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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Stephen Starr in Fayette county, West Virginia

From coal to kayaking: West Virginia’s miners turn to tourism to pay the bills

The New River's Old Nasty rapids, with the New River Gorge Bridge in the background, near Fayetteville, West Virgnia, last year.
The New River's Old Nasty rapids, with the New River Gorge Bridge in the background, near Fayetteville, West Virgnia, last year. Photograph: Kenny Kemp/AP

Rick Johnson’s introduction to the world of coal began as a teenager more than 40 years ago in rural western Virginia. For a decade and a half, he worked for extraction and chemical production companies across Appalachia.

“I was fed on coal,” he said recently.

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