UBS Wealth Management targeted by nonviolent protest.
Knoxville, Tennessee May 24th, 2013
This morning, activists associated with Mountain Justice, Radical Action for Mountain Peoples' Survival (RAMPS), and Hands Off Appalachia! entered the Gay Street branch of UBS wealth management services and refused to leave. Inside the office, three activists locked themselves to a large paper maché puppet depicting an investment banker. The non-violent protest was in opposition to UBS' funding and supporting of the harmful extractive process known as mountaintop removal coal mining.
"Mountaintop removal coal mining requires intensive injections of capital investment. That capital comes at the cost of the people of Appalachia. I've engaged in this non-violent act of protest against UBS' funding of mountaintop removal to exhibit our dedication to ending their funding and support of an industry that is devastating Appalachia and killing it's residents." — Ricki Draper, Hands Off Appalachia! And Knoxville Resident.
UBS provides funding and investment services to Patriot, Arch and James River Coal Companies. Those three companies, operate active strip mines in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia.
"I'm sick and tired of seeing my home get blown up for corporate greed — and UBS is bankrolling the blasting of my community. UBS, listen up: My family’s not a profit margin, our mountains aren’t collateral damage, and we want you out of here: Get your hands off of Appalachia," said West Virginia resident Junior Walk.
Appalachia Rocks the House in Knoxville and Bristol Today; 7 of 8 Arrested Released! posted May 24, 2013 BRISTOL, VA. and KNOXVILLE, TENN. — Two protests in two states targeted different parts of coal strip mining today. Five Mountain Justice and RAMPS activists, including West Virginian Junior Walk and Kentuckian Emily Gillespie, shut down the entrance to Alpha Natural Resources' headquarters this morning with a 250-gallon water buffalo, full of dirty water and converted to a lockbox, as well as a concrete-filled 55-gallon drum. Another three activists with Mountain Justice and Hands Off Appalachia, including Knoxvillian Ricki Draper and Kentuckian Lou Lepping, locked themselves to a giant paper maché puppet of a fat cat banker in front of UBS' Knoxville office.
"Alpha-Massey has been getting away with poisoning my community's water and gambling our lives for profit with their unsafe Brushy Fork sludge impoundment, so we're bringing the dirty water to them," Walk said, "Alpha-Massey has locked Appalachia to dirty water, backed by the state government of West Virginia."
Bristol, Va.& Three residents of Central Appalachia and supporters with Mountain Justice chained themselves to an industrial tank of black water in front of Alpha Natural Resources' Bristol, Va., headquarters to protest Alpha's mountaintop removal strip mining and coal slurry operations across the region.
"I'm risking arrest today because mountaintop removal has to end now for the future viability of Appalachia," says Emily Gillespie of Roanoke, Va., whose work with the Mountain Justice movement is inspired by Appalachian womens' history of non-violent resistance. The tank of water represents coal contamination from affected communities across the Appalachian region.
Click the poster image to load the full-size version. Download the quarter-sheets here.
Join Mountain Justice this May 19th - 27th for our 9th Mountain Justice Summer Action Training Camp, near Damascus, VA. Mountain Justice has grown from a fast burning brush fire that helped push Mountaintop Removal to national awareness into a critical support network at the base of a growing, national anti-extractive industry movement for social and environmental justice. This year, it's time to fan the flames of resistance to dirty energy, and put an end to MTR once and for all, while continuing to support bottom up economic transition for a brighter Appalachia.
Will you join us as we build pressure and momentum to stop strip mining and other destructive extractive industries in Appalachia!
Mountain Justice Summer Camp is a place to learn skills, expand on the ones you already have, strengthen connections in networked social movements for Justice, meet new allies and take action to stop the destruction of Appalachia.
Organized by Radical Action for Mountain Peoples' Survival (RAMPS) and Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment (MORE), Black Mesa Indigenous Support (BMIS) and members of the Black Mesa/Big Mountain Communities.
