It's Getting Hot In Here

Written by Dea Goblirsch and Kim Huynh. Photos by Ben Droz.

“President Obama, join me in my kitchen at 4 p.m. any day of the week and learn first-hand what you are allowing to happen in Appalachia and its mountain communities,” said Bo Webb, a ninth-generation resident of Naoma W.Va. in the Coal River Valley, “You’d hear and feel blasts coming from both sides of the valley, and if it rains, you might see water flowing black down river. The mountain behind my home is destroyed – gone forever – and across the valley Massey Energy is beginning mountaintop removal mining on Coal River Mountain. Will your administration continue to sanction the whole-sale destruction of our mountains and communities or will you respect the human rights and abolish mountaintop removal and strip mining?”

Webb is a central organizer for Appalachia Rising, the largest mobilization against mountaintop removal and surface mining in United States history. On September 25th-27th, 2010, thousands of Appalachians and their allies from across the nation will work together in the weekend movement summit, Voices from the Mountains, and on Monday we will march on the White House to demand an end to the flattening of Appalachia’s ancient peaks, the poisoning of its waters and the destruction of its communities. Organizers are committed to supporting people who choose to engage in non-violent civil disobedience.

It is time for the national climate and social justice movements to converge side by side with the movement for justice in Appalachia, join us at Appalachia Rising.

Continue reading ‘Appalachia Rising: Join the Mobilization to Abolish Mountaintop Removal!’

Written by Kim Huynh

Coalfield residents and organizers from across Appalachia gathered on the West Virginia state capital steps in Charleston, to announce Appalachia Rising, a mass mobilization set for September 27th in Washington, DC. They issues a rallying call for thousands to join in demanding the Obama Administration abolish surface mining and invest in sustainable economic diversification in Appalachia.  Photos are available here. Watch it here:

While local officials and the legislature are kissing the sooty ring of King Coal, Appalachians are losing their homes, their health, and their jobs.

Speaking an truth to power about the destruction wrought by surface mining, Boone County resident and Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition organizer Maria Gunnoe yesterday said, “Lindytown, Sharples, Mifflin, Jack’s Branch…I’ve literally watched throughout Boone County as places have disappeared forever, erased.”

Surface mining is destroying the Appalachians and everything that relies on them, including Appalachian communities. The mining practice releases cancer-causing particulates into the air and contaminates water. Giant reservoirs of toxic coal slurry loom over schools and community spaces. Coal companies are required to restore mountain elevations after their mines are used up, but they do little more than hydro-seed the gravel where mountaintops used to be. Nothing can grow or live on these “restored” mountains thereafter.

Continue reading ‘Appalachia Rising: Mountaintop Removal Abolition Mass Mobilization to Washington DC Launched in Charleston, WV’

Contact: Dea Goblirsch 304-854-7372

EmmaKate and Benjamin remain in Southwestern Regional Jail this morning held on $100,000 bails for their blockade of Massey Energy Regional Headquarters in Boone county, W.Va.

We are asking you to call Magistrate Snodgrass and demand their bails be reduced to a reasonable amounts.

Benjamin’s case number is: 10-M-7-11-12-13-14

EmmaKate’s case number is: 10-M-7-15-16-17-18

Here’s an example statement: I am calling to express my outrage at the exorbitantly high bail Magistrate Snodgrass set for EmmaKate Martin and Benjamin Bryant. Their case numbers are 10-M-7-11-12-13-14 and 10-M-7-15-16-17-18. The 8th Amendment states “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.”  Snodgrass is using bail as punishment, and it is certainly excessive.  He is doing a disservice to society by holding them behind bars until their hearing.  Please reduce their bail to a reasonable amount that reflects their four non-violent misdemeanor charges.

Boone County Magistrate Office: 304-369-7360

Act in solidarity with EmmaKate, Benjamin, and all of those who are standing on the front lines of destruction. Call Magistrate Snodgrass and pass this on to your networks.

DONATE TO THE CLIMATE GROUND ZERO LEGAL FUND!

Continue reading here…

This breaking from the coalfields of West Virginia on the eve of Massey Energy’s annual shareholders meeting!

Contact: Dea Goblirsh 914-960-2197

Julian, W.Va. — Two Climate Ground Zero protestors are blocking the driveway to Massey Energy’s Regional Headquarters in Boone County, W.Va.. EmmaKate Martin, 18, is suspended on a platform between three interlocking poles, 30 feet above the road. Ben Bryant, 23, is locked to the base of one pole. A banner hanging from the platform reads “Massey: Profit over People & Mountains: Fight Back!”

Read the full press release on www.climategroundzero.org

UPDATE: By 9 am, both Bryant and Martin had been removed from the tripod and arrested. They are awaiting charges in Madison, W.Va.

