2010 State of the Commonwealth: Support for coal gets big applause

Thursday, January 7, 2010 10:50 am

Governor Beshear's State of the Commonwealth address last night reiterated his support for the coal industry. His remarks on coal brought big cheers from legislators in attendance.

Though the Governor said that coal can be mined in an environmentally safe way, the emphasis was not on the environment, but on the impact of the US industry and homeland security.

The Governor said "I will also continue to vigorously support the production of Kentucky coal to fuel this nation’s industrial might. Coal is critical to the security of our country, and it can be mined and will be mined in Kentucky in an environmentally acceptable and safe manner.