Why are there so many electricity-generating coal plants near Meigs County?
Coal has been a dominant industry for most of the region’s history. The county’s newest mine began producing coal in February 2009. An experimental site for carbon capture and sequestration, a technology to store carbon dioxide underground, is under construction in West Virginia near Meigs County’s southern border. In addition, a coal-to-liquids facility and two other coal-fired power plants have been proposed for the region, although some of those plans are on hold. Meanwhile, Meigs County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio, according to 2000 U.S. Census data. Elisa Young, a Meigs County resident who has organized opposition to the new plant, argues that poverty reduces local resistance to the coal industry. “When you have an economy that’s entirely wrapped around coal, you can’t speak out about it,” she said.
