Watch "Coal Country" - Win a Prize!

In November 2009, a documentary film premiered on national television that told the story of mountaintop removal mining in Appalachia from the view of those people who live and work in the coal fields.

Mountaintop removal mining is an extremely destructive mining practice that literally blows the tops off entire mountain ranges in Appalachia. The resulting rock, waste and rubble are then dumped into nearby valleys, permanently burying streams. Nearby communities are being destroyed by floods, poisoned water and intimidation from coal companies.

Coal Country is a dramatic look at modern coal mining, telling the impact that coal has had in this region from both the mining companies and the communities affected.

And to give you just a bit more incentive to watch, EarthJustice has decided to offer a small contest:

How to Enter:

1. Watch Coal Country on TV at Planet Green
   
   
2. Answer the five questions below while you watch.
   
   
3. Email your answers to mtr@earthjustice.org by March 22. Include your mailing address if you'd like to receive a complimentary copy of the book Plundering Appalachia, a stunning look at the impact of coal mining in Appalachia. (Limited quantities available. Answer fast!)
   
   
4. If you're one of the first five people to respond with correct answers, we'll make you our Coal Country Champions on our Facebook and Twitter pages!

Coal Country will air on Planet Green this month:

• Saturday, March 13, at 10pm ET
• Sunday, March 14, at 2pm ET
• Thursday, March 18, at 11pm ET
• Friday, March 19, at 3pm ET

(Find out if you get the Planet Green channel)

The five questions to answer:

1. Chuck Nelson is a former coal miner who now fights with local environmental groups to stop mountaintop removal mining. Early in the film, he is being interviewed on his porch and he holds up a gold Bradbury Ring. What did he receive the ring for?
   
   
2. Environmental attorney Joe Lovett has been fighting in the courts against mountaintop removal for over a decade. He's won some important legal victories and continues to fight. He mentions there are two "good laws" useful for fighting mountaintop removal. What is at least one of those laws?
   
   
3. During the film, there is a public hearing packed with both coal company representatives and community activists. One man repeats a saying to the coal miners in the room that the coal companies have always said about their employees. What is this saying?
   
   
4. At the same hearing, coal company supporters are wearing buttons on their shirts and hats. What do the buttons say?
   
   
5. The film spent time with activists in many different parts of Appalachia, including West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. One activist from Meigs County, Ohio said that her county is ranked number 1 in two categories. What are those two categories?

Losing Appalachia: Greed Fuels Mountain Top Removal Mining

Note: Today is the Rainforest Action Network's Social Media Day of Action to end mountain top removal mining, and hold accountable the corporations that are supporting it. Please visit DirtyMoney.org for easy ways to use your Facebook pages, Twitter accounts and blogs to hold JP Morgan Chase accountable for financing this despicable practice.

Whether they are majestic and rocky, or green and smoky, mountains affect the wildlife, weather patterns, and air quality of almost every person in the United States. For centuries, the mountains in the South Eastern part of this country have provided more than just a nice place to hike, and they have been gored, cleared and gutted to obtain a substance that’s considered much more precious by many industrial professionals; coal.

Despite recent attention from the Obama Administration, a deplorable practice known as mountain top removal mining has been allowed to continue unabated in this country, especially in South Eastern states like West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee. A testament to the flippant attitude of the coal mining industry towards the delicate ecosystems that inhabit these mountains, the Environmental Protection Agency defines mountaintop removal or valley fill as “a mining practice where the tops of mountains are removed, exposing the seams of coal. Mountaintop removal can involve removing 500 feet or more of the summit to get at buried seams of coal. The earth from the mountaintop is then dumped in the neighboring valleys.”

The Facts

• MTR has destroyed nearly 1.2 million acres of Appalachian forest and mountains
• MTR has buried over 2000 miles of rivers and streams with debris and pollution
• Tap water in many Appalachian communities is not safe to drink due to coal contamination
• MTR techniques resulted in a 29% loss of jobs from 1987-1997, even as coal production rose 32%
• JP Morgan Chase is the biggest funder in the U.S. of mountaintop removal coal mining

Thanks to coal companies and the corporations that secretly support them, the people who have lived in these “neighboring valleys” for generations are being asked to watch helplessly as these peaks are disintegrated with toxic explosives and then bulldozed down the slopes where the fill chokes rivers, displaces wildlife and leaves a severe potential for flooding and landslides.

