8 Activists Arrested at Kayford Mountain Lock Down
Antrim Caskey
Kayford, WV — Eight activists with a coalition of groups including Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero walked on to the Patriot Coal mountaintop removal coal operation on Larry Gibson’s Kayford mountain in the early morning hours of March 23, 2009. Six of the protestors locked themselves, in groups of three, to a piece of massive earth moving equipment–referred to as a Yuke–with tires 24′ tall and hung a banner reading “Never Again” on the machine. The activists locked down for five hours. Ten officers from three different state and county authorities responded to the protest on Kayford, the largest number of people to be arrested during this sustained campaign of non violent civil disobedience that began in February, 2009.
The eight activists arrested include Kim Kirkbride, Ash-Lee Henderson, Tanya Turner, Jared Story, Willie Dodson, Will Wickham, Mathew Louis-Rosenberg, and Glenn Collins.
The activists were arrested and taken to Boone County seat at Madison, were processed and released on their own recognizances.
Mike Roselle and James McGuinness shut down massey Energy on Cherry Pond mountain in southern West Virginia, February 25, 2009. photograph (c) antrim caskey, 2009
ROCK CREEK, WVa — The gig is up on mountaintop removal coal mining. The Obama administration has spoken out on the issue for the first time. Today, Lisa Jackson, director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), announced plans to place a hold on hundreds of permits for mountaintop removal coal mining, for review, to determine the “effects on streams and wetlands.”
It’s an excellent first step towards ending the appalling practice of obliterating the ancient, forested Appalachian mountains and running out her people who’ve lived and depended upon the bounty of these hills for centuries.
But what about the hundreds of permits that have been granted already? It will take at least five years for active permits to run their course of destruction. With only 3% – 5% of post-mined lands reclaimed, cleaning up after Massey Energy in Appalachia is a shovel ready proposition.
Today’s announcement is certainly a harbinger for positive change but today’s announcement does not stop the three million pounds of explosives used in mountaintop removal operations every day in West Virginia. Today’s announcement does not stop the blasting on Cherry Pond mountain and the toxic aftermath that rains down on Bo, JoAnne, Danny and Rosa.
We now need to halt all mountaintop removal operations. Shut them down.
“We don’t feel like our trespass is nearly as serious as what they’re doing to West Virginia,” Roselle says. “We want this stopped. And we’re going to do whatever we can.”
Mike Roselle and James McGuinness halt the movement of coal off Cherry Pond Mountain in Raleigh County, West Virginia. Very close to this MTR site sits 2.8 billion gallons of toxic coal sludge, precariously perched above the Marsh Fork Elementary School in Sundial, WV. This Massey Energy-owned MTR site puts the lives of Coal River Valley residents at risk. Residents contend that blasting will further destabalize the sludge impoundment, while fly rock and rock dust shower the neighboring hollows of Naoma. photograph by Antrim Caskey
“This is a crime against nature”, said James McGuinness, “It is not only illegal, it is immoral.” “They have no right to destroy this mountain.”
Mike Roselle and James McGuinness of Climate Ground Zero protest on the Massey Energy-owned Edwight MTR site. They were cited for criminal trespass by WV State Police and released without incident. photograph by Climate Ground Zero
Blasting at Clays Branch, Cherry Pond Mountain, Raleigh County, West Virginia
On Monday, February 16 2009, at about 11am, two members of Climate Ground Zero were arrested for interfering with MTR blasting on the Massey Energy-owned Edwhite mountain top removal site near the Shumate Dam on Cherry Pond Mountain. The Shumate dam holds back 2.8 billion gallons of toxic sludge, the waste by-product of chemically cleaning coal, and sits above the Marsh Fork elementary school. Since 2005, local citizens have demanded that Marsh Fork Elementary School be moved to protect the children from a massive dam failure like the one that happened in Kingston, Tennessee on December 22 of last year.
“This is a crime against nature”, said James McGuinness, “It is not only illegal, it is immoral.” “They have no right to destroy this mountain.”
“Massey Energy’s plan to destroy this mountain for coal threatens the health and safety of the residents of Clays Branch and the Hunter Addition of Naoma. This is a serious threat to the ecology, the economy and the future of West Virginia.” Said Mike Roselle, of Rock Creek.
“If the blasting continues, and the Shumate Dam was to fail, the lives of thousands of West Virginians would be at risk.”
Clays Branch is part of Cherry Pond Mountain, which stretches east along Rt 3 to Bolt Mountain (Rt 99). Clays Branch is located above Marsh Fork Elementary School, above the 2.8 billion gallon sludge pond at Shumate and up the left hand fork of Shumate hollow. There is massive MTR blasting currently ongoing –next to an unstable sludge dam, above an elementary school and surrounded by mountain communities.
At 4:31 pm, Feb. 13, 2009, a massive blast detonated at Cherry Pond Mountain, in the Coal River Valley, directly across from the proposed site of the Coal River Wind Project on the great Coal River Mountain, West Virginia. The blast was set off on Clays Branch, an Appalachian mountain hollow that is currently being ripped apart by mountaintop removal coal mining. Debris rained down and the acrid aftermath of the blast obscured the valley in a smothering cloud of gritty smoke.
Clays Branch is par of Cherry Pond Mountain, which stretches east along Rt 3 to Bolt Mountain (Rt 99). Clays Branch is located above Marsh Fork Elementary School, above the 2.8 billion gallon sludge pond at Shumate and up the left hand fork of Shumate hollow. This was massive MTR blasting. Next to an unstable sludge dam, above a school and surrounded by mountain communities.
About ten minutes after the three long horn blasts sounded, this massive explosion detonated on the mountaintop removal site above Danny Williams’ home. The Williams home sits at the head of Clays Branch – the blast was set above him, just over the ridge.About ten minutes after the three long horn blasts sounded, this massive explosion detonated on the mountaintop removal site above Danny Williams’ home. The Williams home sits at the head of Clays Branch – the blast was set above him, just over the ridge.
The acrid cloud of gritty blast smoke almost completely obscured the valley. Directly across Route 3 is Coal River Mountain. photographs by Antrim Caskey
The view of beautiful Coal River Mountain, from Rt. 99, Bolt Mountain, West Virginia. photograph by Antrim Caskey
Environmentalists appeal blasting on WVa mountain
By the Associated Press
February 9, 2009
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Environmentalists trying to stop a strip mine on Coal River Mountain in southern West Virginia plan to pack a hearing about planned blasting.
The Mine Surface Board hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Department of Environmental Protection headquarters in Charleston.
The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition sent an alert about the meeting Monday.
It says the board will hear an appeal of a permit that lets Richmond, Va.-based Massey Energy Co. begin blasting within 200 feet of the 8.9 billion gallon Brushy Fork coal sludge impoundment.
Activists with Coal River Mountain Watch want to preserve the mountain for construction of a wind farm.
Last week, 14 protesters were arrested after chaining themselves to equipment at the Beetree surface mine.
