rahall said, “and Jeff Gordon can have emblazoned across the hood of his souped-up Chevy, ‘Powered by liquid coal.’ ’’

That kind of talk gives what I believe are false hopes to the folks of West Virginia.  There are just too many groups that are opposed to this expensive and not environmentally friendly technology.  Our own Clem Guttata has written many diaries about this issue most of which can be read by clicking here. The last attempt at passing legislation to support this technology failed in both the Senate and the House.  More below the fold.

The Conference will be formally protested by a significant number of groups as reported in the Perry article...

But while coal-to-liquids technology has drawn bipartisan support in Congress and from government, union and coal industry leaders, many environmental groups are opposed to the potential energy source.

Members of the Coal River Mountain Watch, West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Mountain Justice Summer and Sierra Club will be protesting at the conference.

According to information provided by protest organizers, a demonstration will be held outside the Glade Spring Resort entrance from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday. And today, the protesters plan to fly aerial banners over the resort reading, “Liquid coal fuels destruction!” and “Solid or liquid coal is filthy!”

 More carbon based fuel just isn't the answer.  This topic is going to be a major issue that separates a lot of good Democrats from our state leaders.  We have got to be informed and do all we can to let the folks in Charleston and in Washington that we know the real truth, and that a program like this will only line the pockets of the mine operators and the contractors that Rahall hopes will build these enormously expensive conversion plants in West Virginia.  Not to mention the continued damage to our beautiful state caused by our other scourge Mountain Top Removal.

By the way, the editorial staff of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph that includes Samantha Perry the author of the aforementioned article joins Rahall and Rockefeller in supporting this dirty initiative. The complete editorial can be read here.

Realizing the crucial role coal could play in America’s energy future, we, too, are excited the first-ever CTL conference will be held in West Virginia.

Looking back at our region’s history when King Coal fueled jobs and much brighter economic times, we applaud the thought of a resurgence of this energy source.

Coal may one day reign again. And if this dream becomes a reality, the benefits could be plentiful for us all.

 With anti-union Coal Companies like Don Blankenship's Massey Energy I would really be surprised if any benefits accrued to our local citizenry and the state if such an initiative were to be successful.