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  • SLIDESHOW: West Virginia mining towns seek coal comeback
  • A decade ago, West Virginia’s bucolic Boone County was leading the nation in mining jobs.
  • Then a wave of environmental regulations had devastating effects on towns built around the industry.
  • While the community took a hit, some plants continued operating. This one, in Madison, is one of a handful of coal plants left in the state.
  • A 1994 statue dedicated to West Virginia coal miners outside the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley, West Virginia
  • Chris Hamilton, senior vice president of the West Virginia Coal Association, sees hope for jobs.
  • Coal-mining communities across Appalachia see a shot at rebuilding, as the Trump administration moves to ease regulations.
  • While the industry is hurting, the coal is still being produced -- tons of it, like this pile in Marmet, W.Va.