September 20, 200618 yr "I always just thought of it more as an exurb of the Youngstown area and I don't consider Youngstown Appalachian. I think of Appalachia in Ohio as mostly Southeast. People so poor the kids don't have shoes, and the schools are completely horrible." Obviously Salem is the northernmost point of Appalachian Ohio. Not coincidentally it's not as poverty-stricken as desolately rural areas such as the places mentioned above - yet. However, not far from Salem in Columbiana County ARE areas like you mention - my mom used to teach Head Start and worked for the community action agency - dirt floors, kids without shoes, squalor, you name it. Although Salem is in slightly better straits, it may not be that way for long - almost all of the major mills/plants/shops that employed my generations' parents are gone. The schools are in serious decline after some mismanagement scandals, and enrollment is shrinking. The closest major cities are Youngstown and Canton - hardly beds of employment opportunity. ""Getting up and moving" is just not the way to improve Appalachia (or Ohio in general). Should we all just leave Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, and Youngstown because the economies are currently weak in those areas?" I think all of us lean toward fighting the good fight. However, at what point does fighting the good fight take a toll on our futures? clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
September 21, 200618 yr ^ Ahh, ok. My friends used to talk about how upper middle class people were moving there that worked in Youngstown. Moving farther out from places like Boardman and Poland....kinda like a Canfield. They may have just been talking it up of course. One of those friends moved to NYC to become big friends with Michael Alig and the club kid crowd...so needless to say he had a knack for dramatics anyway. I have never been, so I don't know first hand. Thanks for clarifying.
September 21, 200618 yr ^ yes, i had thought Salem was more industrial than really that deep rural poverty appalachia of the stereotype. ""Getting up and moving" is just not the way to improve Appalachia (or Ohio in general). Should we all just leave Cleveland, Toledo, Dayton, and Youngstown because the economies are currently weak in those areas?" That is what happens. If there are no jobs people leave town to look for them. That's why I left Kentucky. I can sort of appreciate "the magnet" concept, as getting back close to kin in Kentucky is why I ended up in Ohio. Appalachia in Ohio, driving through it, didnt seem as grindingly poor as some areas in Appalachian Kentucky that I recall from the early 70s. Of course, getting off the main roads one can no-doubt encounter areas like Mecklenborg mentioned. I don't know if I mentioned it before but a good book on the Kentucky side of Appalachia is Night Comes to the Cumberlands by Harry Caudill. It is sort of a history of the region, up to the 1960s.
September 21, 200618 yr ^ I don't think most people realize how hard it really is to just get up and leave. I have some family members who have NEVER leaved Scioto County, let alone try to get up and move. And I'm not talking about people my age, family members who are in their 40s and 50s. Following along what Jeff mentioned, PBS ran a special earlier this year on eastern Kentucky. It was called country boys and was probably the best show I've seen on the t.v. this year. You can watch online here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys/ C-Dawg you go to OU correct? Do they have much of a community outreach program for the area? I know they have the OU Southern branch campus that does some stuff, but do they really do much for the surrounding schools and locals wanting to further their education. I always preceived OU when growing up as people who have turned their backs toward the local appalachians.
September 21, 200618 yr I think that Chauncey and Glouster are about as bad as it gets in Ohio, I didn't get out into the other counties much because I didn't own a car. There are definitely worse areas in Alabama and Mississippi and Louisiana is absolutely outrageous. Facts mean nothing, science doesn't exist, these people are incapable of observing an event and recalling it with anything resembling accuracy. It's a swirling game of telephone without end. To apologize is to show weakness, to turn the other cheek is to invite a life-threatening beating. Some people manage to get out of these environments because they are born with the sense that there's something better out there. A woman I used to work for and her sister were raped and beaten by their father in rural South Carolina their entire childhood, at age 14 she got pregnant on purpose by some creep down the street just to move out of the house. She got a job working at a gas station near a military base and met a soldier from Wisconsin, when he got out they got married and moved to Florida where unfortunately he was shot by a Cuban and lost his left eye. Luckily he already had met someone who was expanding his restaurant franchise and with a small loan from his parents (the franchise only cost $40,000) was able to open up a franchise in Knoxville, where I met them and got a job for 2 years. They developed the Knoxville territory and four years later sold it and probably made $500,000. My point in telling this is that she told me explicitly about her experiences growing up and knowing that she needed to meet a man that could help her get out of that hellish place. She didn't go to college but taught herself how to type and use computers and all the other things you need to know to run a business. She, unlike virtually any of the trailer girls, purposely sought out a husband from a middle-class background. The problem was that her sister never got out of there until she invited her to come up and help work at the restaurant, with the intent to help her and her daughter start a better life. Her daughter who was about 16 worked at the restaurant and was really sharp but promptly got pregnant by some loser. After a year they moved back so South Carolina, and I didn't hear it but you can bet on what's happened since. That's the thing -- even within a family there are those who recognize that they need to take drastic steps to improve their lives and others who perpetuate the nonsense for another generation. How often do girls from the country come into Athens looking for a college boy to help them escape? I never saw it in three years. In fact the only time I even heard of a country girl in an OU bar was the girl who stabbed the doorman and got Tased. And the only time I ever saw Athens county natives and OU students in the same room was when cocaine was involved. The point is most of these people aren't even trying to get out.
September 21, 200618 yr >I always preceived OU when growing up as people who have turned their backs toward the local appalachians. I was writing my post when yours appeared. Not counting Athens natives (who were most often the kids of OU faculty or staff) I didn't meet almost anyone from eastern Ohio or West Virginia when I was at OU. Maybe 3 or 4 people and none of them were poor.
