A singer like Kathy Mattea releases an album about the coal mines of Appalachia to raise awareness about the mining industry, mountaintop removal, and coal’s impact on the environment and there is no way Bob was not going to talk to her. As it turns out the songs on the CD stand on their own. Mattea’s full, throaty sound brings a resonance to lyrics that are moving on their own.

We hope you enjoy(ed) the chat – and maybe learned a little something at the same time. To learn more, here are a couple of additional resources for you:

 http://www.mattea.com/

Kathy Mattea’s official site with additional information about the album, Coal, photos from the recording studio, and her blog.

http://bobedwardsradio.com/exploding-heritage/

The Bob Edwards Show award-winning documentary about mountaintop removal.

http://www.doe.gov/energysources/coal.htm

The US Department of Energy’s web site about the coal industry.

http://www.uky.edu/KGS/coal/coal_environment.htm

The University of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey on coal and the environment.

-Ariana