This MORE-RAMPS-BMIS collaboration is yet another part of the growing national uprising against economic and resource extraction. St. Louis is corporate headquarters to five coal corporations including Peabody, Arch and Patriot, as well as industrial agri-giant Monsanto. Participants will learn new skills and use them to engage in the current campaign against these corporations through direct action and community organizing.
The camp will feature a 2-week (Jan 7-20) and 3-week (Jan 7-27) option. There will be two featured tracks: direct action and community organizing, with significant overlap and emphasis put on how these fundamental aspects of resistance fit together. Both tracks will include multiple actions targeting extractive industries and provide a solid set of skills that can be used in any campaign. Both tracks are a full time commitment and will include intensive training and hands on experience.
Participating in this camp is a full-time commitment for either 2 or 3 weeks. We expect individuals to come wanting to work hard and stay the entire time. There will be a sliding-scale fee to cover housing and food, but we will not turn anyone away for lack of funds. All must be comfortable in a communal living environment of 40+ people. We will not tolerate harassment of any kind. There is limited space so apply early!
Come to the beautiful mountains of West Virginia for your Spring Break!
Learn about and take action against the destructive effects of the dirty life-cycles of coal and natural gas!
Stand in solidarity with the communities in Virginia, West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania facing the ongoing destruction of coal mining and hydraulic fracturing!
See mountaintop removal coal mining and hydraulic fracturing natural gas extraction up close!
Take direct action against the dirty coal industry!
This March, Mountain Justice Spring Break (MJSB) will bring together coalfield residents, college students, environmentalists and concerned citizens who are interested in learning more about mountaintop removal coal mining and hydro fracking.
March 2-10, MJSB will be in the town of Appalachia, Virginia, in an area that has been heavily impacted by mountaintop removal mining.
March 10-17, 2013 MJSB will be in central West Virginia close to fracking sites.
We will spend a week cultivating the skills and visions needed to build a sustainable energy future in Appalachia. Through education, community service, speakers, hiking, music, poetry, direct action and more, you will learn from and stand with Appalachian communities in the struggle to maintain our land and culture. Mountain Justice Spring Break will also offer a variety of community service projects.
Mountain Justice Spring Break in Virginia will be held at the Community Center in the historic mining town of Appalachia. Nearby Black Mountain is being blasted right now by coal companies and you will see the effects on the forests, water, land and people. Coal trains rumble through this small community, which was once a thriving mining town.
MJSB in West Virginia will be held at a lodge in a county park surrounded by wooded hills and a pretty West Virginia mountain creek, and lots of fracking for natural gas. The Doddridge County Park is easy to find and convenient to Interstates 77 and 79 and US 50.
For more information or to register for Mountain Justice Spring Break in Virginia, go here.
For more information about MJSB in West Virginia, go here.
Come to Mountain Justice Spring Break and support grassroots, community led resistance to environmental injustice!
In the heart of the mountains of southern West Virginia.
The Mountain Justice Fall Summit will help you develop skills and gain valuable experience in the struggle to stop mountain top removal.
Friday night we will kick off the summit with an awesome panel of inspiring young West Virginia activists including Junior Walk of Coal River Mountain Watch, Rachel Parsons of Athens WV, Larrry Gibson's daughter Victoria, and several more inspiring young people.
Following the panel discussion will be a screening of the new documentary "On Coal River" which takes an inside look at the lives of people living in the Coal River Valley, and their epic, multi-year struggle to bring attention to a 2 billion gallon lake of toxic coal sludge hovering directly above the Marsh Fork Elementary School.
Saturday will feature workshops and learning about mountaintop removal, coal slurry, community and campus organizing, non violent direct action training, and more. Saturday night we will have some live mountain music, a little dancing and a bonfire.
On Sunday we will visit the late Larry Gibson's famous Kayford Mountain to see mountaintop removal up close, and to do a community service project.
The MJ Fall Summit will provide all your meals and there will be tent camping. This is a great way to get more deeply involved in the fight to end mountaintop removal - meet new friends who care about the environment and social injustice.
