Appalachia’s West Virginians unite to stop Massey Energy Mountain Top Removal
In West Virginia, Massey Energy has begun blasting operations on Coal River Mountain despite deep opposition from environmental groups and critics of mountaintop removal mining.
The Brushy Fork impoundment is an enormous retention pond holding 8.2 billion gallons of toxic coal slurry waste. If the impoundment were to fail due to the blasting, hundreds of lives will be lost and thousands more will be in jeopardy from an enormous slurry flood.
America’s Most Endangered Mountains – Coal River Mountain, WV Pledge to Help End Mountaintop Removal.
Please call or fax a letter to President Obama today at 202-456-1414/fax number: 202-456-2461 and implore him to use his agencies and influence with West Virginia politicians to stop the destruction of Coal River Mountain immediately!
This four-minute video clip, featuring the voices of local residents Judy Bonds and Gary Anderson, describes in vivid terms the battle to save Coal River Mountain.
Mountaintop removal / valley fill coal mining (MTR) has been called strip mining on steroids. One author says the process should be more accurately named: mountain range removal. Mountaintop removal /valley fill mining annihilates ecosystems, transforming some of the most biologically diverse temperate forests in the world into biologically barren moonscapes.
However, Massey Energy has plans to mine 6,000+ acres of the mountain.
Over 1200 miles of streams have been buried and destroyed and countless mountains and ridge tops have been blown up–gone for all eternity. The Bush administration has altered laws to encourage and accelerate the destruction. The price of coal has doubled and the destruction of our watersheds is accelerating and spreading out like cancer. Our state and federal agencies charged with protecting our environment are liquidating our mountains.
Tell West Virginia Governor Manchin to stop the blasting.
We are losing. Our loss is not only for our own generation–but for future generations. Where there once were water producing mountains – now there are barren scraped-biologically-dead toxic wastelands. Water is going to be more important to future generations than coal. You cannot drink coal. The Pentagon has predicted than many of the future wars on our planet will not be fought over coal or oil–but for water. The lack of clean drinking water is already a global problem for humanity – as our population increases it will only get worse. The destruction of water producing mountains is not only a crime of the present–it is a very real attack on the future generations.
Gary Anderson talks about the Coal River Mountain Wind Farm
We cannot afford to continue losing this struggle. A few already rich coal company executives are getting wealthier at the expense of us all. The acceleration of mountain top, side and ridge removal is a curse on the future and present generations. We need your help.
Daryl Hannah’s Video Of Mountain Top Removal Sites Around Coal River Valley, Appalachian Mountains, West Virginia
We can use anything you are able to offer. If you would like to come and defend the mountains with us, please join us! To learn what we’ve been up to, look at our previous actions. To learn more about mountaintop removal, just look at the facts.
Citizens Arrested in Governor Joe Manchin’s Office
www.ILoveMountains.org is a resource and action center in the fight against surface mining in Appalachia. This website has lots of great Google Earth maps and videos.
Coal Swarm is a wiki-style shared information tool for groups and individuals on issues of coal mining, coal-fired electrical generation, coal-based synthetic fuels, and more.
West Virginia photo gallery with mountain top removal descriptions.
Coal River resident talking about the benefits of a wind farm on Coal River Mountain.
Partners and ally groups in Appalachia
- Blue Ridge Earth First!
- Climate Ground Zero
- Coal River Mountain Watch
- Kentuckians for the Commonwealth
- Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
- Southeast Energy Network
- Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards
- United Mountain Defense
This video is one of many showing the TRUE costs of coal. There NEVER has been and NEVER will be such a thing as “clean coal”. Ask the people of Appalachia.
Take Part in Ongoing Action Campaigns!
Mountain Justice is committed to a diversity of tactics including but not limited to the strategic use of non-violent civil disobedience. Many groups throughout Appalachia are involved in and promote ongoing action campaigns and Mountain Justice encourages all who are interested in non-violent direct action as a tactic to come to Appalachia and get involved. Now is the time — the mountains and people cannot afford for you to wait any longer! Learn more:
- Climate Ground Zero in West Virginia.
- Blue Ridge Earth First! in Virginia
Source: Our friends at Mountain Justice
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