Decommissioning coal in an extraction culture: the aftermath and lessons learned

This article examines Appalachia's extraction culture and its aftermath, including the lessons to be learned by other communities, regions or countries contemplating an economy based primarily upon the extraction of natural resources. The article discusses the history of the coal industry in Appalachia, its recent, precipitous decline, and the several causes of that decline, including the rise of natural gas, regulatory reform and climate change. The economic, social, educational and cultural impacts of that decline will also be examined. Finally, the article will further consider some of the laws related to the recent decommissioning of coal mines, including how regulatory failures and a lack of oversight regarding the implementation of those laws have forced the taxpayers, residents and environment of Appalachia to bear the brunt of the costs of that decommissioning.