FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dea Goblirsch 914 960 2197
Email: news@climategroundzero.org
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!”
This action precedes Tuesday’s Massey Energy Annual Shareholders Meeting in Richmond, V.A.. Mountain Justice and Union organizations, including the United Mine Workers of America, are planning to rally outside of the meeting, encouraging shareholders to take a hard look at Massey Energy and CEO Don Blankenship’s lack of corporate responsibility. Martin and Bryant are blocking the road for similar reasons, including the destructive practice of mountaintop removal mining.
Mountaintop removal mining blasts mountains apart to get to the coal seams beneath, pushing the rubble into nearby valleys. The destruction leads to cracked home foundations, an increase in respiratory diseases and cancer in nearby communities, and poisoned waterways. In some cases, land that has been in families for generations is literally blown apart.
“I used to work for the coal industry, because that’s pretty much the only kind of work you can find around here,” said Junior Walk, 19, a lifelong resident of the Coal River Valley, “It didn’t really register, how much of a scale the destruction was on, until I was a guard at a mine site and I would look out over this wasteland, this moonscape.”
Coal sludge, a byproduct of washing coal to make it burn “cleaner,” is stored in large impoundments that loom over coalfield communities. The Brushy Fork Sludge Dam on Coal River Mountain, operated by Massey subsidiary Marfork Coal, is the tallest earthen dam in North America. The impoundment, permitted to hold 9 billion gallons of coal sludge, rests atop a honeycomb of abandoned underground mines, causing experts, including hydrologist Rick Eades to call its structural integrity into question. By Massey’s own estimates, if the dam were to break, it would kill 998 Coal River Valley residents. Massey is currently blasting a football field’s length away from the impoundment on Coal River Mountain.
“ . . .Something’s got to be done about it, and if no one speaks up, nothing will be,” Walk continued, “I can’t let my home be destroyed, it’s horrible and it needs to be stopped.”
Martin and Bryant released an open letter to Massey Energy’s shareholders, which can be read here.
According to their letter, Martin and Bryant intend to hold their blockade until Massey shareholders “join with the coalition of nine public institutional investors that are asking Massey to withhold support from Don Blankenship and Board of Directors Baxter F. Philips, Richard M. Gabrys, and Dan R. Moore ‘because they have failed to carry out their duties on the Safety, Environmental, and Public Policy Committee,’” and Massey ceases its mountaintop removal operations, and decommissions the Brushy Fork Sludge Impoundment.
This blockade follows one last September, when four activists obstructed the same road using chains and lock boxes. Three, James McGuiness, Joe Hamsher and Fred Williamson, received 20-day sentences for the stand they took that morning. This is the latest action in Climate Ground Zero’s campaign of civil resistance to mountaintop removal.
I just love those kids. Way to go!!!
Great job!
I want to say Thank you to these brave kids, way to go!
Hmmm, blockade didn’t last to long. I was through there around 8AM and didn’t see anyone. Did they run out of reefer that early and have to leave already? And what state are these folks from??? They must be new, haven’t heard of them yet. I wish them the best of luck in jail, in luck I mean I hope they get put with Bubba and Bertha. I read on here somewhere that Mr. Roselle said that Bubba liked it rough, and he likes it when you call him Big Pappa. But that’s just what I’ve read on here, I could be wrong.
PS…. Your shenanigans are getting old and boring. Why don’t you all mix it up a little bit and play a game of chicken with a dozer/loader/ etc? Why don’t you walk up to a miner and punch him??? But yeah, we are all getting tired of these non-violent, come when no one is home tactics!
Dear “brushy”….speaking of “old and boring”…….
Damn em, you really got the best of me with your comment. Why don’t you delete your post and start over.
Good to see EMs back, and as witty as ever.
Dear Mr. “Brushy”, you are a spineless pile of trash, why don’t you walk up to a tree-huger and punch them? You might just hit the wrong one buddy.
HEY COAL RIVER RESIDENT, WHY DON’T YOU MOVE? I’LL WALK UP TO YOU OR ANY OF YOU FUCKING TREEHUGGERS AND PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE.
Why don’t you make me move then big man?
awwwww…is this what I have been missing?
