Montana coal. (1976)

[Music] [Applause] Overdramatized? Possibly. Never happen? Hopefully. Scared tactics? Yes, it is scary to think of brownouts or blackouts. Whether we believe it or not, no matter who is to blame, the ever-present fact is we have an energy problem and it could get worse. But, who are we to believe? No one seems to agree about [Music] Montana coal. Recently, the United States collided head-on with a shortage of energy in all its forms. This year alone, we will use 400 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. 90% of this will be generated by oil, natural gas, and coal. Let's examine these energy sources. We are reminded of the oil situation each time we fill the tank with gasoline. Demand exceeding the supply. [Music] The sources of our future natural gas supplies are uncertain. Montana relies very heavily upon Canadian natural gas. Canada has notified us that they will soon stop natural gas shipments to us. Recent developments may alter the oil or gas situation. But, if history has taught us one thing, it is not to rely on foreign governments for our energy needs. The one energy source we have in abundant supply is coal. The energy contained in US coal is more than twice that contained in all the oil of the Middle East. During the next decade, we will experience shortages of every traditional fuel except coal. But, only if the coal is mined. We are faced with buying energy time, time to develop alternate forms of energy like geothermal, solar, and fusion power. Energy conservation and coal development are the only methods ready today to help stretch our critical supplies of oil and natural gas. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology estimates the total coal reserves of Eastern Montana at over 450 billion tons. Of these reserves, about 43 billion tons are surface minable. This figure may be as high as 50 to 60 billion tons. To put 43 billion tons in perspective, a coal shovel such as this one, averaging three scoops per minute, working continually day and night year round, would take over 2,000 years just to load Montana's surface minable coal. Total coal reserves blanket Eastern Montana. Lignite coal found in these areas has many future possibilities. However, 95% of the coal being mined in Montana today is subbituminous, which is found in these areas. However, these are total reserves. The subbituminous coal, which is not too deep to be surface mined, only covers this area. If we were to combine all areas which will have been mined by the year 2000, this illustrates the acreage which will probably be mined by that time. After 77 years of coal mining, 917 million tons of energy-producing coal from this small amount of land. All but this, which is still being mined, will have already been reclaimed. Western Energy's mining operations are centered around Colstrip. Coal processed here goes to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, the Montana Power Steam Generating Plant in Billings, and to the Mine Mouth Steam Generating Units in Colstrip. Western Energy alone employs 263 people for its mining operation. [Music] Peabody Coal Company's Big Sky Mine operates near the Red Hills south of Colstrip. This coal is shipped to the Minnesota Power and Light Company. [Music] Peabody employs 65 people. Westmoreland Resources has a mine located at Sarpy Creek. [Music] Tons of this badly needed fuel is going to Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois. Employees here total 119. [Music] Decker Coal Company operates one of the largest coal mines in the world in terms of tons produced. Decker coal goes to Chicago and Detroit. [Music] Decker employees number 280. [Music] Mining equipment and techniques vary from mine to mine. However, these basic steps in surface mining are standard. First, permits to explore are obtained and an area is studied. If minable, a detailed environmental impact study is made, projecting 20 or 30 years into the future. If approved, mining permits are issued on an annual basis. The first step of the mining operation is to remove and stockpile pile the topsoil, which is saved for the reclamation stage. Explosives are used to loosen the overburden, making it easier for the draglines to move it. Once the coal is exposed, it is also shot with explosives, then loaded onto haul trucks, which carry it to the preparation plants. There, the coal is crushed, then stored or immediately loaded onto waiting trains. An entire 10,000-ton shipment can be flood loaded in 2 to 3 hours. Once the coal is removed, the overburden is replaced. [Music] The land is contoured, the topsoil replaced, then seeded. [Music] Finally, after only a matter of months, the land is returned to equal or higher grass production than ever before. Many critics charged that the land would be rendered useless after mining. But, as you can see, the charge wasn't true. Nearby farming hasn't been disturbed, either. [Music] And you can't farm any closer to mining than this. [Applause] After observing a surface mining operation, it becomes clear why surface mining is the safest and most efficient method of getting the coal out. Draglines are used to remove the overburden, which are the layers of rock and other materials overlaying