Mining Through Time

Coal mining has been a major part of the West Virginia economy for centuries and has been the cause of many problems and successes in the state. Throughout this time, the way coal has been mined has changed which is one of the main reasons for these problems and successes. One of the big booms of coal mining was in the mid 20th century due to World War II because of the need for increased energy to support the war effort. The regulations for mining coal during this time was drastically different compared to modern times due to changes in coal mining policy. This has had harmful socioeconomic effects on the state of West Virginia being a cause for the state’s economic decline and leading to massive unemployment. I am going to look into how coal mining policy has had an effect on the West Virginia economy and why it has declined in modern times compared to the mid 20th century.

Coal mining in West Virginia in the mid 20th century was one of the main parts of the economy. It was one of the go-to jobs for many because coal mining was more than a job but part of the culture of the area. In 1950, there were more than 125,000 coal miners in West Virginia compared to 12,000 today (Haught). It was normal for coal miners to take a lineage in families as generation after generation worked in the coal mines. This led to a large amount of coal miners in the field. These miners were equipped with less technology than today and at the height of World War II, these jobs were in need. The way coal was mined was also an important influence in the amount of jobs that were available during this time period. In the mid 20th century, coal mining policy was much more lenient compared to modern times. Coal mining safety was not much of a concern until the Coal Act in 1969. This legislation was the first to take health standards of mines into consideration (US Dept. of Labor). This lenient policy in the mid 20th century allowed coal companies to have more freedom in where they mined, how they mined, and how they treated their employees.

In modern times, coal has not been as much of a valuable resource as more popular resources, such as oil, have taken precedent. This requires a decreased need for the supply of coal. To put this into perspective, in 2016, oil consumption in the United States reached 12,175.29 terawatts per hour compared to coal which only reached 4,660.36 terawatts per hour (Ritchie and Roser). With the decreased need for coal and the effects coal mining has on the environment, the lengths people will go to gather coal has decreased leaving fewer jobs and more regulations for mining coal. One such policy is the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act which requires the land to be restored for use after a mine has been depleted. This means fewer mines are being opened which creates less jobs (Skousen et al.). These stricter policies have had a negative socioeconomic effect on the state of West Virginia. It has been found that many mining driven counties in West Virginia have higher poverty and unemployment rates compared to nonmining driven counties using a fixed effects model (Perdue et al.).

Compared to the mid 20th century when coal mining was at its peak, coal mining today does not hold nearly as much importance. Increased governmental involvement and new forms of energy have led to a decreased reliance on coal which has had a negative impact on coal mining counties in West Virginia. Because of this, poverty levels in these counties have increased since the turn of the century which has affected the economy of the state as a whole.

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