For as long as I can remember I have been a little bit of a history buff. Not just West Virginia history, but history of all sorts including West Virginia. As far as WV is concerned I like to learn the history of the mountains as passed down from one generation to the next. I could sit and listen to people tell stories of a time since gone and be perfectly content until the storyteller got tired of telling their stories. Which is actually a very rare event. More times than not the stories end with a to be continued hanging in the air unspoken but implied. That is fine by me as well because I enjoy their company and always look forward to my next visit.
That is one reason I liked Larry Gibson right off. He is one of those people that loves to talk about his family history and the history of the land he grew up on. I’m one of those people that love to listen so we hit it off just fine.
I feel bad for Larry. I don’t feel sorry for him. That’s not what he wants or any of us for that matter it’s not about us. But I feel bad. His stories now are at times just sad to listen to. Stories about a mountain and community that no longer exist outside of his memory. Everything that makes up Larry’s life has been or is being leveled by the coal industry.
Growing up in Peachtree I just absolutely loved to be in the mountains, plain and simple. In the fall I loved to squirrel hunt and it began as soon as I was old enough to shoot a .410 guage shotgun. I started hunting around the age of 8 with my dad and both of my grandpas. I started hunting alone when I was 12. I was always a moving hunter. I couldn’t go somewhere and just sit down I had to be moving through the mountains albeit slowly. I think it played a big part in my being a backwoods drifter now.
It would seem as if I was born to be in the mountains. The mountains around Peachtree quickly became familiar. A friendly kind of familiar. I knew which trees I was most likely to find squirrels in during the early morning hours. I knew which hollows where ginseng was the most abundant. I knew where every trail went and how long it would take me to reach my destination via mountain paths.
I’ve always been more comfortable on a trail somewhere in the backwoods among the tall oaks and the wildlife than anywhere outside of the mountains. There is a familiarity to the mountains. When people like me and Larry talk about losing everything we know to mountaintop removal it is that familiarity. It is like watching a lifelong friend lose their life to cancer. We are trying to find a cure before it is too late.
A lot of the trails and paths I use to hike and hunt now lead to the same place, the mountaintop removal site in Schumate and Clay’s Branch. When I look at that site I can’t help but remember what it used to be and you would probably be surprised at the profound sense of loss I feel.
That is why I feel bad for Larry. I imagine his loss is many times greater than mine. He has had to watch the very mountains and valleys he grew up in destroyed by the cancer that is mountaintop removal coal mining. What has been lost can never be replaced. The really sad thing about that is the memories of what used to be will die with our generations as well. Because as go the mountains, so does the culture.
If the bottom fell out of the economy tomorrow we could live off the mountains. I wonder how many friends of coal could live off of a lump of coal? The friends of coal like to say that God put coal there for us to use. The only thing they can do with coal is burn it. The resources God gave me, I can build a house to keep the weather out, feed myself and provide myself with medicine. At least I could do those things as long as I left the coal right where it is. I have said in the past, if God put coal here I think it is more like the forbidden fruit, we should leave it alone because we are destroying our Garden of Eden, willingly and continuously.
CHARLESTON — The Beth Walker for Supreme Court campaign officially has opened its campaign headquarters in Charleston.
The office will serve as the campaign’s central hub for statewide campaign activities.
Walker was joined by campaign staff, volunteers and supporters gathered at a Grand Opening Reception on June 10 at the office, which is located at 191 Summers Street (the corner of Lee and Summers Streets) in downtown Charleston.
“Our campaign remains focused on the importance of a fair and impartial court system for the future prosperity of West Virginians,” Walker said. “By opening our headquarters, we continue to expand our ability to spread the word about my commitment to integrity and the rule of law. I am grateful for all of our volunteers across the state who are being so generous with their time and talent.”
I just can’t decide. In my opinion, if this is just some stranger Steve Walker has never met before, they went to an awful lot of trouble to find someone that looks a lot like Beth Walker. I’ll give Steve this much, it is an uncanny resemblance especially since the talent for the ad was supplied outside of his hiring. The middle two photos were taken from the bug commercials so those photos are at least six months old. Not that I think it is the same person or anything like that, because I just don’t know. You decide…
Federal government scientists have found that mountaintop removal is eliminating mayflies in the creeks downstream from large mining operations, according to a new study being published later this year.
The findings not only indicate mountaintop removal is harming aquatic bugs, but also show large-scale mining is damaging overall water quality downstream from valley fills.
