Tom Rathbun

Tom Rathbun
problems since
These problems have been going on since 1990.
billion problem rate time undertake
If you try to undertake what is a $5 billion problem here on a month-to-month basis, it's going to take a long, long time at that rate to see significant results. It's important to us to know how much we're getting and for how long.
frost meeting
The supervisors and FROST requested a meeting with us when we neared the end of the process.
answer asking explain law legal meeting officials opinion opportunity stands sunshine
In the opinion of our legal counsel, an informational meeting does not violate the Sunshine Law. We were not asking township officials to take an action. This was an opportunity to explain where (the permit) stands so we can answer questions.
filled kid lined mountain orange rivers trees
Mountain streams and rivers that were orange when I was a kid are now filled with fish, are now lined with trees and rhododendrons, and that's progress.
amended bigger concern despite management several
Management was a bigger concern to us than the finances. The reclamation just wasn't being done despite several amended agreements.
finding people
Everyone said there's nothing you can do about it. Now people are finding out you can.
asked discuss frost known meeting private process review trouble
The supervisors and FROST had requested a private meeting at the end of the review process to discuss what was going to be in the permit. We were doing what we were asked to do. If we had known the trouble this would cause, we wouldn't have done it that way.
asking believe cleaning federal focused historic state
The state is focused on cleaning up this huge, historic mess. We don't believe we're asking for anything extravagant (from the federal government) to do it.
accident habits happen learn mining repeat sure work
Mining is dangerous, but it is work habits that make it unsafe. When there's an accident you need to learn from it, so you can make sure it doesn't happen again. You learn from the accident so it doesn't repeat itself.
abandoned built depended entire europe helped iron mine nation opened steel west win
For a long time, the entire nation depended on coal, limestone, iron ore and steel from Pennsylvania. It helped win the Revolutionary War, it built railroads that opened the West and rebuilt Europe after two world wars. Our take on this is that this is not Pennsylvania's abandoned mine problem, it's America's problem.
appreciate based bias faces industry mining modern
I think they appreciate that; our modern mining industry sometimes faces a lot of anti-mining bias based on things that were done in the past.
communication company effort involves ongoing promote safe
It's not something the company was faulted for. They make a very concerted effort to have a safe workplace. They promote it ... It's an ongoing thing and it involves communication at all levels.
awful looking people problem solution time
There are an awful lot of people that have put time into making this happen, people who aren't looking at the problem and complaining, but looking for a solution to the problem.