Published Opinion: Environmental Stances Criticized

by Duane Nichols on August 3, 2014

Ormet property above Hannibal on the Ohio River has been leased. How much gas will come from under the River in WV?

Letter to the Editor, Wheeling Intelligencer & News-Register, August 3, 2014

“Deforestation greater threat than coal fired power plants.” Now, who do you think is so environmentally concerned? Take a guess. How about David McKinley? You probably know him as a commentator columnist for the “Wheeling Republican News Register.”

I think he also moonlights as U.S. congressman whose main assignment is to follow orders and the wishes of Grover Norquist. Stand up as fast as you can to say no to anything and everything proposed by the elected president of the U.S.A. He has a 100 percent record on that.

You know if he can convince you to vote for him a time or two more, you will be paying him millions in retirement money. Well, you know he said he was “very concerned” about the burden of retirement benefits for police, firemen and civil servants.

You know, I am pretty sure you can teach an organization how to stand up and say NO and he or she would work for bananas. Mr. McKinley’s concern for the Amazon is admirable but his support, defense and promotion for the mountaintop valley fill coal removal process is double the destruction.

If deforestation of the Amazon would stop today, the forest would begin recovery immediately. The environmental terrorism mountaintop removal will take 100, perhaps 1,000 years to recover to virgin conditions.

Maybe Mike Myer, nature lover and editor of the Wheeling Republican News Register, could shed some light on this situation. Maybe he could tell you that for every one job that is created by mountaintop removal terrorism, six jobs in West Virginia traditional coal mining and supporting jobs are lost. Maybe he could tell you 100 percent of mountaintop coal is for foreign export. And not one pound for producing electric power for West Virginia or reducing its cost. Maybe he could at least print a before and after photo of the mountaintop-valley fill (mining) that is going on at this moment.

Maybe television could do a special on the process.

You know, if ever there is a high court of environmental holocaust or environmental terrorism they would all say they were just following orders. Except David McKinley would just say NO (out of habit) and charge you 12 bananas. Mike Myer would try to blame Obama.

Now let me tell you their latest snow job they have in store for your mountaineers: How great a thing it is for Marcellus/Utica gas wells and facilities in Ohio on the banks of the Ohio River.

Guess what: The West Virginia border is the western shore of the Ohio River. The billions of dollars in lease agreements and royalties may be trillions and it’s your money, West Virginia. Twenty-two million dollars lease and royalties to Ormet for Marcellus/Utica shale gas and you have got to be kidding.

All the resources beneath the Ohio River are yours, West Virginia. This would include the largely untapped hydro power of the Ohio River. Discounted electric power for towns and cities in West Virginia along the Ohio River. Why and who could object to the power shipped out of state and a deep discount to West Virginia industries and businesses?

Have you ever questioned why West Virginia gas leases are $25 to maybe $4,000? If you look across the Ohio River to Ohio, they are $4,000 to possibly $17,000 per acre. Could it be that the politically wise West Virginian that Mike Myer is always speaking of can figure that one out?

Ronald Kwiatkoski, McMechen, Marshall County, WV

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