COAL AN AMERICAN ASSET

[Music] you're [Music] the green of the foot a rain of a field [Music] the forces of nature bestow upon us ammo gasset energy fuel from the earth full and abundant [Applause] else in the world behind this achievement is energy energy in many forms dependable economical available to all never more than a few steps away energy insatiable is our appetite unending our consumption but what happens when demand is greater than supply we have learned that lesson well with all its vast facilities is it possible the United States is running out of fuel let's take a look oil currently it meets almost 40% of our energy requirements but for many years America has had to look for the petroleum it needs it's for natural gas known reserves are finite and its long-range potential is in question nuclear power was once thought to be a panacea however the full realization of this energy source is complicated by both financial and environmental difficulties and the domestic supply of available uranium is limited then there is coal it has been estimated by the federal government that our land bears billions of tons of coal a natural energy resource within our own borders and enough of it for centuries to come as opposed to other forms of energy [Music] Cole represents almost 90% of our entire energy inventory so it can be said that of all fuel sources coal is truly an American energy asset where does it come from how was it formed for the answer we must recreate a journey that began millions of years ago when our land was a marshy tropical wilderness [Music] prehistoric ferns and mosses flourished and fell matting moet earth in ever thickening layers it was a cycle of birth death and decay and from this natural genesis would come a carbon fuel an early form of coal called peat a material composed of carbon mixed with hydrogen and oxygen as millennia passed silt sand and mud exerted increasing pressure in effect squeezing out molecules of hydrogen and oxygen [Music] [Applause] the result was lignite a substance richer in carbon the weight of the earth pressed down and the lignite became a coal with an even higher carbon content natural energy at various levels below the earth sometimes coal is buried beneath many layers of sedimentary rock at these depths tunnels must be dug so man and machine can move in it is a subterranean tunnel of time and unwritten history of the earth leading to a scene from the pages of science fiction itself [Music] [Applause] they call the Machine continuous miner with it one man can cut more coal in 90 seconds than a crews do in a full day a single pass of a mammoth jaws rips the face of coal in non-stop operation wetting down the dust as it cuts [Applause] the technique is a systems approach a modern marriage of machinery and mining [Music] [Applause] [Music] after the shuttle car is loaded with the cut coal the journey begins continuous mining is only one method other equipment may be used depending on the local geology [Music] the goal is to get this treasure from the earth out of the mine as fast and as safely as possible for once the coal is cut it has to be carried away it can go by belt it can go by rail whichever is more efficient convenient and safe [Music] the commitment to safety is constant [Music] freshly cut walls are sprayed with a cloud of pulverized limestone to settle the dust and provide a protective blanket for the miners health and safety indeed safety is built in from the very beginning under the earth tunnel stability is of paramount importance throughout the mine strong steel rods secure the roof and all is ready for the experts honey gasps Joe don't find it all day modern mining people are a new breed working both with their hands and with their brains [Music] scientific planning mode rowing board to the mine itself the tools of the coal industry have come a long way from the days of the old tickin show space-age technology has improved productivity so one man can do the work of many the mining picture extends from below gray to the surface near the crust of the earth lies much of America's recoverable coal beef the surface there are thin layers of soil and rock called overburden [Music] for example clay limestone and shale and as little as a few feet below there is coal to get at this valuable energy asset the overburden must first be removed twenty-seven [Music] well they can work on that right hand ear swivel and changed professional why do we look for this valuable fuel near the surface of the land because nearly 100 percent of this coal can be recovered once the overburden is set aside there is almost no waste and tonnage per man-hour is very high at a time of rising fuel prices these cost savings are important for the ultimate consumer another reason is that much of America's premium low sulfur coal can only be reached by surface methods with all these advantages why then is surface mining so controversial the answer is that although freshly stripped areas may be unattractive what is forgotten is that at the same time the coal is being recovered the land is being reclaimed for alongside the shovels roll the bulldozers and restoration begins [Music] the earth is graded and then vegetation is sowed in a spray of seed and water even in other parts of the country like the dry areas of the West within a short time a new and natural ecosystem soon begins to emerge green and growing [Music] all during the operation there is close coordination between reclamation and recovery since removing the overburden is a complex environmental challenge it must be done wisely and well to do it a giant drag line one of the largest land machines in the world its reach extends further than the length of a football field high above the ground the operator works in air-conditioned comfort [Music] when the overburden is gone the coal itself can be mined a huge loading shovel bites off almost 17 tons a mouthful but even at such levels of productivity we are mining only a tiny portion of our enormous reserves each year as fast as the coal is done it's got to be moved