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.. .. --- --r- .. .- -• ~_ -- - - --- - /9 RouTT Wednesday, July 28, 1999 • The Steamboat Pilot 9~ Coal: Bedrock of employment Joseph V. Robbins Staff Writer OAK CREEK -Over the years, whole generations of south Routt County's men and women have paid their bills by putting in their time at one of the many different coal mines that has histor- ically dotted the county and Oak Creek Canyon in particular. Retired miners can often be found in Oak Creek's Colorado Bar, sipping coffee and talking about the days when they made good money operating one of the massive drag lines that surface mines use to bring great amounts of coal forth from the ground. Today, there are about 30 south Roust residents still making their living off the harvesting of the earth's black gold. They work hard in contributing to Twentymlle Coal Company's monthly setting of worldwide production records over the last few years. There are about 273 hourly employ- ees and 94 salaried employees working at Twentymlle. Of the 30 south Roust work- ers employed, 21 live in Oak Creek, three th Phippsburg and six in Yampa, Hayden also sends 48 of its residents to the mine every week. The miners living in south Routt are both native to the area and imported, with the high salaries possible at Twentymlle :ombining with a lower cost of living to make the move an attractive proposition For some miners. "We came to Yampa from Delta tecause of the low cost of living and we lust like the town;' miner Gary Burkholder said. "We bought a house and said for it in 10 years. We're extremely sappy with the people in Yampa; they're fie big plus." Others have longer roots connected to Loth coal mining and living in the local u-ea, like Betty Wixom of Phippsburg, vhuse father was a coal miner. Wixom seeps an eye on much of the mine from ter control room, where she also makes .ore that everyone entering the mine is rroperly tagged and equipped with the groper safety equipment. But Wixom's experience with the ndustry has been much different from her other's, she says. "As I was grntvirrg up, my dad was a oat miner, but in those days the man- gers were really horrible and financially is a lo[ better for me than i[ was for lim," Wixom said. "The commute is pret- y short and it's great pay with benefits, plus I don't have to hassle with driving to Steamboat." The seam of underground coal that Vvenrymile takes advantage of with its mgwall mining system averages 8.5 feet in thickness, is buried 1,100 feet under- ground and is very plentiful. Unlike the surface mines that dot south Routt's past, Twentymlle is set up for the long haul, even as it is setting new world records for production almost yearly. In June of 1997 alone, the mine cranked out 1,027,485 clean tons of coal. "There used to be a fair amount of mining in Oak Creek;' said Twentymlle representative Ron Spangler. "The coal was generally close to the surface and was fairly easily mined, but that's run out and now it's more difficult to mine. "For example, Edna mine pretty much used up their coal. Twentyntile is the largest of any coal mine in the world in terms of total production and it's the single largest property taxpayer in Roust County." The mine doled out around $1.9 mil- lion in property [axes last year, Spangler said. That figure became markedly higher two years ago, when a Twentymlle retro- fit saw the company drop $50 million for new mine infrastructure. The effects of the retrofit included countywide property tax cuts. The presence of Twentymlle in Routt County, the mine's work force is about 60 percent Moffat County workers and 40 percent Rou[C County, is essential to pro- viding adiverse economy fur the county and northwe.,[ Colorado as a whole. "It prov des for that broadening of our econom}; that's important, because if one sector d -ops, i[ helps to even it out and it is art important piece;' County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak said. "Having good stable wages with good benefits supports a solid lifestyle in south Routt County." David Bonfiglio, Upper Yampa Valley Economic Development Council "It's not only the jobs through the coal mine, but it also provides jobs with the railroad because the majority of the coal is shipped out of Routt County by rail and [hose are also good-paying jobs. "A lot of people who live in south Roust work for the railroad. In fact, I believe a majority of railroaders live in south Routt." Twentymlle does provide [he local work force with a number of high-paying jobs, with salaries ranging anywhere from $40,000 to $85,000 per year. There is lit- tle doubt that high-salaried jobs have helped keep the south Routt business community alive and thriving, said Upper Yampa Valley Economic Development Council President David Bonfiglio. "1 think it has a large impact on south Routt. From [he business standpoint, it's good to have multiple good wage employers in south Routt County and because we don't have a lot of them, every one has a large impact," Bonfiglio said. "Having good, stable wages with good benefits supports a solid lifestyle in south Roust County. Bottom line is, i[ allows them to shop in the local business- es and spend some money µhich stabi- lizes our existence. "Minimum wage jobs don't allow workers to spend money in our stores, while the jobs at the mine allow [hem to shop where they want to shop and cer- tainly some of that money stays in south Routt County." Many Twentymlle workers appreciate the fact that the company is willing to hire multiple workers from within the same family, a policy which contributes to a positive atmosphere according to Wixom. "It seems like it's afamily-oriented place. L[ means a lot to everybody to know that this place is willing to hire members of the same family," Wixom said. Twentymlle was recently acquired by RAG American Coal Co. from its owner of nearly 15 years, Cyprus. _ c+e~r yam. - . - c` 1 ~ t {:~:, - ~ .i~~ _ ~ ~ • ~ .A ~, ~~ :: ~ ^' 4 .. F .4-. dfe~f, ~i3t ._ ,1 ." r i3 .. .~;7" ~ ~~~k~~8r'~3'~~ s rots. `~i . Tyler arroyo/Steamboat Pilot View of coal operations at Twentymlle Coal Company showing where coal is being stockpiled from mining underground. Tyler Arroyo/Steamboat Pilot Underground coal miners load Into trucks far the second shift change at Twentymlle Coal Company keeping operations going twenty-}our hours a day.