The cost for MJ Fall Summit is a sliding scale ($25 - $75) and you can register here:
There is an option to remain after the weekend is over, and camp for the following week and develop more in depth plans and strategy to oppose mountaintop removal. MJ Fall Summit participants should be aware that tensions are somewhat high in the area over the MTR issue, but we are dedicated to peaceful, non-violent resistance. All MJ Fall Summit will be required to abide by the Mountain Justice non-violence policy.
Celebrating Larry Gibson: The Life and Legacy of the Keeper of the Mountains
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Friends and family of Larry Gibson, the "Keeper of the Mountains," will celebrate his life and legacy on Sunday, October 14 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Charleston Municipal Auditorium, located on the corner of Virginia and Truslow Streets, across from the Charleston Town Center Mall.
The public is encouraged to attend to help celebrate Larry's life and legacy. You are encouraged to RSVP and invite friends to this facebook event.
Larry died of a heart attack on Sunday, September 9, while working on his family's land on Kayford Mountain, which he spent the last decades of his life protecting from mountaintop removal. Larry successfully protected fifty acres of his homeplace on Kayford Mountain and he inspired people nationwide to take action to stop mountaintop removal coal mining.
The program for "Celebrating Larry Gibson: The Life and Legacy of the Keeper of the Mountains" will feature family, friends, prominent activists, West Virginia residents, musicians and preachers. This event will be preceded by the annual Changing of the Leaves Music Festival that starts at 1:00 PM on Saturday, October 13th on Kayford Mountain.
On September 13, in a private funeral, Larry was laid to rest on the mountain that he loved. Larry's family has requested that persons wishing to express condolences make donations to Keeper of the Mountains Foundation through our website or a mailed check. Cards and letters to family can be mailed to the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation office at 179 Summers St, Ste 234, Charleston, WV, 25301.
Larry is survived by his wife, Carol, two sons Cameron and Larry, Jr. and his daughter, Victoria. He was sixty-six years old.
The public is encouraged to attend to help celebrate Larry's life and legacy. You are encouraged to RSVP and invite friends to this facebook event.
For more information on this event and donating or volunteering to help make it happen contact Danny Chiotos with the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation at Danny@Mountainkeeper.org or (304) 205-0920.
Today at his status hearing in Kanawha county, Ducky (Nathan Joseph) agreed to a plea deal and was taken directly to south central regional jail to serve 5 days. He plead guilty to obstruction, and was sentenced to 5 days in jail and $100 fine plus court costs.
Ducky was one of Five people who, on May 24th, boarded a coal barge as part of the 2012 Mountain Justice Summer Camp. The action took place at the Quincy Docks, operated by Kanawha River Terminals in Chelyan, WV. Ducky and two other activists locked themselves to the boat with a banner stating "Coal Leaves Cancer Stays." Before he took action, ducky said "If 'business as usual' does not stop SOON, there will not be an Appalachia left for our children or our children's children."
Ducky also said "I've found constant comfort in the knowledge that I took part in this action for good reason. Everywhere I look I see problems with the coal industry. Whether it's the overt destruction of a natural landmark that should be revered or the blatant disregard for the health and safety of industry employees and community members."
The other 4 people who boarded the barge with Ducky still have open court cases. Ricki Draper and Jackob Mack-Boll have their status hearings on August 31st and are facing tresspassing charges.
You can write to Nathan Walker Joseph, 1001 Centre Way, Charleston, WV, 25309-1001
To guarantee that the person you're writing to will receive your letters: Address your letter to the inmate's full legal name. You must include a full name in the return address as well or your mail will not be allowed in. Use standard sized envelopes and paper, use only a pencil or pen with blue/black ink (typed or colored ink may cause your letter to be confiscated), don't include cards, photocopies, clippings, or other materials besides black and white written correspondence. Photos are okay. Please assume all mail will be read by the jail. Remember that the person you are writing may not have paper or stamps to write back, so don't get discouraged if you don't receive a reply.
Urgent! We need donations of cash now to get 20 people out of jail in WV for acts of civil disobedience in shutting down a mountaintop removal mine site.
