President Trump has promised a comeback for coal including reviving jobs in mining regions. The initial approach seems to be to reduce regulation on coal and reducing incentives for “clean” energy sources like wind and solar.
Last month saw Congress pass and the President sign legislation cutting back environmental regulations on coal producers which, among other things, allow the dumping of toxic waste into streams.
According to analysts, the economic and social consequences of promoting coal are mixed, but from the Trump administration’s standpoint, the benefits far outweigh the costs. First, they cite more job creation. Initially, jobs would be created in construction due to re-opening mines that have been shuttered. This would be followed closely by mining and transportation jobs. Coal is moved primarily by rail.
Another area of the economy they expect will benefit from increased coal use is health care. First, there would be an increased need for services in the mining communities.
But, they say, the bigger story is that pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and medical practices (especially pulmonary) around the country are also expected to see a boon. This is because burning coal for power is a leading producer of air pollution and toxic particulates and these substances are leading causes of lung diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis. In fact, the increase in economic activity in health care related to coal is expected to outweigh the impact from the coal itself.
Pharmaceutical companies with asthma drugs are expected to benefit, although analysts say the effect on jobs would be minimal. Medical equipment companies that make nebulizers and oxygen monitors are planning to add shifts as well as raise prices.
Hospitals are also getting ready. One regional hospital administrator in the Northeastern U.S. (who asked to remain anonymous so as not to appear to be profiting from other peoples’ suffering) said he’s planning on expanding capacity of their adult and pediatric pulmonary units next year because the Northeast is downwind of a large cluster of coal-burning plants in the mid-West
He said these units are highly profitable for hospitals, especially the pediatric units, saying “People will just do anything to keep their kids breathing. And insurance companies pay because they never want these cases to go to court. Juries make huge awards to grieving parents”.
Trump administration officials say that the hospital expansions will lead to additional construction jobs and staff increases.
