Trump's rollback of coal rules electrifies Wyoming workers

[TexasTowelie]

GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) - Optimism abounds in the coal-mining city of Gillette, Wyoming, now that President Donald Trump is rolling back some climate-change regulations.

Huge open-pit mines near Gillette produce more than 40 percent of the coal mined in the U.S. Last year was the worst for American coal production since the 1970s as utilities continued switching to natural gas, wind and solar power to generate electricity.

Many people in Gillette also blame environmental regulations imposed by President Barack Obama for trouble at the mines, which laid off 500 miners last year.

Mayor Louise Carter-King predicts Gillette will come back bigger and better than ever with Trump's help.

Read more: http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/national/tennessee/story/2017/apr/01/trumps-rollback-coal-rules-electrifies-wyomin/420723/

[SHRED]

1. They are in for a rude awakening

Coal is no longer economically feasible.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. So agree.

The Boom time for Wyoming has come and gone. Sad to say,these folks suffer from Stockholm Syndrome.

[appleannie1943]

3. Someone should educate them and take the time to provide training in another field.

I live in an area where steel was much bigger than coal until steel was no more. If you want to survive, you have to change what has been the main source of food on the table for generations to something else. Coal was the past. They need to move into the future.

[nocalflea]

4. Desperation has a tendency to obliterate reality.

[unc70]

5. 500 workers laid off last year

Sounds like a highly mechanized operation with relatively few workers involved. Since this is open pit mining, these miners do not fit the stereotype. So, where 40% of the coal is mined, they lost 500 jobs last year. That's all. And because of production economics, those jobs in Wyoming are probably the ones that would return if more coal is mined, not ones in West Virginia or Kentucky.

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Oh, so Trump's hot air is powered by coal!