This appalling practice has already destroyed over 500 mountains in Central Appalachia, most of which are thought to be well over 300 million years old, not to mention the countless homes and lives that have already been crushed under the constant blasting and degradation of the landscape. But if the environmental devastation caused by blowing the tops off of mountains with ammonium nitrate oil fuel to expose seams of coal, doesn’t really seem all that important to you, then maybe thinking of the children will tug at your heart strings.

Today, as you send your children off to school, think about the children of Appalachia that couldn’t get any sleep last night because the mining companies are allowed to operate within up to 300 feet of residential homes, and continue blasting 24 hours a day.

Think about what it is like to sit in a classroom breathing in toxic coal dust, or to eat lunch in a school cafeteria where you can’t drink from the water fountains because the water supply in your rural town has been contaminated by rain that carries poisonous chemicals down with it from the mining sites.

And consider what it might be like to have your entire home washed away in a flash flood that is a direct result of clear cutting trees and the disruption of other vegetation whose root systems used to hold the hillsides together.

Then, take action to END MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL TODAY!

Join dozens of organizations and thousands of online activists in convincing Chase to stop destroying American mountains. Take a simple action on your Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, blog or email to end mountaintop removal in 2010. Go to www.DirtyMoney.org for instructions.

(Portions of this article were originally published in BellaSpark Magazine)

Tree Sit Halts the Blasting on Coal River Mountain

“Coal River Mountain was the last mountain around here that hasn’t been touched and they could’ve been using it for windmills…But Massey wants to get that coal. It seems like they just don’t care about the populace. Just the land and their checkbook.”
– Richard Bradford

MARFORK, W.Va. – Protestors associated with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice halted blasting on Coal River Mountain today with a three-person tree-sit. David Aaron Smith, 23, Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28 are on platforms approximately 60 feet up two tulip poplar trees and one oak tree. They are located next to where Massey Energy is blasting to build an access road to the Brushy Fork Impoundment on its Bee Tree Strip Mine. Their banners state: “Save Coal River Mtn.,” “EPA Stop the Blasting” and “Windmills Not Toxic Spills.”

“Massey Energy is a criminal corporation with over 4,500 documented violations of the Clean Water Act, yet the government has given them permission to blast next to a dam full of toxic coal waste that will kill 998 people if it fails.” said Blevins. This action comes at the heels of a rigorously peer-reviewed study published in Science Magazine which states “Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for the losses.”

The sitters are calling for the EPA to put an end to mountaintop removal and encourage the land-holding companies to develop clean energy production. The lack of EPA enforcement in mountaintop removal encouraged Josh Graupera, 19, member of the support team, to take part in this action.

“I knew that until I took an active role in the struggle to end MTR, I was passively condoning the poisoning and displacement of countless communities and in the obliteration of one of the oldest and most diverse ecosystems on this continent.” Graupera said. Nitchman added, “I act out of personal concern for the safety of water from toxic sludge, air from smog, and mountains from annihilation.”

The Brushy Fork Impoundment is permitted to contain over nine billion gallons of the toxic coal waste, and currently contains 8.2 billion gallons. Brushy Fork’s foundation is built on a honeycomb of abandoned underground mines. If the foundation were to collapse the slurry would blow out from all sides of the mountain. According to Marfork Coal Co.’s emergency warning plan regarding the impoundment, in case of a frontal dam breach, a 40 ft wall of sludge, 72 ft at its peak height, would engulf communities as far as 14 miles away.

“Brushy Fork sludge dam places the downstream communities in imminent danger. The threat of being inundated by a wall of toxic sludge is always present. Blasting next to this dam increases the risk as well as destroying the opportunity for renewable wind energy,” said Coal River Mountain Watch’s Vernon Haltom. According to the Coal River Wind Project, the wind energy produced by a turbine farm on Coal River Mountain could power 70,000 homes, provide more permanent jobs for local residents and annually bring over a million more dollars in tax breaks revenue to Raleigh County than coal currently does.

The sitters plan to remain in the trees as long as it takes to stop blasting on Coal River Mountain. Climate Ground Zero’s action campaign, begun in February of last year, has kept up a sustained series of direct actions since that time continuing decades-long resistance to strip mining in Appalachia.

If you oppose mountain top removal mining, please sign the petition to EPA and the federal Office of Surface Mining.

For more information:
Contact: Kim Ellis – 304 854 7372
Email: news@climategroundzero.org
Note: www.climategroundzero.org and www.mountainjustice.org

EPA Sacrifices Another Appalachian Peak To Mountain Top Removal Mining

A little over three months ago, environmentalists and residents of Appalachia rejoiced when the EPA announced that, in addition to putting a hold on over 79 mountain top removal mining permits, it was planning to launch an in-depth study of the coal mining practice and the negative impact of its "valley-fill" procedure.