the journey continues from production on to processing mine Ronco isn't always usable as it comes from the ground but special preparation plants can make it so [Music] the end result a clean fuel in the size and grade required for combustion [Music] sometimes processing has taken a step further here metallurgical coal is baked into coke which is essential in making steel America's basic manufacturing material from which thousands of industrial and consumer products are born [Music] such special-purpose coal has another dividend our international balance of trade is helped by revenue received from this vital product whether by sea or by rail moving this abundant American asset is the biggest transportation job in the country [Music] new concepts in railroad traffic management are being developed the unit train it loads and unloads on the move never stopping a continuous coal carrier providing a direct transportation link between supplier and customer [Music] our inland waters also serve as a highway for coal river barges float coal up and down America from the Missouri to the Monongahela [Music] the river is a roadway that has withstood the test of time [Music] today transportation technology is exploring other horizons the coal slurry pipeline' after years of improvement the coal pipeline can provide operating economies in many areas of a country solid fuel is mixed with water pulverized and set on its way as a thick soupy gruel but pipelines are only one innovation in transporting coal from the mine to the customer sometimes the customer comes to the cold an electric power station at the very mouth of a producing mine here the fuel travels put a short distance the result from seam to steam and from there to the magic of electricity most of which comes from coal-fired plants so a product that began in darkness millions of years ago now touches our daily lives in many ways is not only one of man's forms it is also one of his newest coal's past is but a prelude to its future research at labs across the country tomorrow takes many forms and is seen in many ways with special instruments science explores deeper dimensions the cameras eye magnifies sections of coal into a pattern of possibilities the release these potentials is the purpose of research both theoretical and applied water quality comes in for special attention mine drainage must be checked for compatibility with the environment air samples are measured to ensure optimum safety conditions in the month effect undergoes thorough examination the tools of research must meet the tests of Technology [Music] industry in cooperation with the government strive to make better use of better coal thus we may soon learn how to burn coal in some new cleaner way [Music] but promise in the lab should be borne out by practicality in the field proving its practicality is coal gasification as the name implies the process converts coal from a solid to a gaseous state resulting in high-quality burnable gas a valuable product to supplement our limited supply of natural gas another asset maybe : liquid form like gasification the liquefaction process results in a fuel with a low sulfur content [Music] as the demand for more energy increases research continues in the lab as well as underground in a simulated mine dust testing techniques are being improved exposure to dust is accurately monitored or higher health and safety standards in [Music] a progressive industry new and better career opportunities are opening up [Music] the modern miner receives wages that are among the highest in any American industry working conditions in all areas of mining are safer than ever before when you're down below the temperature is cool and comfortable air-conditioned by nature herself any time of the year any hour of the day at the end of the shift you board a man trip car it's almost like a commuter railroad taking you home again teamwork nevermind is essential but it also carries over into good-fellowship when your work is done [Music] [Music] it's a rewarding job and also an asset for the community along Main Street you can see the meaning of a steady payroll good business and good living go hand-in-hand a pleasant neighborhood and a nice place to live you realize that you can't have all these without jobs and the taxes that support the community [Music] on a day off maybe you go hunting and you hope the early morning snow will clear with George challenges and his son Dan mining is run in the family for generations but a lot of things have changed since the old days you might say the new miners style is suburban a good car a spacious home and the country just a short drive away the sounds of the forest and then an echo from the past what's this dad you okay yeah that's an old age bearing one of the mines where George used to work before his son was born my gosh honey rode this thing Oh 10 or 12 look Nana's got a wooden floor yeah how'd you like to ride that today barcaro we've got 27 men riding Arden 10 riding is bent it swayed back and forth creak what's this the Meza safety device they had on it lock and the guides in case the rope broke [Applause] there's no pick car Dan please pull it with a mule where carbine life how many tons it hood how about two guys gone you hold 12 and they old to know today let's go Lanny the coal industry has made enormous strides but there's still much to be done the environment there was a time when land was left for nature to reclaim herself today it can often be put to even more productive use a man-made lake where once was found a seam of coal now there's a power named it is said that America's assets are money and none more bountiful than the beauty of the land itself assan does yield its gifts to the earth the green of the forest and the grain of the field the bounty of the seasons and the Sun and nature does bestow upon us the most priceless asset fuel from the earth full and abundant to give us the freedom to meet our nation's needs the spirit of Liberty is the ultimate source of our strength and in the end the most enduring American asset