14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Armstrong Coal begins operating in Ohio County

Armstrong Coal begins operating in Ohio County

By Stuart Peck

A coal company in Ohio County is now open for business, again.

Friday 14 News got a rare look inside a working coal mine.

Ohio County leaders celebrated the start of mining for Armstrong Coal in what some say is a silver lining in hard economic times.

Jobs are coming in, as tons of coal is going out.

Kenny Allen, the Vice President of Operations for Armstrong Coal said, "This facility is going to provide a good living for a lot of families here in our community. We're proud of that."

That couldn't make county leaders more excited.

"This is going to mean so much to the budget of Ohio County, whenever they start really processing the coal and we start getting some of this return back as coal severance dollars. We're going to be able to do things that we've never been able to do here in Ohio County," said Ohio County Judge Executive David Jones.

Armstrong Coal has over 250 employees already with more to come.

The company hopes to have as many as 900.

With over 50 percent of the electricity in the United States generated by coal, Hord Armstrong is banking on business to be good.

"I think we will be part of an increased Renaissance in the production of coal and ultimately there will be a day when coal produces natural gas and liquid fuels as well," said Armstrong.

With gas prices hovering around $4 a gallon and America's dependence on oil a daily debate, look no further than Kentucky.

"We're a energy based economy," Allen said. "We have enough coal to run this country 300 years. We can become much more energy independent if we take care of all this coal, here at home."