Many, including myself, thought that this was proof that the Obama administration was serious when it said that suspected environmental impacts of mountain top removal mining and holding mining companies accountable for stream restoration was high on its list of priorities.

However, this relief has proved to be a little premature.

In a January 5th press release, the EPA informed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that it "supports issuing a Clean Water Act permit for the Hobet 45 mine in Lincoln County, operated by Hobet Mining, LLC."

The press release went on to assure readers that this decision was made "after extensive discussions between EPA and the company resulted in additional significant protections against environmental impacts."

Rob Perks, director of the Center for Advocacy Campaigns in Washington, D.C., wrote that "by giving the green light to the 600-acre Hobet 45 mine in Lincoln County, West Virginia, EPA is signing off on the coal company damaging approximately half the streams targeted by the original plan."

This latest decision leaves one to wonder whether the EPA's so-called in-depth study was just another bone thrown to quiet restless conservationists looking for action instead of more talk.

How can the EPA, in good conscience, allow more mountain top removal mining, when it has not yet come to a scientific consensus as to whether or not these practices are harmful to the surrounding environment? Why is it that they seem to have such trouble living up to their own standards?

Maybe we should have expected as much.

In a September 2009 article published by the Charleston Gazette of West Virginia, an area of the Appalachian Mountains particularly affected by mountaintop removal mining, it was reported that "cultural, aesthetic and human health impacts that may be associated with this mining technique are not part of the scope of this current assessment."

This means that although the confirmation of negative environmental impacts from mountain top removal mining would point to the fact that there are probably detrimental effects for the people that live and work in the area like a Las Vegas marquee, the EPA really prefers not to deal with that at the moment.

The NRDC's position, of course, is that it is time to put a stop to this veritable purple mountain tragedy in Appalachia, and I support that stance wholeheartedly.

There is a massive "Join the Fight To End Mountain Top Removal" petition on Care2.com that will be sent to EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson at the beginning of March 2010. It needs about 3000 more signatures to reach its 10K goal, and I would encourage you to add your name today.

Even if you don't live in one of the states that is directly affected by mountain top removal mining, you can stay up to date with issues as they develop and show your support for activists on the front lines in these states by visiting MountainAction.org.

Coal River Valley Residents Declare State of Emergency, Meet with Governor Joe Manchin; Seven Sit-In

CHARLESTON, W.Va.- Coal River Valley residents and supporters associated with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero delivered a letter to Governor’s Manchin’s office in the State Capitol building at 12:15 p.m. today. The statement from Coal River Valley residents calls on Manchin to use his executive powers to halt mountaintop removal mining operations on Coal River Mountain, one of the last intact mountains remaining in the Coal River Valley area.

Governor Manchin met the letter deliverers in the antechamber of his office and spoke with Lorelei Scarbro of Rock Creek and Chuck Nelson of Glen Daniel. As of 2:30 p.m. seven young people are sitting in the antechamber, refusing to leave until Manchin moves to halt MTR on Coal River Mountain or they are forcibly removed. Security guards conveyed to them that they have permission to remain until the close of normal business hours at 5 p.m..

“We are delivering this letter to our governor with residents of the Coal River Valley,” said Miranda Miller and Angela Wiley of Morgantown, W.Va., two of the seven sitters, “We are West Virginia citizens standing in solidarity with the people who submitted comments for this letter, voicing their concerns on the dangers of blasting on Coal River Mountain.”

For years, local residents have expressed their concerns over the long-term health effects of their proximity to coal mining and processing operations, while scientists have stated that it devastates local ecosystems and contaminates groundwater with carcinogens and heavy metals. One of the most imminent dangers associated with the proposed Coal River Mountain operation is its proximity to the Brushy Fork sludge impoundment dam, which holds seven to nine billion gallons of toxic coal slurry.

Many Coal River Valley residents have put forth the idea of constructing of an industrial-scale wind farm on the mountain instead of MTR. The ridges on Coal River Mountain are rated as Class 7 wind sources, the highest and most productive rating. Research by the Coal River Community Wind Project has shown that a wind farm on top of the mountain could generate approximately 1.2% of West Virginia’s total energy needs and would create at least 300 jobs in the area. A wind farm will produce energy for as long as the wind blows, unlike coal – reserves of which, according to the U.S. Geologic Survey, will last only another 14 years.

