Mines have not been abandoned by their owners, right? There are still companies on paper that say they're responsible for these mines. They're just companies that are racking up a lot of violations and it's kind of unclear whether they're ever going to have the money to do it. And in the meantime, the people who live near these mines are having a rough go of it.
As the US coal industry dwindles, big mining companies that once made a fortune are packing up–and leaving behind a staggering mess of destroyed land and poisoned water. So who’ll pay to clean it up? Bloomberg reporters Josh Saul and Zachary Mider spent time in coal country and join this episode to talk about the multi-billion-dollar game of pass the buck now playing out in Appalachia.
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