September 21, 200618 yr Jeff, thanks for recommending that book. I was going to do so, but you beat me to it. It's about eastern and southeastern Kentucky specifically, but anybody who wants to understand why Appalachia is the way it is will get something out of it. How often do girls from the country come into Athens looking for a college boy to help them escape? I never saw it in three years. In fact the only time I even heard of a country girl in an OU bar was the girl who stabbed the doorman and got Tased. And the only time I ever saw Athens county natives and OU students in the same room was when cocaine was involved. Most of those girls were too busy fucking the entire high school. I knew a few Athens locals and me and my crew fraternized with them sometimes. It helps when you worked at KFC and were tapped into that pool of local talent. Like my co-worker who wanted to rent out the KFC for his wedding reception for "dinner an' dancin'". But you're right, it's pretty rare.
September 21, 200618 yr I meant to write I didn't meet any OU students from the region who were poor, I definitely did meet a few dozen non-OU students who were. I also got the chance to meet a lot of people and attend events working as a photographer for the Post, I went to all kinds of events at other small towns in the county like Amesville and Coolville. The poverty in Athens County really seemed to be concentrated around Chauncey, Glouster, and Nelsonville.
September 22, 200618 yr From the 9/20/06 Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Negotiations expected to resume at Eramet By BRAD BAUER, Special to The News MARIETTA — Labor negotiations are expected to resume today between Eramet and nearly 300 union steelworkers who claim they have been locked out of the specialty alloy facility since Aug. 26. A meeting scheduled for Monday was postponed because a federal mediator was unable to attend. "I think both sides are ready and willing to talk, but we didn’t meet (on Monday) because of a scheduling conflict involving the mediator," said Ethan Frank-Collins, human resources manager at Eramet. ... http://newsandsentinel.com/articles.asp?articleID=8979
September 22, 200618 yr From the 9/21/06 Parkersburg News and Sentinel: Eramet work stoppage remains in place By KEVIN PIERSON, Special to The News MARIETTA — The work stoppage at Eramet remains in place after officials with the company and the United Steelworkers Local 00639 failed to reach an agreement during a roughly two-hour meeting Wednesday afternoon. The two sides remain far apart on reaching a resolution to the stoppage, said Ethan Frank-Collins, human resources manager at Eramet. “We met with the union and the situation basically remains the same. A large gap remains,” he said. ... http://newsandsentinel.com/articles.asp?articleID=9022
October 2, 200618 yr From the 9/29/06 Martins Ferry Times Leader: Ormet issues settled ORMET CORP. officials announced Thursday the United States Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of Ohio has approved a settlement between the United Steelworkers of America and Ormet, classified as the “reorganized debtor” in court documents. The agreement has the unanimous support of the USW and the company’s unsecured creditors, Ormet said in in press release. “This agreement resolves one of the last major issues remaining from the Ormet bankruptcy filing of 2004,” Jack Teitz, executive vice president and chief financial officer. ... http://timesleaderonline.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=3510
October 14, 200618 yr From the 10/9/06 Zanesville Times Recorder: Abandoned Newton Township mine to be reclaimed By GI SMITH Staff Writer NEWTON TOWNSHIP - Many eastern Ohio counties have been home to coal mining since the industry first took hold in the United States. Many of those Ohio mines are now defunct, lying empty and overgrown with brush, causing public health and safety issues to people who may knowingly or unknowingly come in contact with them. In 1977, to address these safety issues, the federal government enacted the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act, which established the Office of Surface Mining and the Abandoned Mine Land Program. For every ton of U.S. coal mined, coal companies pay a severance tax into a fund. At the time the legislation was passed, lawmakers didn't know the magnitude of the problems caused by abandoned mines. MORE: http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061009/NEWS01/610090302/1002/rss01
October 17, 200618 yr Something ventured, something gained Adena Ventures attracting investors for promising Appalachian companies Tuesday, October 17, 2006 Jim Phillips FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH ATHENS, Ohio — When Lynn Gellermann and David Wilhelm started Adena Ventures in April 2002, they said they could attract investors to capitalstarved central Appalachia, spur job growth and pay healthy returns. Four-and-a-half years and $55 million worth of investments later, Gellermann thinks the Athens-based venture capital firm has earned some bragging rights... http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/17/20061017-C1-00.html Link to List of Adena ventures: http://dispatch.com/business-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/17/20061017-C1-01.html
October 17, 200618 yr From the 10/10/06 Marietta Times: New talks coming in Eramet dispute From staff reports Labor negotiations are expected to resume this week between Eramet Marietta and nearly 300 United Steelworkers, who claim they’ve been locked out of the Ohio 7 plant since Aug. 26. The two sides have met twice since pickets went up at entrances to the plant between Marietta and Belpre. “We’re just about at the same place we were last week. The company still isn’t willing to make any changes to the contract,” said Jim Deem, president of USW Local 1-00639-01. ... http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new54_1010200684106.asp
October 23, 200618 yr Aluminum plant in southeast Ohio to reopen Bloomberg Monday, October 23, 2006 5:33 AM Ormet Corp., an aluminum producer that emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April, will restart production at the Hannibal smelter in Ohio after American Electric Power agreed to supply electricity. The facility has been shut down for nearly two years after Wheeling, W.Va.-based Ormet declared bankruptcy and union workers were locked out in a dispute over cuts in benefits. The labor dispute was resolved in July, and Ormet had been negotiating with AEP on a deal to provide the power needed to run the smelter. ... http://dispatch.com/business/business.php?story=221389
