Delegates at the Democratic State Convention narrowly voted down a resolution Saturday that supported a freeze on new permits for mountaintop removal sites.
The final vote on the Healthy Jobs, Healthy Communities, and Healthy Mountains Resolution 215 to 190.
Daniel Chiotos, environmental caucus delegate for West Virginia Young Democrats, said the close vote is encouraging.
"This is obviously an issue that is gaining momentum," Chiotos said. "We're going to continue to work to push this through."
Nick Busch, a Wirt County delegate, said the vote doesn't reflect delegates' true feelings about the issue.
"You won't find a person here that supports mountaintop removal," said Busch, who voted against the resolution.
More than 56 percent of West Virginians are opposed to mountaintop removal, compared to just 29 percent that support it, according to a 2004 survey conducted by the polling firm Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates for the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment.
Busch said it failed because delegates were concerned it would cost the party the presidential election. He said the Republican Party would say Democrats were trying to take jobs out of the state.
State party chairman Nick Casey said the issues brought up by the resolution are better addressed by the courts that the Party.
While the resolution would not become part of the party's official platform, it would have sent a clear signal to politicians in the state, Chiotos said.
The resolution supported deep mining other methods of strip mining; enforcement of current environmental regulations; increased investment in sources of renewable energy; and called for all Democratic legislators to work to protect safety standards and "bring good paying green jobs" to West Virginia.
In April, the West Virginia Young Democrats passed the same resolution. That group represents party members age 35 and under.
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