Martin and Bryant wrote this open letter to the shareholders of Massey Energy and the American public.

I, EmmaKate Martin and I, Benjamin Bryant, are blocking the road to Massey Energy’s regional headquarters in Boone County, West Virginia in order to spotlight and oppose Massey’s egregious safety, environmental and human rights violations. It is our responsibility to stand in firm opposition to Massey’s corporate behavior. We willingly face the legal consequences of our non-violent action, for we know we are not alone; millions in Appalachia and across the nation are coming to see Massey for what it is. Whether it is the mountains of Appalachia, the lives of underground miners deep inside them, or the wellbeing of communities living below, Massey continually prioritizes profits over people. It is time for the people of Appalachia and America – be you shareholder or worker, young or old – to reject Massey and work together to create something better in its place.

Continue reading ‘Climate Ground Zero Blockades Massey Regional HQ in Boone County, W.Va.’

Coal River Mountain Watch sent the following message earlier this afternoon. For complete coverage of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster check Ken Ward Jr.’s blog – Coal Tattoo.

Tragedy has struck the Coal River Valley. 25 men are confirmed dead and 4 missing, after an explosion ripped through the Upper Big Branch underground mine at 3:00 PM Monday. In the wake of yesterday’s events our thoughts and prayers go to the miners of Upper Big Branch and their families. Like everyone in Coal River, we are waiting to hear about the fate of family, friends, and neighbors.

The Upper Big Branch Mine is in the Coal River Valley, three miles south of Whitesville. It is operated by Performance Coal, a subsidiary of Massey Energy. The mine lies beneath a vast expanse of Massey-operated mountaintop removal surface mines. This is the worst mine disaster to strike the Coal River Valley and the worst mine disaster in the USA in 25 years.

The Upper Big Branch mine’s history is riddled with safety violations. In 2009, the Upper Big Branch mine had 458 safety violations, incurring a total of $897,325 in fines. Since January 1, 2010, the Miner Safety and Health Administration has issued the Performance Coal 115 safety violations for the Upper Big Branch mine. For six of the past ten years, it has exceeded the national average in safety violations.

As yesterday’s tragedy makes all too clear, coal mining is dangerous work. Its impacts shape every aspect of modern life; from the energy infrastructure that powers our homes, work, and gadgets, to the exploitation of miners and coalfield communities. The men and women who go underground deserve our respect and solidarity. At Coal River Mountain Watch, we are devoting growing energy to diversifying the local economy so that men and  women no longer need to risk their lives for their livelihoods.

Our friends at the Whitesville restaurant and craft shop, Nuttin’ Fancy, are at work cooking food to serve rescue workers and family members. Please make a donation to support their volunteer efforts – make checks payable to Nuttin’ Fancy and mail them to P.O. Box 452 Whitesville, WV 25209.

The West Virginia Council of Churches has set up a fund as well. Donations can be made from their website.

Today, we ask that you keep the families of the lost miners, and the four still missing, in your hearts. Pray for them and pray for all coalfield communities. Reflect on your connection to coal, and work for a diversified economy and energy infrastructure in Appalachia and across America. The past cannot be undone, but the future is yet to be made.

solidarity,

Coal River Mountain Watch

Post By Junior Walk, Whitesville, Coal River Valley, West Virginia

Hi, my name is Junior Walk, and my family has lived in the coal fields of southern West Virginia for generations.  It pains me to see my heritage destroyed and defamed, and to see my friends and family poisoned by unclean water.   So, I decided to take a little trip to Washington D.C. to put a stop to it.

Today, I’m in our nations capitol to stop the heinous practice of mountaintop removal coal mining.  I’m here with the Alliance for Appalachia, as an employee of Coal River Mountain Watch; I’m here as an environmental activist; I’m here as an affected coal field resident; but I’m mostly here as someone whom cares about people, and all other living things.

My meetings today were cordial, I met with the offices of three different congressmen.  The first one was on the fence about the Clean Water Protection Act, the second one will probably co-sign, and the third was already a co-signer.  I think we’re making serious progress here, we already have more than 160 co-signers, and we only need 40-50 more co-signers.

When this bill becomes a law, it will effectively end mountaintop removal by making valley fills illegal (which they were in the first place).  Continue reading ‘From Coal River Valley to Washington DC’

Amber Nitchman and Eric Blevins descended from their trees on Coal River Mountain Friday at noon in the face of an oncoming winter storm. The action brought attention from Governor Manchin, the Washington Post, and stopped the destruction for nine days. But our work is far from over.