November 3, 200618 yr From the 11/1/06 Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register: Hundred Workers Called Back By MICHELLE BLUM HANNIBAL — Two of Ormet’s potlines could be operating by December as a result of an $16 million interim loan, company officials announced Tuesday. The firm has obtained the “bridge loan” from its majority shareholders, Matlin/Patterson and Mellon Bank, to accelerate the restart of the smelter at the Hannibal facility, according to a news release issued Tuesday afternoon. ... http://www.news-register.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=12283 From AP, 10/22/06: Manufacturing layoffs hit village WOODSFIELD, Ohio (AP) - The sign that used to greet workers at the aluminum plants that employed hundreds near this southeast Ohio village reads, "Looking forward to a new beginning." William Covert, who put in 27 years at the Ormet plant, has the same sentiment, although his new beginning probably will happen elsewhere. ... http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=314875
December 6, 200618 yr From the 11/14/06 Chillicothe Gazette: Truckin' into the future Kenworth's local plant to produce new model By LORI McNELLY Gazette City Editor Kenworth will be producing a new truck aimed at replacing the T600 line and it will call Chillicothe home. "We think that combined with a new interior we put in last summer, it's going to be one of the most popular trucks in the business," said Scott Blue, plant manager of Kenworth's Chillicothe facility... About the T660 * Engine sizes from 11-liter to 15-liter. * Accommodates up to 600 horsepower engines. * Front axles from 12,000- to 14,600-pound ratings. * Rear axles from 23,000-pound single to 46,000-pound tandems. * Set-back front axle provides optimum wheel cut and weight distribution. * 64-inch taperleaf springs for a smooth ride. * Sloped hood for better visibility. * Aerodynamic design for excellent fuel economy. http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061114/NEWS01/611140317/1002/rss01
December 6, 200618 yr From the 11/30/06 Chillicothe Gazette: PHOTO: Workers at the Kenworth plant drop in an engine for a new truck on the assembly line. The Chillicothe plant employs 1,700 people, making Kenworth a very important part of this area. Kevin Riddell/Gazette Layoffs uncertain Kenworth not confirming or denying rumors of letting workers go By JONA ISON Gazette Staff Writer Paccar Inc. wouldn't confirm or deny rumors there will be layoffs at the Chillicothe Kenworth plant after the first of the year. Monday, the company announced layoffs at the Kenworth plant in Renton, Wash., and the Peterbilt Truck Co. in Madison, Tenn. When questioned about the possibility of layoffs in Chillicothe, Paccar Treasurer Andy Wold said there had not been an announcement of layoffs... http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061130/NEWS01/611300302/1002/rss01
December 12, 200618 yr From (OU) Outlook, 11/17/06: State awards $3.5 million for Southeast Ohio business growth ATHENS, Ohio (Nov. 17, 2006) -- The state of Ohio has awarded $3.5 million to Ohio University's Voinovich Center for Leadership and Public Affairs and venture capital firm Adena Ventures to invest in new technology businesses in the 19 counties of Southeast Ohio. The funds will expand the partnership, which has become a national model for rural economic development. This initial award – which sets up a pre-seed fund and business assistance for digital technology companies - is part of a larger proposal submitted to the state that could attract more funding this spring. The Ohio Department of Development announced the award of funds from its Third Frontier Entrepreneurial Signature Program, which supports technology-based business growth throughout the state. The Voinovich Center, Adena Ventures and area investors will identify and support regional entrepreneurs who need professional expertise and funding to launch their businesses. The program is unique because it offers venture capital funding to smaller, higher risk ventures in the areas of digital interactive media and life sciences for the first time in Southeast Ohio. "Adena and the Voinovich Center have a five-year track record of assisting early-stage companies in Appalachian Ohio. This award represents an important milestone for furthering our work in this region," said Lynn Gellermann, a founding partner of Adena Ventures. Since 2002, Adena Ventures has invested $13 million in 10 companies and provided nearly $4 million of operational assistance to more than 60 companies. This activity has been significantly leveraged by co-investors and lenders, bringing a total of nearly $60 million and 750 jobs to central Appalachia. About half of this activity has occurred in Appalachian Ohio. The new funds from the Entrepreneurial Signature Program will provide a solid foundation for additional investments from the state and federal government, the private sector, foundations and other entities, said Mark Weinberg, director of the Voinovich Center. Funding to work with Ohio University's Edison Biotechnology Institute, Innovation Center and regional investors to develop angel funds and expand the operational assistance program for technology companies could be forthcoming this spring, he said. The partnership also allows Ohio University faculty and students on the Athens and regional campuses to share business and financial expertise with new entrepreneurs. "This program builds on the university's long history of working with public and private partners to improve the quality of life in Appalachian Ohio," said Roderick McDavis, president of Ohio University. Kentucky and West Virginia have similar investment programs that have lured some local companies out of state, said Mark Butterworth, the principal of the Columbus, Ohio-based Innovation Forward LLC who will provide consulting advice and assistance to the angel funds. "This will definitely help keep companies in Ohio," he said. Bill Dingus, executive director of the Lawrence Economic Development Corporation, agreed that the program will help Ohio retain homegrown entrepreneurial talent. "This Third Frontier grant is a great first step for Southeastern Ohio in catching up with our neighbors in Kentucky and many other states that value technology development as a foundation for the future. We have to build local capacity to create the necessary support network for the development and growth of technological ventures by entrepreneurs and small businesses," he said. The expanded program also may attract digital interactive media companies to Southeast Ohio, Butterworth said. In April, Adena Ventures recruited the Nebraska-based software company Game Plan Technologies, Inc., to Ohio University's Innovation Center to expand its presence in the eastern United States and create a strategic partnership with the university's Sports Administration Center. http://www.ohio.edu/outlook/06-07/November/182n-067.cfm
