Coal River Mountain is the largest mountain in this part of southern WV. Its also the only one still intact, which tells you something about the destructive tendencies of the WV coal fanatics like Don Blankenship.
Coal River Mtn is the last mountain standing, not to mention the proposed site of Coal River Wind Project - a local green jobs initiative to provide more electricity and more jobs to the area for a longer time than coal.
Blasting started in mid-October and stopped today. No, it didn't stop because of EPA action, despite widespread protests and the lack of the proper permits. It stopped because activists took direct action and locked down to a drill rig.
From the press release this morning:
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 RiverValley from blasting near the Brushy Fork Impoundment. They plan to stay locked down until law enforcement removes them.
I know Nick and Dea and I've worked with them before. They aren't from West Virginia, but they would do anything to put an end to this destruction. For activists all over the country, Coal River Mountain is a rally point, a lightning rod for the country. The campaign, Climate Ground Zero, says it all - this is where climate change begins, and this is where we turn the tide to make it end.
In the very short term, blasting needs to stop here because there won't be any mountain left before too long, and because of the imminent danger to the community.
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.
"The Brushy Fork Sludge Impoundment keeps residents of the Coal River Valley up at night, waiting for eight billion gallons of toxic coal slurry to come rushing towards them," said Dea Goblirsch, one of the two locked down. "I don’t know how Massey executives sleep soundly at night."
Hydrologist, Dr. Rick Eades spoke of concerns about the stability of the dam as blasting occurs. He questioned "blasting where underground mines existed in the Eagle coal seam, the possibilities for adversely affecting near-surface bedrock in a way that could possibly enhance pathways for slurry to be released via the subsurface and bypass the dam."
The concern is that slurry will break into underground mine shafts and blow out through old mine openings on the side of the mountain. This potentiality for Coal River Mountain mirrors the cause of the world’s largest slurry spill which occurred in Martin County, Ky. In 2000, 250 million gallons of slurry broke forth from a 2.2-billion-gallon impoundment, killing nearly all life in the Big Sandy River. Its impact reached all the way to the Ohio River, about 100 miles away.
The EPA has the power to stop this blasting and to end the destructive practice of mountaintop removal. Activists are making a direct demand to the federal agency to stand up for what's right. The agency is listening, but they need this extra push. Here's a response I got, as the blogger for an EPA protest on Oct 30th:
"Today 13 mountaintop removal protestors spent approximately four hours in nonviolent obstruction at EPA Headquarters in Washington, DC. After having an opportunity to share their concerns with EPA officials, the protestors exited the building of their own accord.
"EPA respects the concerns around the issue of mountaintop mining and understands the high emotions felt by many Americans. Under the leadership of Administrator Lisa P. Jackson, the Agency has taken a number of unprecedented actions within the scope of the law, and in partnership with other federal agencies to ensure the safety and health of mining communities. We welcome and seek the voices of all Americans, and look to them to guide our efforts to protect health and the environment. We will continue to solicit the input of affected communities, and engage with the public on this important issue."
The activists know that they have the ear of the EPA. From today:
...Nick Martin, currently locked down, said, "The EPA’s recent action proves that the communities’ concerns about this site are shared at the highest levels of government."
As Obama gets ready to head to Copenhagen and work on an underwhelming climate treaty, he is missing a powerful symbolic step he can take domestically to signal his willingness to win the hard fight of climate change. He can halt blasting on Coal River Mountain, and halt mountaintop removal. He would win over a lot of fans if he did.
Resident of Rock Creek, W Va., Delbert Gunnoe said
"Don’t like much about Obama, but he’ll have one heck of a supporter if he stops mountaintop mining."
Take Action by asking the Obama Administration to Save Coal River Mountain.
Update:
You can watch live updates as the lock-down unfolds at the Climate Ground Zero website.
The Coal River Mountain drill rig occupation continues into the afternoon. Folks are safe and sound, making sure the drill rig goes nowhere.
Also, consider donating. This action campaign is run on a shoestring, and they need all the help they can get.