Kentucky

Coal, limestone, clay, and sand and gravel are mined in Kentucky. Pennsylvanian-age coal is mined in the western and eastern parts of the state. The Western Kentucky coalfield is part of the Illinois - or Eastern Interior - Basin. The Eastern Kentucky coalfield is part of the Central Appalachian Basin.

Limestone is Kentucky's principal industrial mineral. It is mined from strata of Ordovician through Mississippian age, mainly in central and western Kentucky.

Coal

The most recent coal statistics for Kentucky were provided by the Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals and are for 2000. Kentucky continued to rank third in US coal production. The gross value of coal mined and processed in Kentucky for fiscal year 19992000 was $3.15 billion. This was down slightly from $3.4 billion in 1998-1999 (Kentucky Coal Council, KCC).

Kentucky produced 119.5 Mt (131.8 million st) of coal, a decline from 131 Mt (144.4 million st) produced during 1999. There were 604 licensed mines, down from 682 in 1999. Eastern Kentucky coal production was 94.6 Mt (104.3 million st), down slightly from 102.5 Mt (113 million st) during 1999. Western Kentucky production was 25 Mt (27.5 million st), also down slightly from 28 Mt (31 million st) during 1999.

Some spot-market coal prices rose to as much as $53/ t ($48/st) in February 2001. That increase was caused by a cold winter, rising gas prices and limited availability of coal on the spot market because of stockpile drawdowns. The rise, however, was short-lived. By the summer, central Appalachian spot-market coal prices were back to between $20 and $31/t ($18 and $28/st).

Also during 2001, Kentucky recorded the first increase in coal mine employment in several years. Kentucky had five coal-mining fatalities in 2001. This tied a record for the lowest number of fatalities in a year.

Several issues affected Kentucky's coal industry during 2001. At least one has national implications. Cleanup continued at the Martin County slurry spill that occurred on Oct. 11, 1999. There were reports that the barrier between the underground mine and the slurry impoundment may have been less than thought before the spill. This finding has been disputed by the coal company. This finding, however, prompted the Kentucky Department for Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement to...