January 2, 200718 yr All from the 12/3/06 Dispatch: MAP: Ohio coal production GRAPHIC: Coal prices GRAPHIC: Why an old industry has growth potential GRAPHIC: Coal's impact PHOTO: Mountains of waste coal from abandoned mines dot the landscape across southeastern Ohio, allowing acid and other pollutants to drain into waterways. State Natural Resources employees Bill Jonard, left, and Terry Van Offeren stand atop one of these piles near Cannelville in Muskingum County. Coal's ghost Resurgence of mining raises concerns about lingering environmental damage Sunday, December 03, 2006 By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Every time you turn on a light, television or computer, you burn coal, and youre burning more of it daily. The average home requires 5 tons a year. To meet increasing demand, power companies want to build as many as 140 coalfired power plants nationwide. "It is good news for Ohio coal," said Chuck Zebula, senior vice president of fuel for Columbus-based American Electric Power. While the demand will bring back coal jobs, it also will increase environmental challenges. Power companies are spending billions to fit old plants with pollution-control devices, and they promise to create cleaner-burning plants to handle Ohio's sulfur-laced coal. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/03/20061203-A1-00.html PHOTO: Coal is separated according to quality above the Sterling South Mine near Salineville. Increased energy demand is pushing a resurgence for Ohio coal. PHOTO: This polluted tributary to Huff Run in Carroll County was cleaned during an abandoned-mine reclamation project. PHOTO: Scott Cunningham keeps the coal flowing in the Sterling South Mine in Jefferson County to keep up with demand. BACK IN BLACK A deep hole As mining rebounds, state worries about losing oversight Sunday, December 03, 2006 Stories by Spencer Hunt Photos by Mike Munden THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Among Ohio mining companies, Marietta Coal was a survivor. The family-owned business found ways to make money even as federal clean-air restrictions turned Ohios sulfur-laden coal into an environmental liability. But by 2003, state inspectors found that Marietta Coal had fallen behind on restoring thousands of acres it had scarred while digging coal from Ohio's hillsides. As the situation dragged into January 2005, state mining officials feared that the company would declare bankruptcy and stick them with millions of dollars in cleanup costs. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/03/20061203-G1-01.html A look at who's minding the mines Membersties to coal industry taint rulings, advocates contend Sunday, December 03, 2006 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Barnesville owes a lot to coal mining. "That's where our fathers and our grandfathers were employed," said Roger Deal, administrator of the village, founded in 1808 on a Belmont County hilltop. "If it wasn't for mining, we wouldn't have what we have today." But Deal and others say there is a difference between supporting an industry and living in it. Many residentsdesires not to live next door to strip mines put the town in front of a little-known government panel, the Ohio Reclamation Commission. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/03/20061203-G3-00.html
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/4/06 Dispatch: BACK IN BLACK Coal's dirty past Thousands of acres of Ohio remain polluted, dangerous Monday, December 04, 2006 THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH The damage is easy to find, generations old and difficult to erase. A Dispatch analysis of state data shows that Ohio has to repair more than 36,600 acres of minedamaged sites, about as much land as Pittsburgh occupies. And it has to clean up more than 1,000 miles of polluted streams. To put that in perspective, the Ohio River stretches 981 miles. "People have no idea that abandoned mines have caused so much devastation," said Ben McCament, watershed coordinator for the Raccoon Creek Partnership, a group working to clean the 112-mile stream, which runs through Vinton, Meigs and Gallia counties in southeastern Ohio. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/04/20061204-A7-02.html
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/5/06 Dispatch: BACK IN BLACK Mining for ANSWERS Advocates, state officials want to change laws, increase funding to clean abandoned mines Tuesday, December 05, 2006 THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH DEXTER CITY, Ohio — Trees and shrubs obscure much of the damage several stripmining companies caused the West Fork of Duck Creek. Although this 100-acre area along a ridgeline in Noble and Washington counties was mined in the 1950s and 1960s, water that leaks from old seams and waste coal still carries sulfuric acid and rust-colored iron to the stream. And while state and federal officials struggle to find money to repair abandoned mines in eastern and southeastern Ohio, some unlikely players are cleaning up problem areas. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/05/20061205-A1-00.html
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/7/06 Dispatch: Taxes sought for mine cleanup Bill raises what coal companies must pay Thursday, December 07, 2006 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio coal companies soon could pay higher taxes to repair land scarred by abandoned mines. A bill that passed an Ohio House committee yesterday would raise taxes that coal companies pay to clean up their mines if they go bankrupt. The bill would raise an additional $1.5 million each year to help clean land and water affected by these recently closed mines. The state faces a $3.8 million backlog of cleanup projects. The money raised by the bill would help offset diminishing receipts from other taxes. Coal-burning power plants in Ohio produce nearly 90 percent of the state’s electricity. The electricity used by the average Ohio household requires burning about 5 tons of coal a year. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/07/20061207-D1-04.html From the 12/7/06 Athens News: Coal co. hopes for go-ahead from court on Dysart mining By Jim Phillips Athens NEWS Senior Writer Thursday, December 7th, 2006 A coal company planning to open an underground mine beneath the old-growth forest Dysart Woods in Belmont County expects to hear from a state appellate court by the end of February on whether it can do so. An attorney for the Ohio Valley Coal Co. (OVCC) said Tuesday the firm is confident that the 7th District Court of Appeals will reject a legal challenge to the company's coal-mining permit, filed in June by the Columbus-based forest advocacy group, Buckeye Forest Council (BFC). "Basically, they (BFC) want to shut the mine down," said Mike Gardner, associate general counsel for the Belmont County-based coal company. "That's the ultimate objective, we believe." MORE: http://athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle§ion=news&story_id=26810