Coal river resident…. I’m pretty confident that a tree hugger couldn’t whip anyone’s ass around here! I think that is why you insist on these “non-violent” acts so that if we would happen to hit you, then we would be the one going to jail, not you. And why is it that you all have to always have the cops at your tree fucking rallies??? Is that just a coincidence??? I think not! You all are gonna get someone killed with this middle of the night bullshit. I’m not really concerned about your life, but I am concerned about all the fellow members’ lives. I know these guys would go far out of their way to miss you in these rock trucks and such, but what if one gets out of control and goes over a highwall??? Rock trucks might be big, but have very little grip in mud! Not to mention the blind spots these peices of equipment have… And an impoundment is a neccessary part of underground mining. Deep mined coal HAS to be cleaned before shipment, that means slurry and ref rock….. So are you all sure that your JUST against strip mining????
Hey Progress Miner. Are you coming to the Hearing on Tuesday evening in Charleston? If so my husband and I would love to finally put a face with the typing and to thank you!
Wait Brushy, their landlord has seduced their minds and even stated here on this site, impoundments are not required for underground mining. Shows you how much research is done. Like if they were not required, why did the impoundments at Edwight and Brushy Fork exist years before MTR was introduced? Well anyways enough of this, carry on.
Raychel, it will be a last minute decision.
All of you strip-mining pussies need to man up and come up to me one of these days, you’ll never know what happened.
I love all the macho nonsense. You’ll never leave – I have left and been back here many times. And will continue to do the same. Non-violence is a well accepted means of standing up for one self and the environment. But if you feel the need to prove your manhood by hitting someone, I can understand that. Many people who cannot hold their own in a debate or discussion feel like they are losing, and can only resort to violence. Such a shame. As to the police, they seem to show up at most demonstrations, or have you not read about anything outside WV? I might enjoy doing an action, but jail is never very enjoyable. And if there is something you believe in, I think you should be willing to be incarcerated for it. Seems to be something quite noble, and perhaps even American about it.
JCV – It seems that perhaps you might want to secede from the USA. After all, West Virginia is merely one state in a country of 50. And will it make you feel much better to punch someone? I mean, are you really in grade school, and think the schoolyard is the place to solve all your problems? I was hoping that people on here might be able to avail themselves of at least a modicum of intellectual discourse. After all, most people here are hopefully over the age of 18, and should be able to engage in a spirited discussion. But perhaps, I am wrong, and hoping for too much.
Guin…… all violence aside, what will you and your group do when, ‘ God forbid’ one of these young “activists” gets injured or killed during one of these”non violent” protests? I know if it were my child, I would own you and your groups butt. Hope you have plenty of liability insurance.
Watcher – It would be a tragedy. And, to be quite clear, people have been seriously injured or killed during non-violent protests. Some are killed by police violence, and some have died when the tree they chose to defend was cut down by a murderous logger. Those engaging in actions take every precaution to avoid injury for all involved, including security, police, and workers.
People who choose to take part in such actions, and commit to a code of non-violence, including myself, do so because they know there are larger things at stake. It is similar to the logic that motivates young men and women to join the military – for them, defending national interests is more important than their own lives – for us, defending Appalachia’s communities and ecosystems from rapacious corporate interests is that greater cause.
Brushy – You might be a spineless piece of trash, but you might not be – I don’t know you. A game of chicken with a dozer sounds like a good idea. We’ve played a few, and will continue to until those dozers turn around and start putting the mountains back together, as best they can be. As for punching a miner – most miners I’ve met are pretty great guys or gals, and though we may have a serious point of disagreement, one which I’ll put my body on the line for, I’m not going to punch them. Why would I want to?
Impundments are not necessary parts of coal mining. Out west where they mine coal they use dry processing, which creates a solid toxic waste. Still not good, but solid waste is much easier to contain that liquid waste, which has the pesky tendency to seep into well water and streams. The coal companies don’t care about you, or your drinking water though, and its cheaper to poison you with sludge and slurry than it is to use dry processing techniques.
How do you put up with the coal companies destroying everything around you and poisoning your kids. Is the pay that good? I hear all the time that there are no other jobs – and that is true at the moment – but there could be other jobs if you actually worked for that to be the case. Take responsibility.
HEY COAL RIVER RESIDENT – FUCK YOU
HEY GUINSTIGATOR – FUCK YOU
WHO’S NEXT?
Andrew, you still have to store the dry in an impoundment type of situation… And it is just dry powder, so what happens when it gets wet after it has been filled over with dirt??? Turns into a HUGE soft spot with no indications of the danger on the surface. Think about that…. Next, the mountains are put back in a process in which you all forget to show on your websites…. RECLAIMATION…. And next, Coal river resident probably is just a “temporary” resident here under the assumption that Mike Roselle and Judy Bonds is gonna pay for their college with the money they steal from the government for their false businesses. But never-the-less he is a douche….
