PART ONE
Economic engine or ecological enemy in Dickenson County?
The mining company owns 38 percent of the land in the county and the minerals.
Chip mill links the past to the future
A wood processing plant capable of grinding 250,000 tons of chips a year lets Pittston Coal take advantage of its vast timber holdings.
PART TWO
New battles emerge for Pittston
In a century, the coal company created jobs that fed and clothed families, and provided houses food, medical care and other necessities for residents. It donated land for economic development. It won awards for strip-mining reclamation. It also polluted the earth and water and violated safety rules and labor laws.
Environmental record assailed
Since 1990, Virginia's m ining regulators have cited Pittston and its subsidiaries for 862 violations of environmental laws.
THE LATEST
Pittston will sell its coal business
Southwest Virginia's largest coal producer has decided to focus on its more profitable ventures, such as Brinks armored cars.
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Twice a day, strip miners plant dynamite and "shoot the rock," blasting layers of dirt and rock and then skinning away the seams of coal.
Photo by Natalee Waters
©1999, The Roanoke Times |
