Pro-Coal Group Buys “Members” From Stock Photo Site

Faces of Coal is another corporate sponsored pro-mountaintop removal group that likes to call itself “grassroots.”  Hopefully they won’t go as far as other astroturfers and forge letters to Congress.   But beware…

Thanks to Jamie Goodman with Appalachian Voices for uncovering this.

Leaked Memo Proves DEP Head Must Resign

Against the overwhelming evidence (including EPA studies) and down-right commonsense that mountaintop removal coal quarrying (formerly known as “mining”) had very harmful effects on ecosystems, the coal industry and its government could find shelter behind a scientific institution which said otherwise.  And though alone in the wilderness, this shelter seemed all the more sturdy since it was none other than the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, the very agency whose members had as a primary duty to diligently guard against any intrusion which would harm the environment. As head of the DEP, Randy Huffman’s contestation that mountaintop removal was benign seemed like the voice of Zeno’s reason, assuring us that we have been manipulated by our senses, that the degradation we see is only a chimera, that the arrow really doesn’t move.

Why the Government Should NOT Fund Tree Planting on MTR Sites

According to the AP,  “The Obama administration is mulling a proposal for a new jobs program with the aim of planting trees on Appalachian mountaintops that have been scalped by mining companies in search of coal.” The money would go to a group called the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative. On the surface, this seems like a great way to reclaim mountaintop removal sites and at the same time bring jobs to the region.

Earl Ray Tomblin Wants to be Governor

Earl Ray Tomblin is the President of West Virginia’s State Senate and he wants to be governor.  Tellingly, for 35 years he has  represented Logan County, arguably the most corrupt county in the nation.  Logan’s failing sunshine review grade and the latest vote buying scandal only scratch the surface. 

Don’t Let Them Tell You Strip-mining is Safer for the Workers

Today, another strip-miner died when the excavator he was operating rolled into a pond.   Doubtless Patriot Coal is more concerned about losing the excavator.

This marks the 9th surface mine fatality of 2009 in the United States. There have been two deep mine deaths this year.

The True Costs of Coal: A Very Brief Introduction

The social harm caused by coal is enormous.

Of course there is the obvious horror of mountaintop removal. I once led a discussion with coalfield residents in which we brainstormed about 100 of its horrible effects, ranging from the disappearance of wildlife to the boulders that were crashing in nearby homes.

Massey Comes to Power

To celebrate the DVD reissue of the 1986 film The Mine War on Blackberry Creek, Appalshop is streaming the documentary in its entirety (28 minutes) on the web for free.  In 1984, Massey began a push to break the union along the West Virginia and Kentucky border. But union miners refused to give away their high wages, pensions, benefits, and independence without a struggle.  Compelled by the blood their ancestors spilled to give them their rights, and in solidarity with South Africans working in slave conditions in Massey mines across the globe, union miners struggled intensely for two and a half years against company goons, amoral scabs, and a state police force which might as well have been on king coal’s payroll.

Blair Mountain Removed from National Historic Registry

Thanks to the efforts of the mountaintop removal industry and the politicians who do their bidding, the site of the nation’s largest worker rebellion will be delisted from the National Historic Registry.

Make a Statement: Skip the Tolls

Despite public outcry, the WV Parkways Authority, with the support of Governor Manchin, exacted a 60% toll increase on the West Virginia turnpike: a highway that runs through some of the poorest regions in the state. Thus, the same people who are struggling the most in this recession will feel the brunt of the increase. Tax the poor because they can’t afford to fight back.

There are three toll booths on the turnpike. On this post, I will give you directions to get around all of them.  Skipping some of the booths is surprisingly easy, while avoiding others can be a little troublesome.  If you know of an easier way, please comment.

WV State Police Donate $1,000 to Coal Industry

I’m not kidding.

And it isn’t the only government institution giving the Coal Industry tax dollars.