New research out of the United States confirms that coal cost one heavily coal mining reliant US State $115 million dollars more in services and programs each year than it contributes in terms of taxes and employment.

The latest report of the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts Coal Health Compensation Scheme in the UK shows that the cost of compensation to ex-miners for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other debilitating diseases will be in excess of 4.1 BILLION pounds. Despite evidence to the contrary, the Department responsible underestimated the number of cases, and hence the cost to tax payers, by more than 300%.

The data is coming in thick and fast now as to how much this dirty industry COSTS every country it is in and how long the health and social costs continue after mining stops.  We can only presume our new ‘economy conscious’ Premier, recently spruiking a possible return to coal-fired power stations, can not yet have been made aware of the COSTS to NSW residents’ health, and the State of such an economically-damaging decision.