Eastern Ky needs federal aid to help now and build healthier communities for the future

Coal production in Kentucky has dropped by 40.4 percent in the second quarter of the year since COVID-19 took hold. Over 300 coal jobs in Eastern Kentucky were lost. These losses follow what has already been a tremendously hard year for coal miners and their families as coal company after coal company have filed bankruptcy. In one year, coal production in Eastern Kentucky has dropped by more than half and over one-third of coal jobs have been lost.

As illustrated by the last quarter’s decline, our communities have escaped neither the economic havoc of the COVID-19 crisis nor the virus itself. Though at first a distant threat, many community members still became cautious. Our friends and family with black lung disease cannot afford to take any risks. These miners already battle for breath and COVID-19 could be a death sentence. Troy Gullett, a retired miner who had black lung disease was the first individual to pass away from COVID-19 in Martin County.

Cases of COVID-19 are now increasing in Eastern Kentucky, but our counties lack the infrastructure that is needed to prevent and respond to this crisis. Most of the region is either unserved or underserved in terms of broadband access which limits the possibility of online learning and remote working. There is also limited access to health care. In Letcher County, there are only six ICU beds. In neighboring Knott County, there are none. In April, storms knocked out power for thousands of households. Loss of power — not uncommon in the mountains — further exacerbated the economic and health challenges of the pandemic.

Leaders are faced with impossible choices. Reopening schools and the economy will make more people sick, stress the healthcare system, and result in more lives lost. The aid provided to individuals, businesses, and governments through the CARES Act has either ended or is dwindling. Last week, Governor Beshear announced that $4 million in CARES Act funding would be sent to governments in Eastern Kentucky, but to reimburse them for past expenses. The CARES Act is not enough. Local governments and families need more aid now. The epidemic in Eastern Kentucky is getting worse, not better.

We also need Congress to pass policy that will invest in economic recovery to create community resilience to future health and economic threats. The coal industry has rapidly declined over the last decade and with COVID-19, we may be witnessing its final collapse in Eastern Kentucky. Even if the industry recovers to pre-pandemic production and employment levels, it will not be enough to sustain families and communities.

For years, Kentuckians have advocated for federal investment to diversify and rebuild the economy and address the legacy costs of coal mining. We’ve advocated for investment to clean up abandoned mine lands and revitalize public water infrastructure — investment that can create immediate jobs in spite of an economic recession. This pandemic has also made clear that investment in broadband is critical and that expanded unemployment benefits have value. We wonder what $600 a week in jobless benefits could have meant to the thousands of coal miners affected by coal company lay-offs and bankruptcies. Increased unemployment helps families meet their basic needs and benefits the economy.

We are one among many calling for investment in coal communities. Recently, these issues and more have been lifted up in the National Economic Transition and Reimagine Appalachia platforms and through a letter written to congressional leadership and signed by over 100 organizations. Colorado recently completed a draft plan to support coal industry workers and communities - isn’t it time for Kentucky to write ours?

We need federal aid today to keep our communities safe, to meet basic needs, and to keep our government budgets afloat, but we also need Congressional action to build healthier communities and more resilient economies tomorrow.

Rebecca Shelton is the Coordinator of Policy and Organizing for Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center in Whitesburg.

This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 2:24 PM.