293 



bilities for Bituminous Coal." The study identified 209 "research pos- 

 sibilities" that would need to be exploited "if coal is to be assured its 

 proper share of total energy demand." i\.mong its problems were cited 

 the prospect of commercial energy from atomic fission, the pollution of 

 air and water from the combustion and mining of coal, and the need 

 for improved management of research data about coal. Considerable 

 emphasis was placed on the diminishing role of coal in meeting na- 

 tional energy demands,^^ and the vast reserves of coal remaining in 

 the United States. (See table.) 



REMAINING COAL RESERVES OF THE UNITED STATES, JAN. 1, 19531 



Estimated 



total reserves Estimated recoverable reserves 



remaining in Jan. 1, 1953, assuming 50 

 the ground, percent recovery 



Jan. 1, 1953 

 (million Million Quadrillion 



net tons) net tons B.tu. 



Bituminous coal 1,049,457 524,729 13,643 



Subbituminouscoal 372,934 186,467 3,543 



Lignite 463,356 231,678 3,105 



Anthracite and semianthracite 13,992 6,996 178 



Total 1,899.739 949,870 20,469 



1 Paul Averilt, Louise R. Berryhill, and Dorothy A. Taylor, Coal Resources of the United States, Geological Survey Circular 

 293 (1953), p. 1. 



Congressional leadership in a growing movement to review the situ- 

 ation of the coal industry was assumed by Representative John P. 

 Savior of Pennsylvania. Representative Saylor had introduced a House 

 Resolution (H. Res. 400, 84th Cong., second sess.), to authorize the 

 Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs "* * * to conduct a full 

 and complete study on the possibilities of a research and development 

 program for the coal industry of the United States." The study was to 

 ascertain how a cooperative research program for coal might be spon- 

 sored by the Federal Government " * * * jn the same magnitude, and 

 on the same general organizational basis, as those which have been and 

 are now currently conducted by the Atomic Energy Commission, the 

 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the National Science 

 Foimdation, and similar groups." The research to be sponsored by 

 such an organization should have as its objective "an economic revival 

 of the coal industry." Its scope should include technological improve- 

 ment of coal production, transportation, distribution, utilization, and 

 development of new uses. The measure received unanimous approval 

 of the House of Representatives in April 1956. Accordingly, a Special 

 Subcommittee on Coal Research was created by the Committee on 

 Interior and Insular Affairs, and was placed under the chairmanship 

 of Representative Edmondson of Oklahoma, Representative Saylor 

 was the ranking minority member of the subcommittee. In a prelimi- 

 nary statement. May 18, the subcommittee announced its purposes, 

 objectives, and plan for hearings. 



^ U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, "Outlook and Research Possibilities 

 for Bituminous Coal," b.v Bureau of Mines in cooperation with Bituminous Coal Research, 

 Inc.. Information Circular 7754, May 1956 (Pittsburgh, Pa., Bureau of Mines, 1956), 

 fig. 1, p. 10. 



