Being the fourth generation in my family to work in the coal industry, I find it hard to understand where Mr. Greene is coming from in one of his recent columns. He has based his entire opinion of coal on one thing, the New Boston Coke plant.

Mr. Greene needs to realize what fuels the economy in the Tri-State area — coal! From Beckley (W.Va.) to Pikeville to Gallipolis and beyond, this dirty coal is putting money in people’s pockets and food on their tables.

I thank God my dad was a Meigs County coal miner for almost 30 years and he was able to provide a wonderful childhood for me. So Mr. Greene, what should the Tri-State do? Put windmills on the mountain tops and close the mines and businesses associated with them?

Maybe just close the mines and do nothing at all. This way our energy costs will skyrocket when we have to depend on energy from out of state. That sounds smart, doesn’t it?

How about we all move to California and watch the windmills. Working in the Ironton area, I would think Mr. Greene would understand a little more about coal.

So I recommend Mr. Greene, spend a few hours and research coal. While you do this, think about the people who depend on dirty coal to survive and let me know what you think about it then.

Jason Potter, Oak Hill