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/11/06 Dispatch: Strickland says he won’t cozy up to coal interests Companies must pay for cleanups, he says Monday, December 11, 2006 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio’s troubles with coal mines could become a big headache for the state’s next governor, Ted Strickland. When Strickland takes office next month, he might have to deal with a threatened federal takeover of Ohio’s coal programs. But the governor-elect says that if Ohio needs to raise more money to clean up bankrupt mines, he will present coal companies with the bill. "I think the coal operators should bear the burden," he said. An advocacy group says it will be watching to make sure he does, and it questions whether campaign donations from coal and power companies will affect Strickland’s coal policy. These industries donated more than $110,000 to Strickland’s 2006 campaign, says the watchdog group. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/11/20061211-A1-04.html
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/13/06 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: Gatling mining permit for ‘room and pillar' extraction By Beth Sergent Wednesday, December 13, 2006 5:32 PM EST RACINE - Ohio Department of Natural Resources Environmental Specialist Scott Stitlier confirmed a coal mining permit filed with his agency by Gatling Ohio Mining, LLC is for “room and pillar” underground coal mining in the Racine area on and around Yellowbush Road. Officials with Gatling were in Racine Monday along with Stitlier and representatives from the US Army Corps of Engineers investigating possible impacts, if any, the proposed mine may have on wetlands or streams. “Room and pillar” underground mining is described by the United Mine Workers of America as a method of extracting coal that involves “rooms” cut into the coal bed leaving a series of pillars, or columns of coal, to help support the mine roof and control the flow of air. Generally, rooms are 20 to 30 feet wide and the pillars up to 100 feet wide and as mining advances a grid-like pattern of rooms and pillars is formed. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2006/12/13/news/local_news/news03.txt
January 3, 200718 yr From the 12/20/06 Dispatch: Ohio mine-cleanup fund may grow Federal bill would grant state millions more Wednesday, December 20, 2006 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Ohio’s effort to erase decades of damage left by abandoned coal mines would get a boost from a federal bill that would more than double the state’s cleanup funds. A bill passed by Congress, which is expected to get President Bush’s approval, would increase the amount of annual coal taxes sent to Ohio from $7.5 million this year to more than $20 million by 2012, state and federal officials said yesterday. "That’s more than what we originally expected," said Terry Van Offeren, a manager in Ohio’s abandoned-mines program. The state relies almost entirely on federal money to clean up coal mines abandoned long before environmental protections were enacted in 1978. This month, the Dispatch series "Back in Black" highlighted environmental problems associated with Ohio coal mining. The three-day series showed that the scope of the problems dwarfs the money the state has to spend. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/20/20061220-E1-00.html
January 3, 200718 yr Strickland is going to promote landscape-destroying and atmosphere-destroying coal mining at a time when America should be eliminating the use of fossil fuels. Strickland's actions are stuck in the 20th century. Ohio only has 2000 coal mining jobs, not the tens of thousands that the mining industry would have you think. Just look at his campaign donations. That is all you need to know. An advocacy group says it will be watching to make sure he does, and it questions whether campaign donations from coal and power companies will affect Strickland’s coal policy. These industries donated more than $110,000 to Strickland’s 2006 campaign, says the watchdog group. "This looks like a weakness," said Catherine Turcer, of Ohio Citizen Action. "We’re holding his feet to the fire, so to speak." Strickland said that campaign donations won’t affect how he solves problems. "I get a little tired of people trying to make those kinds of projections," he said. "I try to make decisions based on common sense."
January 19, 200718 yr From the AP, 12/15/06: With power on, production soon to restart at long-dormant Ormet plant HANNIBAL (AP) - The first new batches of aluminum will be poured next week at Ormet Corp.'s southeast Ohio plant months after the end of a year-and-a-half strike that shuttered the site, a company spokeswoman said Thursday. The opening had been delayed while the company negotiated how much it would pay for power. One of the plant's production lines will begin making aluminum Tuesday, and employees will continue preparing the other five to restart, spokeswoman Linda Regelman said. ... http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061215/NEWS01/612150318/1002/rss01
February 21, 200718 yr From the 1/3/07 Chillicothe Gazette: Kenworth to lay off workers Company hopes staff reduction will be temporary, for long-term good RENTON, Wash. - A longtime rumor became reality Tuesday for workers at Chillicothe's Kenworth plant. Officials from Paccar Inc., the truck maker's parent company, confirmed the layoff of an unspecified number of employees... http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070103/NEWS01/701030311/1002/rss01
February 21, 200718 yr From the 2/13/07 Chillicothe Gazette: OU-C offers aid for those laid off at Kenworth By JONA ISON Gazette Staff Writer Cheri Hoffman tried to reassure more than 20 laid-off Kenworth employees Monday that they are on the verge of a good transition in their lives. "You're going to have emotions you're not going to expect. I'm not going to tell you not to feel bad ... but look at the opportunities you do have," she said... http://www.chillicothegazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070213/NEWS01/702130303/1002/rss01