Guinstigator – All I said is that you all should step up your demonstrations and make them a little more interesting by maybe punching a miner instead of getting behind a line of troopers and THEN start calling us scabs and mountain rapers. As far as my screen name, if you knew anything about coal you would have heard the song “you’ll never leave harlan alive.” It has nothing to do with you fuckers coming to or leaving brushy fork. As far as the violence when people are losing, yeah that might be true, but we (miners) live in appalachia and we (miners) believe in fighting for what we believe is right. And I, just as every other miner, am willing to let the whole union/nonunion thing and company rivalries go for a little bit to better the state and the country. Coal propelled this country to be the greatest country in the world to live in but you all can’t see that! Without coal we would all be speaking german and “hailing” Hitler. The mountains of Appalachia heal themselves after a forest fire or a mudslide, and they will heal themselves after mining! It may take a few years, but they will heal themselves and also have some usable space on them that is accessable. Then you all could put your god awful looking windmills up there and destroy the view forever!
Dear Mr. Brushy…..I know it won’t make difference but here is some information for you on “wreck”clamation. In a study prepared for the Natural Resources Defense Council in December 2009 by Ross Geredien it states, “Between 1.05 and 1.21 million acres of land had been extensively surface mined in the Appalachian region, much of which has consisted of MTR/VF mining. At least 500 mountain ridges in the region have been partially or completely leveled by MTR/VF.” “Of the 410 reclaimed MTR sites surveyed, 366 (89.3%) had NO form of verifiable post mining economic reclamation excluding forestry and pasture.”
Also, these “reclaimed” sites are not “reclaimed” with natural indigenous plants. I know if you are a true West Virginian this has to cause you some distress. To see our Mountains destroyed not to mention our water sources being buried and poisoned. There can be other jobs. It will involve change and adaptation. But West Virginians are the most adaptable people in the world in my opinion and we can protect our mountains and come up with another industry that provides jobs. OUt of over 700,000 jobs in WV only 30,000 are mine related. With any situation there are pros and cons and I can’t justify in my mind the damage being done for that small a percentage of jobs.
Munn, you are still ‘ recruiting’ and encouraging these gullible young people to break the law and put themselves and others in danger. When a tragedy happens, I have to wonder if you and the others encouraging these young people will step up and “take responsibility” . I know if it were my child I would persue you and your group in court and sue your pants off.
Em, not everyone wants to work at a minimum wage job, and the biggest part of those 700,000 jobs are probably minimum wage. As fas as leveling the mountains, the law states that the company has to put it back within acceptable limits and contours minus the height of the seams of coal. UNLESS the surround county or state government sees post mining related building or such. Rather this be a shopping center, jail, airport, golf course, etc., then the land is left leveled off for future development. Your a fellow West Virginian, so you know we have very little room for housing and business in WV, especially in the coal river valley.
Brushy- you seem like a very intelligent guy once you’ve realized your ape-minded threats aren’t intimidating said through the internet. Too bad you’re fed all your important points by Fox News, probably like the Coal company feeds you a meager paycheck.
But, enough banter. Yes, those 700,000 jobs probably are minimum wage. That’s how the coal company keeps you stuck. What you choose to deny is that you’re one step away from working a minimum wage job whether you’re job is “stolen” by a “treehugger,” or whether Massey chooses your slave labor is too expensive. Don Blankenship is using you to make sure he’s never in that position; you and however many thousand others. Can you see that? If yes, do you really find that fair? Would you do that if you were in his position? If you would, wouldn’t that make you a giant douche-bag?
One more question. Did you grow up wanting to be a coal miner, or do you take pride in it because it’s the only deal in town that keeps you above the poverty line? Maybe, those of us who stand up against these corporations are really pissed off that we can’t choose, which is what the constitution of this country is supposed to protect. And you think this is just the case for West Virginia? Why don’t you travel and gain some perspective? Maybe that was three questions, but you piss me off. Read some philosophy and think a little bit.
AP $80,000 to 120,000 a year coal jobs are slave labor?? Just what do you consider those other 700,000 jobs at minimum wage?? Get your mouth off the bong for a while and maybe your mind will clear .
HEY COAL RIVER RESIDENT, WHERE CAN I FIND YOU SO I CAN MAN UP? LET’S SEE WHO THE PUSSY IS.
So AP, what state are you from? Pennslyvania, New York, California???? I’m not a slave at my job, I like what I do and have fun at my job. I work for Massey by choice, not because I am forced to! West Virginia is coal, whether you like it or not.