Coal's decline forewarned: minable seams running out, experts say

Journalist Ken Ward describes volumes of evidence that recent job layoffs in the Central Appalachian coal industry are the result of declining coal reserves and stiff competition from cheap natural gas, not EPA regulations. He notes that overall coal production in the region is projected to drop by half by the end of this decade. The article quotes Ted Boettner, director of West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy, who describes a "profound disconnect" between the economic and geological challenges facing the region and the rhetoric of most political leaders.