March 12, 200718 yr From the 1/14/07 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: No coal mining within Racine corporation limits By Beth Sergent Sunday, January 14, 2007 5:02 PM EST RACINE - There will be no coal mined within the corporation limits of Racine, including the area which includes the village's well fields, this according to Racine Mayor J. Scott Hill. Hill's statement wasn't a demand but what he said was told to him by representatives associated with Gatling Ohio, LLC during a recent, informal meeting with Clerk-Treasurer Dave Spencer and Racine Council members also in attendance. Gatling Ohio, LLC has filed a mining permit with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) for an area just outside of Racine on Yellowbush Road. ODNR confirmed the permit is for a continuous room and pillar mining operation. The permit is for mining 1,894.9 acres of underground coal reserves while the surface operation is estimated to expand over 80.8 acres. Until now there'd been speculation and worry the mining permit area would include mining beneath the village's aquifer. Though the permit hasn't been made public officials in Racine are now resting a little easier after hearing the permit wouldn't include the well fields, especially since the village's new $2.3 million water improvement project is nearing completion. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2007/01/14/news/local_news/news00.txt
March 12, 200718 yr From the 2/28/07 Dispatch: CONCERNS FOR TOURISM Hocking Hills neighbors fight growth of strip mine Wednesday, February 28, 2007 By Mary Beth Lane THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH ENTERPRISE, Ohio — A 4-acre hole in the ground is one thing. A 186-acre hole, plunked into the ground along the Hocking River, is something else. The proposed expansion of a sand-and-gravel strip mine in Hocking County has outraged some residents in the area, about 40 miles southeast of Columbus. It would be a giant expansion, if approved. Mar-Zane Materials operates a 4-acre mine at Chieftain Drive and Iles Road. Now the company, a subsidiary of Shelly & Sands of Zanesville, is asking permission to expand by 182 acres. The company’s application, proposing both wet and dry mining, is pending before the Division of Mineral Resources Management of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/02/28/20070228-E1-05.html
March 15, 200718 yr From the 3/13/07 Carrollton Free Press Standard: Commissioners pledge to keep an open mind regarding proposed deep mining By Carol McIntire Editor March 13, 2007 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials outlined potential risks to the village of Carrollton's water supply as it relates to proposed deep mining of coal in the area for Carroll County Commissioners last week. Cathy Metropulus who is with the EPA's Division of Drinking Water, outlined the two phases in the Drinking Water Source Protection Program, which aims to prevent future contamination of water supplies of more than 25 people. She said the EPA identifies possible contaminents to the water supply and the village or municipality should then take action and develop a protection plan. Specifically, she looked at the nine water wells owned by the village and identified possible sources of contamination in the future as well as how susceptible the wells would be to contamination. Her presentation showed the one and five-year travel zones for water and identified the area around the wells the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has identified as unsuitable for mining. MORE: http://www.freepressstandard.com/News/news04_031507.htm
April 7, 200718 yr From the 4/6/07 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: ODNR schedules meeting on coal mine By Beth Sergent Friday, April 6, 2007 5:34 PM EDT RACINE - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has scheduled an informational meeting for the public to discuss the coal mine proposed by Gatling Ohio, LLC centrally located on Yellowbush Road. The meeting will be from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday, April 12 at Southern Elementary School. According to Scott Stiteler, environmental specialist with ODNR, his agency is not required to hold this informational meeting but is doing so to educate the public on what is happening at the mine site and ODNR's role in the permit process. Stiteler added there will be a basic question and answer period for the public at the meeting. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2007/04/06/news/local_news/news00.txt
April 16, 200718 yr From the 4/15/07 Gallipolis Daily Tribune: Gatling Ohio responds to rumors about mine By Beth Sergent Sunday, April 15, 2007 5:25 PM EDT RACINE - Nearly a year after announcing plans to develop a coal mining operation along Yellowbush Road and all the rumors that came with it, representatives of Gatling Ohio LLC are speaking. Ed Griffith with Gatling's Broad Run Mine in New Haven, W.Va., and Tim Myers, engineer with The Cline Group which owns Gatling, recently attempted to dispel some of the rumors about the Yellowbush Road operation. “We are not doing longwall mining and we are not mining under the village's water supply,” Griffith said unequivocally. Also not true, according to Griffith and Myers: the Yellowbush Mine is not owned by American Electric Power (AEP) and the seam they are mining, the Pittsburgh 8A, is a totally different seam than the Meigs 31 seam. MORE: http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2007/04/15/news/local_news/news00.txt
April 23, 200718 yr From the 4/22/07 Steubenville Herald Star: * PHOTO: MINERS IN SOLIDARITY – Several dozen miners and retired miners attended the services honoring 15 miners who were killed in a mine explosion in 1910, holding flags representing the fallen miners’ homelands, including Italy, England, Scotland, Austria and Poland. Of the slain, 12 were buried in a mass grave in Amsterdam Cemetery, unmarked until the unveiling of a new monument Saturday. Summer-Wallace-Minger Amsterdam honors miners Unveils marker, bench in memory of 15 killed in 1910 By SUMMER WALLACE-MINGER, Staff writer AMSTERDAM — A crowd of approximately 150 people stood with heads bowed Saturday as church bells tolled and the flags of Austria, Poland, Italy, England and Scotland blew in a gentle spring breeze while Sandy Day, Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County historian, read the names of 15 men who went into Amsterdam’s Y & O No. 1 mine 97 years before and never came back out again alive. The solemn service in Amsterdam Cemetery honored those men, who were killed in a mine gas explosion on April 21, 1910. It was the worst mining disaster of its time. Of the 15 men who were killed, 12 were buried in a mass grave, which was unmarked until Saturday’s ceremony. MORE: http://www.heraldstaronline.com/articles.asp?articleID=13000
April 27, 200718 yr From the 4/26/07 Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register: Former Mill Site May Be Sold By CASEY JUNKINS HANNIBAL — Ormet Corp. is negotiating a deal to sell its closed rolling mill in Hannibal. “Right now, we are in negotiations with a potential buyer who has looked at the facility,” said Ken Campbell, chief executive officer of Ormet. “Although we are not sure of anything yet, the potential buyer seems very interested in the plant.” ... http://www.news-register.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=18933
