Date: September 30th 2009

Greetings from the Coal River Valley!

What a day full of good news at ground zero! Today saw the first jury trial of the campaign. Glen Collins appeared before Magistrate Byrneside in Boone County Court to defend himself against charges of trespassing and conspiracy stemming from the May 23rd lockdown to a rock truck on Kayford Mountain. He faced up to 18 months in jail. Six other activists that participated in the lockdown plead no contest and received maximum fines of $1844. Despite very limited evidence, the jury found Collins guilty on both counts. Much to our surprise (and in contrast to the dire predictions of all of our public defenders), Magistrate Byrneside simply imposed the same fines on Collins as he had on those who plead out. Glen is happy and healthy and resting in Rock Creek.

Glen had hoped to combine his trial with the upcoming trial of the last Kayford Eight defendents, Mathew Louis-Rosenberg, but late Monday afternoon Magistrate Byrneside denied our motion to consolidate the cases. Folks are still encouraged to attend Mat's trial on the 15th of October, when we hope to pack the courthouse with coalfield residents and supporters from around the country.

In other great news, the EPA announced that all 79 valley fill permits that were held back a few weeks ago will have to undergo an extensive review process and potentially be modified or rejected outright. This historic announcement stays the execution of mountains across the coalfields for at least 2 more months and opens the door for truly effective federal action to stop mountaintop removal. Thanks to all who submitted comments during these last few weeks and have continually helped us keep pressure on the EPA. Find out about more you can do at I Love Mountains.

Local activists are hopeful there may soon be some action on an issue that has been continually fought for years. The Raleigh County Board of Education announced that they are considering applying for the funds to build a replacement school for Marsh Fork Elementary in the area. Though a small step, this represents a huge victory for local folks who have been advocating tirelessly a safe and healthy school for the kids in this community.

The campaign has been getting good local media coverage all over the place with recent stories here, here, and here.

All this has us looking head to this fall with cautious optimism and a renewed commitment to work harder than ever to stop moutaintop removal. Check out the busy October Calender below for upcoming events.

For the mountains, CGZ

October Calender:

10/1: Crucial hearing on the contested Powellton Mine in Fayette County, WV at 1:15 p.m. sharp at the County Courthouse in Fayetteville. Local supporters encouraged to attend.

10/8-12: Senior Citizens March to End Mountaintop Removal! Join Roland Micklem and other passionate elders as they march from Charleston to the Mammoth Coal Preparation Plant and Surface Mine.

10/13: Public hearings in Charleston, WV, Pikeville, KY, Knoxville, TN, Cambridge, OH, Pittsburgh, PA and Big Stone Gap, VA on ending the fast-track "Nationwide 21" permits for valley fills. Let the Army Corps know we want them to stop giving permits away.

10/15: Mathew Louis-Rosenberg's trial at the Boone County Courthouse in Madison, WV. Starts at 9 a.m. sharp!

10/16-18: Mountain Justice Fall Break! Come visit us here in Rock Creek for a great weekend of trainings, talks, and a first hand look at what's happening to Appalachia. Register now!

10/23-25: Appalachian Powershift. Another weekend of workshops and training here in Huntington, WV. Meet folks, learn things, build the network.