Island Creek, KY
Former Coal Worker Speaks Out
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007
Rully Urias Island Creek, Pike County
My name is Rully Urias. I have lived in the right hand fork of Island Creek 23 years of my 26 years of life.
I have never witnessed such blatant disregard for average hard working American people with such negligence towards environmental protection of some of this country’s most beautiful land.
Our county road drainage tiles are clogged up, TECO COAL have cut our trees down and left them lying piled up beside the road. Heavy rains will cause our road to wash out. The coal trucks go flying down the road without any regard for our resident’s safety. The over excessive blasting shakes the house and terrifies my 22-month-old daughter. Our water is unsuitable to bathe in but we have no choice but to use the contaminated water. Mistakes can be made and lessons can be learned but to stand by and let it happen time and time again is pure disregard for local, state and federal mining regulations that should be enforced by our elected officials.
Coal mining industry is a way of life in Eastern Kentucky and as much as we would want it to stop it’s not going to stop. I’ve worked underground and surface jobs and I’ve been forced to break laws and do poor jobs when jobs need to be done right. This needs to stop! If honest hard working American people want to earn a decent pay and honest living we have to step up and let the big coal corporations such as TECO COAL know that we are not going to stand by and let them rape our land, destroy our history and run our heritage into the ground.
I for one encourage everyone here today to take a step forward and take an initiative to contact your local, state, and federal government; write letters and make complaints. Make phone calls and speak your mind! Because until we band together the big steel toed boot of the coal industry will be right on our behind. Kicking us all the way into submission of their rules and destruction. We need your support we need TECO COAL to stop the destruction. Thank you.
January 1st, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I first need to say that everyone of your neighbors should be very proud to have a man of your character and backbone at their side.God bless you and guide you I know what you are up against.Myself I have submitted referendums to legislation, and written legislation,and I know from expirence that the lobbiest and special interest groupes are very difficult to acquire.recognize however that you are on a mission,and that it is certiainly God’s desire that you prosper and live an aboundant life.But never mind me,for I know that I have no real say so,but thank you Jesus I’am very proud to know you, you will forever be in my prayers,HAPPY NEW YEAR….Please if you feel it in your heart, don’t hesitate,in Jesus’s name everything has been preordained.Keep up the good work.I love you and your family.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Good post!