Nitchman, Blevins, David Aaron Smith, David Baghdadi, Benard Fiorillo, Josh Graupera and Isabelle Rozendaal stopped a blast site on Coal River Mountain for nine days, and their total bail amounts to $9,625.00. Nitchman and Blevins are still in jail, held for a combined cash-only total of $5,000. Bail is paid to the state of West Virginia to release people who have been arrested. The state then returns it in full when the person goes to trial. A donation to the legal fund stays in the campaign and enables us to expand the campaign of civil resistance.

Please donate to the Mountain Justice legal defense fund: Paypal, or another method.

Continue reading ‘Coal River Mountain Tree Sit Ends, Civil Resistance Campaign Continues’

My journey in the movement has been one of critical engagement with the status quo, my peers, and my assumptions. Strategy sessions, marches, actions,  speeches, lobby meetings, countless emails and googledocs, rallies, conversations, books, and periods of reflection have constructed the vantage point from which I write today. This is a lengthy post. In it, I will recount personal experience and observations, present the bones of a theoretical framework for redirecting our movement, offer a critique of current strategies, and begin a conversation on what would constitute an effective strategy. It’s probably a bit much for one blog post, but I hope that you will take the time to read it and offer your perspective on the topics at hand. I write out of love and respect for the many amazing people who have shaped me and my work to this point.

Introduction
In August 2007, I participated in the Sierra Student Coalition’s annual leadership gathering, Shindig. At Shindig, I connected with dozens of inspiring youth leaders from around the nation. Leaving that week I saw myself as one person in a network of groups and individuals leading the way to a carbon-free future. I knew that by organizing our fellow students and communities to demand clean energy from the powers-that-be we could secure a sustainable and prosperous future. It was with this conviction that I returned to Michigan and threw myself into my new role as student coordinator of the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition on the eve of Power Shift 2007. Continue reading ‘Climate Generation: Reshaping the Flow of Power’

Organize a Solidarity Sit in For Climate Justice. Now is the time.

Demands for Climate Justice have erupted with an exciting energy on every stage of COP15 – thousands of marchers approached the Bella Center, hundreds of delegates walked in an attempt to join the People’s Assembly, and as  I write dozens of youth are sitting in to demand a fair, ambitious, and binding deal from the COP15 process.

Climate Justice, however, will not be secured this week in Copenhagen. It will be won through the grassroots movements of the Global South and the unwavering solidarity of movements in developed nations. Both movements now turn their eyes to Copenhagen, on the actions of the negotiators, and the thousands who have gone to stand for Climate Justice. We are inspired by their actions inside and outside the Bella Center today, and now, right now, is the perfect moment to take that flame and spread it.

You are an actor in the struggle for Climate Justice. You have agency. We have power. Hit the phones, now, don’t wait, call your friends – it is urgent, more urgent than final exams – and organize a sit-in action in solidarity with those standing for Climate Justice in Copenhagen.

We are a force to be reckoned with. Let the world know that not only do the thousands of global citizens who converged on Copenhagen stand for Climate Justice – we all do. The whole world watched today, tomorrow, let the whole world spring into action.

Do it.

The Drill Rig on Coal River Mountain: One person is inside the cabin, and one is locked in the drill shaft. The banner, draped over the drill's front, says "Save Coal River Mountain"

Early this morning two concerned citizens, Dea Goblirsch and Nick Martin, locked down to a drill rig on Coal River Mountain’s Bee Tree mountaintop removal site, effectively stopping blasting. Two others, Grace Williams and Laura Von Dolen, joined them in direct support, holding a banner with the message “Save Coal River Mountain”.

These nonviolent protestors have taken this action to bring attention to the extreme danger facing residents of the Coal River Valley from blasting near the Brushy Fork Impoundment. They plan to stay locked down until law enforcement removes them.

Resident of Rock Creek, W Va., Delbert Gunnoe, stated his concerns with the blasting, “You know when they put a blast over there, and it shakes the windows over here, at what, ¾-a-mile distance, imagine what it does over there.” Gunnoe continued, “if [the impoundment] did bust…what would be the destruction? The town of Whitesville would no longer exist.”

The four are fearful of the blasting that Massey Energy began in late October.  These blasts are 200 feet from the Brushy Fork Impoundment, permitted to hold nine billion gallons of toxic coal slurry. The impoundment sits atop miles of hollow, abounded underground mines, further endangering its integrity.  By Massey’s own estimates, roughly 998 people will die should the dam break. The emergency evacuation plan states that a 40-foot wall of sludge, cresting at 72 feet, will flow through the valley, reaching 20-feet-high about 15 miles down the road.  Apart from the initial flood, the impact of this potential spill would be felt along the Coal River’s 88 miles.

Continue reading ‘Responding to Harmful Government Inaction, Protesters Stop Blasting on Coal River Mountain’