Near the end of 2011, about 19,000 people were employed by Kentucky coal mines and preparation plants. By this past October, the number for all of Kentucky was down to about half that. The decline was worse than that in the Eastern coalfields. Nationwide, production dropped as much as 10% in this past year and companies have been filing for bankruptcy. Tom Martin discussed these issues with Dr. Bill Bissett, president of the Kentucky Coal Association.
7FOB0215.mp3
In part two of his conversation with Dr. Bill Bissett, Tom Martin poses an unusual question.