So much for the bug commercials.
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The poll is completely anonymous. Initial results on 6/20 or sooner depending on participation.
I believe the title says a lot. And now for the rest of the story. Mountainsaver and I went to Workman’s Creek today. I came back with a new appreciation for clean water.
It doesn’t take long to move a mountain with mountaintop removal coal mining. All of the debris in the first photo missing from the second is now a part of one of the surrounding valley fills along with the rest of the missing mountain.
I went to Kayford Mountain today with Mountainsaver to document a very dangerous booby trap.
Larry Gibson was walking on a four wheeler trail with his dog when he discovered a wire hanging from a tree in the middle of the path with a large rusty three prong hook attached to the end of the wire. This was hanging on the path near the mountaintop removal site where Larry takes visitors to view the site.
The hook would have been about chest high on someone riding a four wheeler. If someone were to ride into this hook and it didn’t catch them in the chest it would have most likely caught them in the neck. I can say this, thank God Larry found the trap because if someone had run into it they would have been in big trouble being at least an hour, probably longer, from the nearest hospital. And that is if they were somehow able to drive their self to the hospital otherwise you can double or triple the time taken to receive medical care.
I would have given anything to catch the worker that placed this trap. I can guarantee it would be a long time before they could tie their shoes let alone a hook.
This is the kind of bullshit we have to deal with from the very few workers on a mountaintop removal site. Most of them blinded by the coal industry. An industry that will leave those same workers scratching their ass when the coal is gone. Who is the extremist here?
Let me tell you something mountaintop removal workers, if you set a trap for me you better damn sure catch me in it because there will be no end to the hell I pay back. My patience has run out with you morons. What you are doing is wrong times ten and you know it. If I have to take my last breath denouncing mountaintop removal coal mining I will do it gladly. Your job means absolutely squat to me.
The mountaintop removal site on Kayford Mountain is operated by Catenary Coal Company, a subsidiary of Massey Energy.
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While I was on Kayford today I decided to try out the video capturing ability of my little digital camera and had I known the sound was so sensitive I would have definitely had something to say. I’ll know next time.
Before being transported to market, coal must be washed to separate it from the surrounding soil and rock–the more impurities a company can remove from coal, the higher its market value and the lesser the transportation costs. The washing process generates huge volumes of liquid waste, while the mining process generates millions of tons of solid waste. The cheapest way for coal companies deal with this some of this waste is by constructing dams from the solid mining refuse (that is, rocks and soil) to impound the liquid waste. (In mountaintop removal coal mining, some of the solid refuse is dumped directly into valleys). Coal companies usually build these dams in the heads of hollows (valleys), close to their coal processing plants.
The photos in this post are from a sludge impoundment operated by Marfork Coal, a subsidiary of Massey Energy, located in Raleigh County, WV.
In addition to the environmental impacts of blasting mountains into rubble and burying streams with mining waste, mountaintop removal coal mining requires the building of giant sludge dams, which can hold billions of gallons of toxic coal sludge behind un-reinforced earthen dams. These slurries are necessary because, unlike coal from underground mines, coal from mountaintop removal requires extensive washing to separate the coal from debris and residues from the blasting of bedrock.
As of 2000, there were more than 600 sludge impoundments across the Appalachian coalfields. Chemical analyses of this sludge indicate it contains large amounts of arsenic, mercury, lead, copper, and chromium, among other toxins, which eventually seep into the drinking water supply of nearby communities.
I don’t usually like to post articles from other websites on this blog but this one disgusted me so much I just had to. I think for anybody that has even halfway followed my writing will know that I hate the disrespect laid upon our ancestors by the coal industry. The story that follows takes disrespect to a whole new level of disgusting.
Battle to Mine Coal Under Graveyard, Draws Reaction Story by Jerry Echemann
BELMONT, Ohio — A battle to mine coal under an historical church and graveyard in Belmont County, took on biblical proportions Friday.
Church leaders have already voted to allow the mining, but others say it’s wrong to disturb those who’ve been laid to rest there.
Ohio Valley Coal wants to mine an additional 1,500 acres in Smith and Goshen Townships. The state held a hearing Friday on their permit request. The Pastor of Chestnut Level Church said economic and Biblical ramifications were considered before giving the green light.