the coal. They can lift up to 110 tons of material per bite and move it a city block away. [Music] These impressive machines range in weight from 4 to 7 million pounds and cost more than $2 per pound. They require only one operator and one oiler and are powered by the electricity they help produce. This requires one very long extension cord. Assembly of one of these giants takes a crew of 40 a full year. Use of large efficient equipment keeps the production price of the coal down. Continuing operations around the clock results in a double benefit. It keeps a constant supply of coal available while creating more jobs. Most of the jobs created by mining Montana coal have been filled locally. Jobs for local people. Jobs in a time of high unemployment. Jobs for Montanans who are trying to stay in Montana. Well over 2,000 permanent jobs have been directly or indirectly created by coal mining. More jobs can become available if new mines open. [Music] These people are taxpayers, not tax dependents. Their salaries are a financial shot in the arm to the entire area as well as to the state. The full-time employees as well as the temporary workers are mostly young professionals. They have to be in order to handle these highly technical jobs. The Appalachia image simply doesn't apply here. Colstrip is becoming a model community helping to provide a new lifestyle for miners and their families. Life here might even be a cut above the average. At least the little people seem to like it. A pet show in the park is fun for everyone. Well, after a few rough spots get smoothed out. [Music] All contestants win something though even if it's just a ride home. Montana's coal mines can be proud of the notable achievements made in reclamation. Much of the land adjacent to mining areas shows the effects of overgrazing. When rangeland becomes overgrazed, cactus and other undesirable species invade. Mining offers a fresh start for these areas. A chance to be improved from this to this. The top half of this scene is native range producing 813 pounds of vegetation per acre including the sagebrush. The bottom half has been reclaimed and now produces 3,905 pounds of vegetation per acre all edible. Since there doesn't seem to be a shortage of sagebrush in Montana, but there is always a need for grain land, this seems like a good approach to sound resource management. These gourmets prefer this new approach to land management. These cattle are part of a grazing study conducted by the Department of Animal and Range Sciences of Montana State University. One of Western Energy's reclamation plots near Colstrip was the site of the test which will hopefully lead to even better reclamation methods. This recently mined area is well into the reclamation process. It was seeded in barley only 10 weeks ago. This is a temporary measure to stabilize the area until the season permits planting of the permanent mixture. [Music] The reclaimed areas appear to be more desirable to wildlife than the native areas. These four-legged residents have never had it so good. Decker Coal Company had to build an $8,000 fence around some of the test plots to keep the wildlife from eating the results. This study on various types of seed mixtures is being conducted by the US Forest Service. Constant testing of grass mixtures, air, water, soil composition, and wildlife requirements will assure even better future reclamation results. Each area differs in yearly rainfall, temperature, and type of soil. Consequently, each area will have a grass mixture and soil treatment designed specifically for it based on results of previous studies. Truly, coal mining today is a responsible industry and certainly a necessary one if we are to win our current energy struggle. We now have the technology to convert coal into fertilizer, synthetic natural gas, and petroleum. Breakthroughs in research continually make coal more necessary to winning our current energy dilemma. In a public opinion poll conducted by the John Kraft Company, Montanans three to one endorsed coal mining. Yet, time and money are being used to stop development instead of working for sound resource management. Each time our state legislature sets tax rates far higher than other states, a setback occurs that we can't afford. Our coal must be competitive in price or utilities may simply buy it elsewhere. When a utility buys other than Montana coal, it is a 20-year decision. 20 years of lost taxes, 20 years of lost jobs. When coal production is delayed, often with unrealistic demands, a setback occurs that we can't afford. Coal mining is faced with two obstacles, cost and time. It takes a long time to open a new mine. There is a five to seven-year waiting list for a dragline alone and the cost rises at an astounding rate. Each delay results in more expensive electricity for consumers. Each delay means the state may lose tax revenue that will have to be obtained from other sources. Each delay means we risk an even deeper energy crunch. Sound resource management will provide jobs for Montanans and more revenue for the state. With reclamation techniques which improve each year, we should now encourage mining Montana coal. [Music] [Applause] Mine Montana coal. It makes sense. >> Hey.