April 30, 200718 yr From the 4/29/07 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: * PHOTO: The “high wall” at Gatling's Broad Run Mine has been “concreted” for safety and stability. Miners enter the hillside here and have so far made it 340 feet underground on a slope. The same procedure will likely take place at the proposed operation on Yellowbush Road if the mining permit is approved. Beth Sergent/photos Broad Run Mine reflects plans for Racine operation By Beth Sergent Sunday, April 29, 2007 5:25 PM EDT NEW HAVEN, W.Va. - For now, picturing a coal mine operation along Yellowbush Road may be difficult unless you visit the Gatling Broad Run Mine in New Haven. According to engineers employed with Gatling Ohio, the Broad Run Mine is a reflection of what the company wishes to implement in Meigs County. “This is as good as it gets in the mining industry,” Ed Griffith, representative of Broad Run Mine, said during a tour of the facility. Entering the operation, visitors first see the bath house and mine offices where employees are going to and from on new man buses which transport the workers to the actual coal mine. Above the main entrance to the coal mine the hillside or “high wall” has been “concreted” for safety according to Griffith. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2007/04/29/news/local_news/news02.txt
May 9, 200718 yr A press release from ODNR, 5/9/07: ODNR TO HOLD MEETING IN ATHENS TO DISCUSS ABANDONED MINE PROJECTS IN SOUTHEASTERN OHIO COLUMBUS, OH - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) will hold a public meeting in Athens on Wednesday, May 16th to discuss proposed abandoned mine projects being considered in four southeastern Ohio counties. The meeting is set for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the conference room of the ODNR district office at 360 E. State Street. Staff members from the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management will be on hand to discuss environmental and public health and safety issues associated with Ohio mines that were abandoned prior to August 3, 1977, when legislation addressing the problem went into effect. They will discuss the policies and procedures of Ohio’s Abandoned Mine Land (AML) Program and present a list of proposed projects for Belmont, Gallia, Hocking and Perry counties. Meeting attendees are encouraged to present details of their own abandoned mine problems in these counties, as well as Athens, Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Licking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Vinton and Washington counties, and to check on eligibility for funding. In May, ODNR will apply for approximately $4.36 million in federal grant money from the U.S. Department of the Interior to fund abandoned mine clean-ups during the next year throughout the northeastern and southeastern Ohio coal mining region. Part of that money is earmarked for five non-emergency projects in southeastern Ohio. ODNR proposes to spend about $1,190,000 on construction for these projects. Also included in the $4.36 million grant is $759,000 to improve streams impacted by acid mine drainage, including four sites within the Monday Creek drainage basin in Perry County, and $1.8 million to address emergency abandoned mine land problems in the coal region. Projects proposed for the southeastern Ohio mining district will accomplish the following: * Eliminate one dangerous water impoundment * Backfill 1400 lineal feet of dangerous highwall * Stabilize three mine-related landslides * Backfill several subsidence features * Install or upgrade three mine drainage diversion systems * Improve the water quality of Sunday Creek * Eliminate mine drainage on two residential streets in Murray City http://ohiodnr.com/news/may07/0508aml_meeting.htm
May 14, 200718 yr From the 5/14/07 Martins Ferry Times Leader: Wilson hopeful for future of coal By JASON BRUN, Times Leader Staff Writer HOPEDALE — According to Ohio Sen. Jason Wilson (D-30th District), a bright future for Eastern Ohio could be lit by the dark coal beneath our feet. Wilson spoke Saturday evening at the Harrison Coal and Reclamation Historical Park Inc. (HCRHP) 13th annual dinner and auction held at the Hopedale Social Hall. The senator explained the local coal industry was once part of what he considers the “carburetor of the economic engine that ran this country.” He talked about future plans that are in the works to develop an 800-acre coal liquefaction plant in Wellsville. MORE: http://timesleaderonline.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=7452
May 15, 200718 yr From the 5/15/07 Marietta Times: Who’s minding the mines? By Brad Bauer, [email protected] If you leave the sprinkler running too long in your yard, you’re running a chance of flooding Duck Creek, according to lifelong Macksburg resident Dorothy Stack. Although the problem may be a bit exaggerated, state officials say the stream is more prone to spilling over its banks because it is filling up with sediments from abandoned coal mines. Over the past several decades, thousands of acres of mined land were abandoned and left for the state to clean up. The mines are creating acid runoff and sediment problems in more than 1,300 miles of area streams, including most of the Duck Creek Watershed, which drains into the Ohio River at Marietta. MORE: http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new76_515200783051.asp
May 23, 200718 yr From the 5/22/07 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: ODNR schedules conference on mine By Beth Sergent Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:36 PM EDT RACINE - The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has scheduled an informal conference for the public concerning the coal mine proposed by Gatling Ohio, LLC on Yellowbush Road. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Wednesday, June 13 at the Racine Municipal Building. ODNR Environmental Specialist Scott Stitlier previously said his office is not required to hold a public hearing but by statute his office is required to hold an informal conference if it receives only one request to do so, which it did. The statute does not call this informal conference a public hearing but at the informal conference the public is invited, the meeting is tape recorded and residents are permitted to voice their concerns over the proposed mining operation and ODNR's role in the permit process. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2007/05/22/news/local_news/news03.txt