“By blasting away our wind potential, we risk losing the opportunity to have jobs that would last forever,” Chuck Nelson, a retired coal miner, said, “As we face the climate crisis, we need to set an example in creating renewable energy.”

Contact: Dea Goblirsch or Garrett Robinson (304-513-4710)
Email: news@climategroundzero.org

Youth Deploy Banner in Solidarity with Anti-MTR Senior March

BELLE, W.Va. - Two young people unfurled a banner which read, “Yes, Coal is Killing West Virginia’s Communities” off of the Walker CAT building in Belle, W.Va. at 12:55 p.m. this afternoon. The youth, who say they were acting in solidarity with the Senior Citizens March to End Mountaintop Removal, are affiliated with Climate Ground Zero. The March passed the Walker CAT building on today’s route.

Gabe Schwartzman, 19, and David German, 18, were arrested by City of Belle Police and cited for trespassing on a structure or conveyance. They were taken to the Magistrate’s Court in Charleston, where they were released at 3:00 p.m on $100 personal recognizance. Steve Walker, CEO of Walker Machinery Company, accompanied the arresting officers to the court.

At 3:20 p.m., the Senior Citizens March to End Mountaintop Removal was halted by the City of Belle Police Department. Officers took the IDs of three marchers who Walker CAT security claim walked onto the business’ property.

Walker CAT’s Earthmoving Division is one of the main suppliers of equipment to mountaintop removal sites in West Virginia. They are also at the forefront of pro-coal advertising campaigns. In addition to television, print, and billboard adds, Walker CAT produced “Mountaintop Mining Viewpoint,” a brochure aimed at influencing public opinion in support of the practice. The twenty-eight page document makes claims that mountaintop removal coal mining is necessary, cheap and environmentally responsible.

While speaking to marchers and supporters at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charleston last night, Larry Gibson of Kayford Mountain stated, “They keep saying coal is cheap. Ask someone who lost someone in the mining industry how cheap it is. We know better than that in the coal fields.”

For More Information:
Contact: Andrew Munn or Dea Goblirsch 304-513-4710
Email: news@climategroundzero.org

Keep Your Hands Off My Mountains!

When's the last time you put your criminal record where your principles are? We've all joked about radical hippie dirt worshiping activists that are "so eccentric" they don't shave in the culturally acceptable areas and are insane enough to chain themselves to trees and tractors.

But seriously, when was the last time you were willing to get arrested for something you believe in, the environment or otherwise?

Well, from safe behind my computer screen, I'm happy to report that there are still some environmentalists left in this world willing to face the judge for a chance to bring widespread awareness to the desecration that is happening in forests and mountain ranges all over our country.

Despite receiving attention from President Obama and his environmental platform, mountain top removal, the single most destructive mining practice that has ever been allowed in this country, is alive and well in the Appalachian Mountains. And, as of this morning, 14 activists were arrested for conducting a peaceful protest to stop mountaintop removal happening right in their backyards.

According to an official statement released today on MountainAction.org, the protestors "scaled 20-story tall machinery to call attention to nation’s worst form of coal mining in first ever ascent of a mountaintop removal site’s dragline."

Police arrested David Hollister, Melissa O’Neil, Chelsea Ritter Soronen, Lynn Stone, Charles Suggs, Rodney Webb, Jeanne Kirshon, John Johnson Greg Yost, Jessica Sue Eley, Lisa Ramsden, David Pike, Paul Brown, and Kurt Delano Mann. The group is expected to be arraigned early this afternoon at Boone County Jail in Madison, West VA.

This act of peaceful protest comes just days after the Obama Administration announced a plan to reform, but not abolish, the aggressive strip mining practice.

“I’ve written letters, attended hearings and called my congressman, so far they have done nothing to stop the disastrous and unnecessary practice of mountaintop removal,” said Charles Suggs, a 25-year old of Rock Creek, WV who was one of those climbing today. “It has come to the point when we must take direct action to abolish this practice that is immorally robbing Appalachian communities of their culture, their health and their future.”

Read the entire statement here.

This is a wake up call people. Just because we have an intelligent President in office does NOT mean we can sit back and wait for everything to work itself out. We must take ACTION to create the changes we want. The grip of King Coal is strong in the government and the private sector. They've done a good job of duping people with pretty ads about 'clean coal' technology so that we'll all forget that they are blowing the tops off of some of the oldest and most biologicaly diverse mountains our world has ever known.

Be outraged! Show your support for the activists that were arrested and the cause they were willing to be arrested for by visiting MountainAction.org today.