Letter to the editor: The cost of fossil fuels

The Biden administration’s infrastructure plan that includes addressing the dangers of abandoned mines is great news for Pennsylvania. For too long we have had to deal with the negative aftermath of mines. Abandoned mine runoff is the primary cause of water quality issues in Pennsylvania. In Westmoreland County we have 732 miles of impaired streams representing almost 33% of the total.

According to the article “Pa. mine cleanup funding seen as game-changer” (Feb. 8, TribLIVE), $245 million for 15 years has been earmarked for Pennsylvania. That equals over $3.6 billion. This is a lot of taxpayer money being spent to clean up the toxic waste left by a very profitable industry. There should be consequences for a money-making company that pollutes our environment and simply walks away.

But wait, it gets worse. The American taxpayer subsidizes the fossil-fuel industry. According to a report released by the nonprofit advocacy organization PennFuture, in fiscal year 2019, $3.8 billion was barely enough to cover the cost of Pennsylvania’s annual subsidies to the fossil-fuel industry, costing approximately $296 for every resident. More than half the value of the subsidies went to the shale gas industry to support fracking and other activities.

We pay the industry to make money and then we use tax dollars to pay to clean up their trash that is putting our health at risk. This is corporate socialism, welfare to the wealthy at its worst.

In 2012 the coal mining industry contributed $15.3 million to mostly Republican campaigns. Only 4% of donations went to Democrats.

Patricia Oliver

North Huntingdon