Likelihood of a Shortage?

 
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e.alleg
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Post by e.alleg » Tue. Jul. 15, 2008 12:48 am

Back to the original concern, I'd try to have some extra coal stockpiled first then and then buy it as needed. Be prepared, the coal won't go bad. You don't want to freeze or have to burn oil.

 
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coal berner
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Post by coal berner » Tue. Jul. 15, 2008 2:46 am

Yanche wrote:I was at Superior on Friday, 7/11/08, and bought 4 tons of pea loaded from the stockpile. The breaker was back in operation after being out of operation a few weeks for structural repair. Some of the original many decades old wooden beams needed replacement. They were making all sizes of coal and I watched them dump several loads that had just been removed from the breaker. Compared to last summer at this time the size of their stock piles seemed smaller. This is to be expected when the breaker was out of operation for a few weeks. I talked briefly to one of the owners, he said what limits them in coal production is getting mined coal. Superior will make smaller sizes of coal from larger sizes only when it makes economic sense for them to do so. In past years they did it when there was no market for the larger sizes. They have to rent a crusher to do it.

You have to understand that small operations like Superior are family operations with blood and by marriage relatives being an essential part of the operation. One of Superior's raw coal sources has some mine regulation enforcement actions pending. It's uncertain what the decision will be or what any effect if any it will have on Superiors ability to provide coal. It seems to me, and this is my opinion only, having spent the money to repair the breaker they will keep it in operation and continue to sell processed coal.

The plight of the independent underground coal miners is an interesting one. Many of the small underground coal miners have operations not much different from what they were a century ago. The owners and workers have coal in their blood, so to speak. It's more like a culture and way of life. They are a proud hard working group of people and resist being told how to do things especially by outsiders. At one time there were separate federal regulations for Bituminous and Anthracite coal mining safety. It's been combined into one regulation and enforcement bureaucracy. As you can expect a proud group of hard working owners and miners don't take kindly to being told differently. Ever time there is a mine accident and especially a death, the inspectors increase the inspection and enforcement. What might have been unimportant in the past and in the miners eyes still is unimportant suddenly becomes a big issue. Tempers flare, enforcement action occurs and no one wins. You can see the pattern occurring time after time. Some see conspiracy theories in the actions to close down the small operations. Who knows.

If you look at the production data of mines and coal processors they little guys hardly matter. Anthracite coal will continue to be available but you will be buying it from a coal broker not a family run business. More surface mining is also likely because it's arguably safer. In any event, as Richard our leader has pointed out several times, coal will always be cheaper because it has to be. No one would put up with the extra work of coal handling and ashes if it's costs as much as oil, gas or electric heat.
Don't forget The owner's of Superior coal breaker Also are the owner's of the Mines that feed that breaker and if MHSA
or Dep shuts down the Mines then the breaker will be shut down aswell No coal No breaker They have 3 mines now that feeds the breaker They had four that one is was shut down in 2006 you can't even tell there was a mine there evrything is gone and the hole was blown shut and filled in that was 2400 ft deep Pine creek Breaker is down the Road from Superior
closed sitting doing Nothing because they could not buy or get enough coal to keep it Running If the mines go so will the breaker's And you are Talking about small Mines well 9 out of the 10 deep mines left in the state are small mines The

biggest being UAE 46 Employees The rest have 2 to 9 Employees witch are all Family members or life long friends for the most Part if the deep mines go out Don't Think the Surface mining companies will be safe Remember The land that they mine is County land They lease it from The County witch they Operate in and if the Feds Put enough Pressure on the
State The state will put the Pressure on the County and they can and will Pull the lease's The Feds and State control the Mining and Yes the County does get Money from all of The Mining companies I know here in Schuylkill County it comes out to be 18.00 Bucks for every ton of coal they Pull out of the ground If the Feds or the State won't to take control of the coal & Tax the hell out of it like they do with the Oil or NG It won't be good for anyone that Heats ther house with it

 
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stovepipemike
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Post by stovepipemike » Mon. Jul. 21, 2008 8:15 am

From time to time ,I keep reading about this item they [presidential wanna be's] are referring to as a "carbon tax" as a way to level the playing field for us folks that don't want to shiver much anymore.They are so very helpful when it comes to my best interests and well being. If that sad day ever comes around here as it did for England,we will be paying a fat tax on terrible, evil, destructive coal and electric heat might look like the only way to go.Can't ever tell anymore! You wanna stockpile how much ????


 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Mon. Jul. 21, 2008 8:32 am

I don't exactly how the carbon tax is supposed to be applied, if its applied to every ton then yes we will be paying for it. I don't know if that is the case. However since half the electricity generated in the U.S. comes from coal and that is expected to increase we will all be paying for it one way or another.

 
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e.alleg
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Post by e.alleg » Mon. Jul. 21, 2008 11:00 pm

I remember when R-12 freon was being phased out of the cars. Everyone I knew that had any sense stockpiled 1000's of pounds of the stuff when it was $1 a pound and starting to go up. Well once it hit $30 a pound they started taxing the stockpiles.

 
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Post by billw » Tue. Jul. 22, 2008 1:24 pm

I think the 'carbon tax' is meant for commercial emissions. That's what the cap and trade stuff is about. The govt' sets a maximum (cap) amount an industry is allowed to emit. If they go over the amount they are taxed. If they are under that amount they are allowed to sell the difference between actual emission and their cap to an entity that is over their allotment. Leave it to the govt to figure out how to make money on pollution.

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