New report reveals extent of zombie coal mine crisis in Tennessee

A report released yesterday through a state records request shows that funds available to clean up coal mines in Tennessee fall tens of millions of dollars short of the amount necessary to complete the work.

The annual report by Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is the first required by state law to determine if there is sufficient funding to address actual and potential liabilities at coal mines, and to determine whether the coal mining industry is fiscally self-sufficient enough to support the state taking over the permitting program from the federal government. Exce