14 People Arrested Protesting Mountaintop Removal Mining in West Virginia
By Jessica Lee
MountainAction.org is reporting that 14 people were arrested June 18 in a peaceful act of direct action on a Massey Energy Co. mountaintop removal mining site near Twilight, W. Va.
Four activists, in a daring act, scaled a 20-story tall piece of mining equipment to unfurl a 15 x 150 foot banner that said, "Stop Mountaintop Removal Mining." The climbers were on the enormous dragline, a massive piece of equipment that removes house-sized chunks of blasted rock and earth to expose coal, and remained there for more than three hours. The climbers were equipped with satellite phones and web cameras. Meanwhile nine others deployed a 20 x 40 foot banner on the ground at the site which read, "Stop Mountaintop Removal: Clean Energy Now."
"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, W. Va., who was arrested and quoted in a MountainAction.org press release. "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."In mid-June, the Obama administration approved 42 out of the 48 mining permits cleared by the Environmental Protection Agency in May. Activists say that the June 18 protest draws attention to the reality that over 3.5 million pounds of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil explosives are being detonated daily in mountaintop removal operations across the West Virginia mountains alone, while hundreds of mountaintop removal permits now stand ready to be reviewed and cleared.
Author Jeff Biggers reported June 18 on Huffington Post:
"The action launches a dramatic weeklong series of protests at mountaintop removal sites in the West Virginia coalfields that will culminate on June 23rd with a special action in the Coal River Valley area with local coalfield residents, NASA climate scientist James Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, and 94-year-old former US Representative Ken Hechler, and Rainforest Action Network executive director Michael Brune, among many others."
"It's way past time for civil disobedience to stop mountaintop removal and move quickly toward clean, renewable energy sources," said Judy Bonds, Goldman Environmental Prize winner and co-director of Coal River Mountain Watch of West Virginia. "For over a century, Appalachian communities have been crushed, flooded, and poisoned as a result of the country's dangerous and outdated reliance on coal. How could the country care so little about our American mountains, our culture and our lives?"
For more information and past coverage in The Indypendent:
The Indypendent, June 6: "Operation Appalachian Spring"
The Indypendent, June 6: "Moving Mountains With Theatre"
Comments
thanks jessica!
I'm confused. In one article I got the impression that there is ONLY ONE MOUNTAINTOP LEFT in all of WV. But that could not be the case if there are new mountaintop removal operations throughout the state.
The removal of mountain tops for mining cannot be much different than the cutting of the rain forest in South America. The lasting damage that it does, I believe cannot be un-done. The reclamation of these sites is taking to long and the mining companies are in no hurry to do it. There are no local authorities and Government authorities forcing them to do so. We hear of the destruction going on in South America and, many, many people get involved in protests against this, yet have it go on right in their own back yard, and they do nothing. I am tired of the blasting, tired of the coal dust in my well, tired of the oil and other pollutants contaminating my well, tired of the disappearance of wildlife, and tired of the non-action of our politicians. At my age, it doesnât take much to make me tired I guess, but this is no small item. This is major destruction of our environment. Something âHASâ to be done, and the quicker the better. We cannot afford to wait much longer, (the longer we wait, the more damage happens that canât be corrected)!!!!!
You guys are killing southern west virginia jobs with this protesting crap! Think off all the familys in the unemployment line me being one of them. $200 bi-weeekly does not pay a mortage,car,insurance and doctor visits for my pregnant wife. becouse of you protedters my wife and i are loosing everything we have worked so hard for. I am a welder in southern west virginia and there are 8 mining equipment companys here in Princeton W.V that have layed off half there work force or shut down. I was layed off on dec. 23 two days before christmas and have been since then. Ive been as far as 20 miles out from my home looking for work but with people protest over a lost cause has further kicked the economy in the face and putting west virginians in the dark and hungry! Hope you all sleep well at night knowing your putting Southern West Virginia into poverty. Thanks Alot!
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