By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald Reporter
—
A joint effort by two groups that zeroed in on the good, the bad and the ugly of West Virginia’s coal industry was denounced Thursday by the state Chamber of Commerce as the product of anti-coal forces, as “fiction,” and “a complete mockery of real academic research.”
In its 83-page study, Downstream Strategies and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy recognized the huge dollars coal pours into the economy and state budget but said it also imposes negative effects as well.
And once all government expenditures on the industry are considered, including the restoration of coal roads, the two said the coal business actually is a $97.5 million drain on the state budget.
Rory McIlmoil, representing Downstream Strategies and the lead author of the exhaustive study, disputed the claim by Chamber President Steve Roberts that it reflects anti-coal sentiment.
“The report takes a look at the net impact of a single industry, the coal industry, on the state budget,” he said.
“Our report clearly presents and recognizes the economic benefits that the coal industry provides to the state. However, responsible policy is made by not looking at only the benefits, but the associated costs of the industry as well, and that is what our report attempts to do.”
Equally swift to respond, Ted Boettner of the West Virginia Center said the Chamber of Commerce failed to uncover a single flaw in the vast study.
“Instead, they responded immaturely and have embarrassed themselves by making unsubstantiated claims,” he said.
“They clearly didn’t even read the report. Instead of a serious discussion about West Virginia’s future, the chamber wants to take the low road by engaging in childish name-calling.”
Roberts said the key to understanding the motive behind the study is that it was financed in part by the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“These environmental groups have advocated for policies that would end coal production in West Virginia and put tens of thousands of miners out of work,” the Chamber leader said.
“This report was created by people who are staunchly anti-coal, oppose job growth in the production sector and who seek to drive away the coal and manufacturing industries which pay the highest wages, offer the best benefits and fuel much of West Virginia’s economy.”
Countering that, Boettner said a study on coal’s positive economic benefits, unwrapped to a legislative panel in February by West Virginia and Marshall universities, was financed by the West Virginia Coal Association.
“... and it only looked at the benefits side and completely ignored the costs of coal,” he said. “Our approach was a balanced look at both.”
Roberts said the West Virginia Center also has endorsed a government takeover of health care, steeper taxes for those in the business of creating jobs, raising the debt ceiling, and “other anti-jobs, anti-economic growth policies.”
McIlmoil acknowledged that funding in any research should make it suspect, but “that information alone should not, and cannot, be used to discredit any report.”
“The integrity of a research paper can only be questioned through an examination of the data, the calculations, and the methodologies used to generate the results,” he said.
McIlmoil also responded to criticism that he once worked for Coal River Mountain Watch, an environmental group actively involved in a crusade against the mining practice of mountaintop removal.
“They are amazing people who are working to protect their homes, families and mountains, and I have the highest respect for them,” he said.
“I will never apologize for the work I was blessed to do with CRMW.”
His former affiliation with the group can in no way be used to discount the credibility of the research he performed on coal mining in general, he insisted.
“Only the research and methods are ultimately open for criticism and myself, Downstream Strategies, and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, all take pride in the work we do and we strive for that work and the research that goes into it to be of the highest integrity,” he said.
Roberts said the state needs to begin hearing people with an ownership stake in the state, if West Virginia expects to advance its economic standing.
Almost 75,000 residents today are without work, he said.
“It is time to get serious about the need for energy, the importance of manufacturing, and the urgency of repairing our economy so that families have a good place for wage earners to work,” Roberts said.
“Fiction from a so-called policy and research organization will not create jobs or help West Virginia families.”
— E-mail: mannix@register-herald.com
