Burying people
Coal, the black diamond, is as its alias suggests a treasure to those who make a living off of it. The coal burned at the University's steam plant comes from one of the poorest areas of the nation. Generations have made their living off of coal. In many towns in Appalachia, coal is the largest and sometimes sole provider of revenue to the families who live where it is mined. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average national hourly wage rate for coal miners is $23.27, while the average West Virginia hourly rate for cashiers is $8.50 an hour. I list cashiers because that is what many miners will have to become if the mines shut down. There are very few other forms of employment in the coal mining regions of Appalachia.