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If we expand the prudential slightly there are more angles to consider. For one, the air quality in the county would become lower. This might hurt your slightly asthmatic daughter. It might also lower your own and your family’s life expectancy. However, though your father died early, your grandfather (who did not work underground) lived to be 80! Black lung is a miner’s hazard. Topside, the air is so much cleaner than down below (especially before they had the modern ventilation systems) that you are inclined to discount this risk as theoretical, but not practical. This would include your thoughts about other county residents.

If we look from the perspective of ethical non-cognitivism, we have to isolate the culture of coal mining in West Virginia. This is an arena of people with a strong sense of individualism. They want to be able have a decent job so that they can take care of their families. The current economy has eroded these possibilities while not replacing them with others. Under this shared community worldview the most important outcome is jobs. The new plant promises jobs. The new plant should be built.