The Chestnut Level Church has been around since 1856. The pastor, at a hearing before the Department of Natural Resources, says mine subsidence is no factor since it can’t be fixed anyway. He said they don’t even ring the church bell for fear it will fall.
“A heavy snow and a strong wind will blow it down. We have tiles falling down on us. It’s in severe disrepair.” Rev. Brent Hopper said.
The 200 year old graves at the site present a different story. But the pastor pointed out that most of it could legally fall under the fringe of the mining. Hopper believes graves will see less damage by the decision to sell the entire coal rights.
The pastor, like a lot of other people, has ancestors buried here. And there we enter the religious realm.
“When are we going to draw the line? You can’t even rest in peace when you’re dead.” Belmont County resident Cheryl Skinner said.
Skinner said profits are the motivating factor, when respect for the dead should be.
But the pastor, whose grandparents are buried at the cemetery, takes a different view of what it means to disturb the dead.
“But you know something? My grandmother is not there. My grandfather is not there. The carcass they left behind is there, but they are not there. They are with the Lord. What is here they’ve got no use for.”
If the coal is mined, a new Chestnut Level Church is expected to be built. No decision on the mining permit was made.
I’m not going to get into a big discussion about religion but in my opinion the Rev. Brent Hopper has reserved his place alright - in Hell. Somebody needs to take this man out behind the church and teach him the meaning of respect.
Seriously, how far are we willing to go for profit or cheap energy? Humanity has reached a new low when our ancestors are disturbed for coal, a non-renewable resource. Mark my words, there will come a time, in our lifetime, when we regret some of the decisions we have made and continue to make for cheap energy. This story, in and of itself, is one prime example. Mountaintop removal is another.
I think it is way past time to rein in the destructive ignorance of the coal industry. And those who look upon the coal industry and see dollar signs. They are all a disgrace to the human race.
The Blogger’s Challenge http://www.ilovemountains.org/bloggers-challenge
The ultimate resource for bloggers interested in writing about mountaintop removal coal mining which includes embeddable video, coal tracking widgets, news and blog post headline tickers, and customizable “Spread the Word” widgets. These tools will encourage and incubate a community of concerned bloggers who spread the word, collaborate, and take action. The Blogger’s Challenge page also includes a “Blogger’s Impact” map, which shows where the campaign has spread around the country as a result of the challenge.
We have a somewhat special interest in the Bloggers Challenge in that it was inspired by our Blogging for Appalachia. I started Blogging for Appalachia a few months ago and I did it to try and get other bloggers to blog about the devastating impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining. The main reason was because MTR was hidden in the coalfields and I thought if more people blogged about the practice, people would stand up and take notice. In some ways we have succeeded in helping spread the word.
A day or two after I announced Blogging for Appalachia on my blog Kristine from Gun Safety Innovations issued a Blogging for Appalachia Challenge on the Outdoor Bloggers Summit blog which resulted in most of the links in the Blogging for Appalachia link list on this blog and all blogs I author. At the time the only thing I could offer was multiple links back to posts written about MTR. I could only guess at the impact I was having and how far the word was spreading.
With the Bloggers Challenge, iLoveMountains.org takes the idea to a whole new level. Now not only can you see the impact you are having they also have a number of tools to help spread the word.
I hope all of my blogging friends will take advantage of the new tools and once again rise to the occasion. It has been said that bloggers are the new news media. I always tell people that is so because if it is happening somewhere on the planet, there is a blogger or two talking about it. As bloggers, I sincerely believe we can make a difference. I encourage you to sign up for the Bloggers Challenge, put a couple widgets on your site and help us make a difference. We are bloggers and we will be heard.
Please sign up below so we can track our impact and then you can start tracking yours. BTW, you don’t have to be a blogger to add your voice.
Spread the word widget moved to bottom of far sidebar.
New Online Video Series Kicks Off, Shows the Real Cost of Coal to America’s Most Endangered Mountains
Advocates for the mountains and coalfield residents today launched a new series of online videos showing the looming danger to some of America’s most special places: the Appalachian mountains, which are home to a vibrant and indelible culture, stunning biodiversity and enormous economic potential. The videos, at www.ilovemountains.org, tell the stories of individuals and communities facing a future where their natural heritage is at risk of being blown up by mountaintop removal coal mining.
“We can find better ways to generate electricity without destroying communities,” said Mary Anne Hitt, Executive Director of Appalachian Voices, which created the videos. “Though too many mountains have been lost, there are many more that can still be saved – and their stories need to be told. Justice must be served to the communities of Appalachia.”