June 19, 200717 yr From the 6/18/07 Athens News: Meigs County debates pros, cons of proposed coal mine By Nick Claussen Athens NEWS Associate Editor Monday, June 18th, 2007 A new coal mine may be coming to Meigs County soon, and could be a sign of things to come. But while the mine proposal is going through the approval process, county residents are debating whether new coal mines would be good or bad for the county. Perry Varnado, development director for the Meigs County Economic Development Office, said Friday that it has been six years since any coal mines were operating in Meigs County. Athens County currently has one mine open in Glouster. MORE: http://athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle§ion=news&story_id=28577
June 21, 200717 yr From the 6/19/07 Pomeroy Daily Sentinel: ODOT considering impacts of coal mine on Ohio 124 By Beth Sergent Tuesday, June 19, 2007 5:15 PM EDT RACINE - The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) is considering comments from the public concerning possible impacts to Ohio 124 in regards to Gatling Ohio's proposed coal mining operation and Meigs Point Dock's proposed conveyor beltline in the Racine area. Meigs Point Dock and Gatling Ohio have requested a public road consent from ODOT for the installation of a conveyor beltline and to conduct surface mining operations outside the right-of-way line but no closer than 20 feet of the traveled portion of Ohio 124, respectively. ODOT is specifically considering how the conveyor beltline and surface mining operations will affect the roadway. MORE: http://www.mydailysentinel.com/articles/2007/06/19/news/local_news/news01.txt
July 10, 200717 yr From the 7/8/07 Gallipolis Daily Tribune: Antidegradation application filed with OEPA by Gatling By Beth Sergent Sunday, July 8, 2007 5:23 PM EDT RACINE - Gatling Ohio of Beckley, W.Va. has filed an application for an ‘antidegradation project' with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) for operations related to its proposed coal mine on Yellowbush Road. According to the OEPA, antidegradation “refers to provisions that must be followed before authorizing any increased activity on a water body that may result in a lowering of water quality including an increase in the discharge of a regulated pollutant, or activities that may significantly alter the physical habitat.” The antidegradation rule is required by the Clean Water Act and federal regulations. The antidegradation rule must protect the existing use of the water body, and only allow a lowering of water quality when it is necessary to support what the EPA calls “important social and economic development.” MORE: http://www.mydailytribune.com/articles/2007/07/08/news/local_news/news00.txt
July 11, 200717 yr From the 7/10/07 Martins Ferry Times Leader: Ormet rolling mill acquired by New York firm By CASEY JUNKINS, For The Time Leader HANNIBAL — A community hurt by the closure of the of the Ormet Rolling Mill in 2005 now has something to look forward to, as at least 20-30 jobs with “very competitive” wages are on the way to Monroe County. Hannibal Real Estate LLC — a steel plate storage and distribution company formerly based in White Planes, N.Y. — has acquired the rolling mill facility from Ormet Corp., according to Hannibal Real Estate Vice President Bob Schaal. “We will be moving our entire operation into the Hannibal facility and are very excited about this opportunity,” he said. ... http://timesleaderonline.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=8333
July 12, 200717 yr From the 7/11/07 Marietta Times: Real estate company buys former Ormet rolling mill facility By Evan Bevins, [email protected] A new company has purchased Ormet’s former Hannibal rolling mill facility and property and plans to hire about 30 people for a steel plate storage and distribution operation there. Hannibal Real Estate LLC was formed specifically to purchase the plant, said Bob Schaal, one of the company’s owners. The portion of the facility and property not used in the steel operation likely will be leased to other companies, he said. ... http://www.mariettatimes.com/news/story/new77_7112007101402.asp
July 16, 200717 yr From the 7/15/07 Canton Repository: Mining near wells a concern in Carrollton BY ROBERT WANG REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER A Pennsylvania company may mine coal near the village of Carrollton's water supply, but village and state officials aren't embracing the idea. "Our concern is how close this mine is going to be to the water wells," said village councilman Roy Toalston. "We're afraid that it'll contaminate our wells." All three Carroll County commissioners voted last week to solicit bids for coal-mining rights on two county properties: The Golden H Retreat, commonly called the county home, and the land around the closed Carroll County landfill. The county home - a nursing home on a 200-acre farm near the village's wells - is on Kensington Road, near the intersection of Route 171 and Route 9. The 28-acre landfill is on 300 acres of county land off Chase Road, near Route 39. MORE: http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?Category=9&ID=365035&r=11&subCategoryID=
April 6, 200817 yr Parkersburg-area residents record high levels of C8, a DuPont chemical, in blood By Ken Ward Jr., Charleston Gazette, April 5, 2008 Tens of thousands of Mid-Ohio Valley residents have elevated levels of the toxic chemical C8 in their blood, a landmark new health study has confirmed. Residents of communities around DuPont Co.'s Parkersburg plant have more than five times more C8 in their blood than the average American, according to the first official study data, made public this week... The C8 blood data results are available online at www.hsc.wvu.edu/som/cmed/c8/results/C8AndPFCLevels/index.asp.
September 2, 200816 yr Old coal mines are risk to homes in eastern Ohio Tuesday, September 2, 2008 By Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH MINERAL RIDGE, Ohio -- When Al Parker was a child in the late 1920s, he carted coal from his family's mine with the help of a pony. "When we closed the mine, I got to keep the pony," said Parker, 89, a retiree who used to work at a nearby auto-parts factory. Across eastern Ohio over the years, abandoned mines have caused problems ranging from roadside sinkholes to collapsed house foundations. Subsidence has drawn state crews to Parker's small Trumbull County neighborhood in Mineral Ridge four times since 1997 to drop tons of rock and concrete into the ground to fill dangerous voids and shore up shaky spots. Last week, Parker and others watched as a crew from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources drilled a series of holes in Edwards Street, in front of his neighbors' homes. The goal is to locate shafts from old coal mines and measure the risk they pose of cave-ins. The process is simple: If the drill suddenly drops a few feet, the crew has found a mine shaft. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/09/02/ohcoal.ART_ART_09-02-08_B1_GLB70C0.html?sid=101
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