Coal River Valley Residents Demand Prevention of Blasting Coal River Mountain

By scott parkin

Coal River Valley Residents Demand Prevention of Blasting Coal River Mountain

WV Sit in

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – At noon seven people will deliver a letter of concerns and personal statements regarding Massey Energy’s imminent mountaintop removal coal mining on Coal River Mountain to Joe Manchin at the West Virginia Governor’s Mansion. The deliverers have stated that they will refuse to leave until the letter is received and Manchin agrees to the community’s demands. The letter is signed by 13 residents of the Coal River Valley, at least four of whom will be present at today’s event. The seven citizens to deliver the document are associated with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero. In addition to Manchin, Coal River Valley residents are sending the document to the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Surface Mining, Mining Safety and Health Administation, WV Department of Environmental Protection, Post-mine Land Use Committee of the W.Va. State Government, Representative Nick Rahall, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Senator Robert Byrd and President Obama.

This will be the sixteenth action in a series of non-violent civil disobedience actions that have resulted in over one hundred arrests on mountaintop removal sites and at government and corporate offices across West Virginia. Coal River Valley residents have touted wind energy development as a viable alternative to the industry-projected 17 years of strip mining on Coal River Mountain.

The document can be viewed and downloaded here:

Editor’s Note: Photos, Video, and updates here.