Mountaintop removal coal mining is an extremely destructive form of strip mining found throughout Appalachia, with some mines as big as the island of Manhattan. Coalfield residents say that it tears apart communities, destroys any chance of economic development, poisons water supplies, pollutes the air and destroys our nation’s natural heritage – while only making the climate crisis worse. Features of this new campaign include:
America’s Most Endangered Mountains Videos http://www.ilovemountains.org/endangered
The interactive map showcases 10 mountain communities facing a future where their natural heritage is at risk of being blown up by mountaintop removal coal mining. The stories featured in the videos show the reality on the ground in the Appalachian coalfields. Viewers are encouraged to spread the word and support the featured community, with videos that are easily emailed or embedded on any blog or webpage. Like the updated Appalachian Mountaintop Removal Layer in Google Earth, this map incorporates the latests videos, maps, and coal tracking tools from iLoveMountains.org.
The Blogger’s Challenge http://www.ilovemountains.org/bloggers-challenge
The ultimate resource for bloggers interested in writing about mountaintop removal coal mining which includes embeddable video, coal tracking widgets, news and blog post headline tickers, and customizable “Spread the Word” widgets. These tools will encourage and incubate a community of concerned bloggers who spread the word, collaborate, and take action. The Blogger’s Challenge page also includes a “Blogger’s Impact” map, which shows where the campaign has spread around the country as a result of the challenge.
Updated “Appalachian Mountaintop Removal” in Google Earth http://www.ilovemountains.org/google_earth_tutorial/
The most advanced content in the Google Earth’s Global Awareness layer now includes the latest videos, mapping, and coal tracking tools available on iLoveMountains.org. In 3-D and with out leaving home, one can take a high resolution tour of a mountaintop removal and see high resolution overlays of mountains before and after mining. The “My Connection” coal tracking tool lets Americans from Maine to California enter their zipcode and see how their electricity is connected to mountaintop removal. With video, stories, and photos, the “Endangered Mountain Videos” and the the “National Memorial for the Mountains” showcase communities threatened or devastated by mountaintop removal mining.
“For too long politicians have written off mountaintop removal coal mining as solely an environmental issue, but these videos show that it is so much more,” said Hitt. “The electricity that comes into your home when you flip your light switch may come at the cost of a community’s health, its economy, and even its culture. And that means it’s up to you to do something about it.”
The effort to end mountaintop removal has been gaining steam over the past year. As of today, the leading Congressional plan to end the practice has 140 co-sponsors - dozens more than in the last Congress, with months still to go.
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These new tools were actually released yesterday but since I have been feeling a little under the weather lately I’m a little late in announcing them on this blog. If you blog and want to help spread the word be sure to pick up a spread the word widget for your blog and then track your impact at ilovemountains.org.
Two of the widgets are in the far sidebar and a spread the word widget will be located there after I resolve some issues with the new widget.
Personally I don’t like any of the three possible future Presidents. As I have heard a few people say - I have become a one issue voter. And the issue is the future use of coal. The reasoning behind it is simple - more coal usage means more mountaintop removal. I especially hate to hear anybody talk about clean coal.
In this quoted statement Hillary Clinton talks about clean coal technology and to be honest her statement is kind of hard to figure out. This is the question Clinton and Obama were asked and Hillary’s reply. This is the source.
Q: A new Bush administration report says most of the oil and nearly half of the natural gas beneath public lands in the U.S. are off limits to drilling. To get at those resources would require Congress to roll back environmental safeguards and lift drilling prohibitions on large areas of the Rocky Mountain West. As president, would you favor lifting some of these restrictions to increase domestic energy production?
Clinton: Not at this time, no. I’m familiar with the discussion about drilling on the Rocky Mountain Front and on other federal lands. I do not favor that at this time. I think we ought to be much more focused on energy efficiency and conservation and looking for sources of renewable energy like investing in clean-coal technology. I agree with Senators Baucus and Tester that keeping the Rocky Mountain Front untouched by drilling is essential to the enjoyment and economic security of local families and communities along the Front and all of Montana.
What is wrong with the highlighted part of her reply? How can clean-coal technology be termed a renewable energy source? It is simply impossible because it involves coal, a non-renewable resource.
So which one was it - a slip of the tongue or ignorant of the facts?
