In Appalachia, New Coal Miners Are ScarceOn a recent recruiting trip, Buczkowski found many young people unreceptive to her pitch. When offering what she considered a generous salary, potential recruits “wanted to know what the catch is,” Buczkowski says. “The catch is that you’re working underground. It’s hard work, long hours, and you have to be responsible not only for yourself but others. That can be overwhelming.”Drug use in communities where coal mining jobs are available has made recruiting more difficult, union and industry officials say. Alpha Natural Resources (ANR), the top producer in Appalachia, says it sees many applicants who can’t pass drug tests. “It doesn’t help our hiring,” says Alpha spokesman Ted Pile. “Crystal meth is an issue. Prescription drugs are an issue.”Demand for miners could wane if the global economy relapses into recession, which would cut steel consumption and demand for electricity. Environmental Protection Agency regulations also could cut use of coal, limiting the need to hire more miners. The EPA in July issued rules requiring 27 states, from New York to Texas, to trim power-plant emissions.Nonetheless, the Energy Dept. estimates that global coal consumption will increase to 209 quadrillion British thermal units by 2035 from 139 quadrillion BTU in 2008 as demand from the developing world soars.