Twenty year old Dustin Steel was beaten by police, badly injured, arrested and has been refused hospital care.
We need to get Dustin out of jail today in order to get him medical care. All of these brave activists are being held on a $25,000 per person bail.
Contact: Charles Suggs or Mathew Louis-Rosenberg
304-449-NVDA (6832), media@wg.rampscampaign.org
Twenty arrested at Hobet mine, held on $500,000 combined bail
Police allow extensive harassment of protesters
Barboursville, W.Va. - More than 50 people affiliated with the R.A.M.P.S. Campaign stopped mining work for three hours on Patriot Coal's Hobet mine in Lincoln County yesterday, the largest number of people ever to disrupt an active mountaintop removal site. Protesters walked onto the Hobet 45 mining complex; several locked themselves to a rock truck with banners reading: "Restore our mountains; re-employ our miners" and "Coal Leaves; Cancer Stays." Twenty people were arrested and are being held on bail of $25,000 each at the Western Regional Jail. Multiple arrestees, including 20-year-old Dustin Steele of Matewan, W.Va., were reportedly beaten by authorities in custody.
The remainder of the demonstrators walked off the site when asked to leave by police. Authorities prevented their transport vehicles from driving down the public road to pick them up, forcing them to walk for four hours along the side of Mud River Road while allowing pro-coal demonstrators to harass them. After reuniting with their transport vehicles, they were barricaded on the road for an hour and a half by a blockade of miners in pickup trucks. A separate convoy of vehicles attempting to pick up demonstrators was blocked in by pro-coal demonstrators at a gas station where three individuals were pepper-sprayed. Pro-coal demonstrators were not stopped by police in their multiple attempts to block public roads.
"The blatant cooperation between law enforcement and the coal industry makes me embarrassed as a West Virginian. This brutality and disregard for safety is one of the clearest examples of the hold the coal industry has on the state government," said Junior Walk of Whitesville, W.Va.
Earlier in the day, about 30 people gathered at the Kanawha State Forest with the intention of later joining the protest at Hobet. They were met by about 60 counter-protesters, but the tone turned non-confrontational as one miner struck up a lengthy dialogue with a local protester over the economic future of the region. Police arrested one activist who they accused of lying to them about not having identification, even though the only identification on him was a debit card--not a valid form of ID. After several hours, he was released with a ticket on the side of Rt. 94 far from any town and forced to hitchhike because police had confiscated his cell phone and debit card. An independent journalist was also arrested for photographing the incident.
More than 50 protesters affiliated with the R.A.M.P.S. Campaign have walked onto Patriot Coal's Hobet mine and shut it down. Ten people locked to a rock truck, boarded it and dropped banners: "Coal Leaves, Cancer Stays." At least three have been arrested, with another in a tree being threatened by miners with a chain saw. Earlier in the day, two people were arrested at Kanawha State Forest before a group of protesters headed to the state capitol.
"The government has aided and abetted the coal industry in evading environmental and mine safety regulations. We are here today to demand that the government and coal industry end strip mining, repay their debt to Appalachia, and secure a just transition for this region," Dustin Steele of Matewan, W.Va. said. Steele was one of the people locked to the rock truck.
posted July 8, 2012
Activists from Marcellus Shale Earth First!, Earth Firsters from around the country and other friends and allies have shut down a fracking well site in the Moshannon State Forest, near State College, Pa. There's two tree sitters whose anchor lines cross the access road, and if a line is cut a sitter falls. There's also a large debris pile blocking the road and, nearby, a crowd of supporters is standing in the road.
Back Country Skills Training posted July 4, 2012 The Katuah Medics are offering a back country medic skills training July 13 - 15 to build on medic skills you already have.
Last week, Mountain Justice and RAMPS stopped nine coal trucks and a coal bargeafter the Mountain Justice Summer Action Camp. These actions showed once again that people are willing to put their bodies on the line to stop the plunder of Appalachia and raised the spirits of West Virginians fighting to save their home, but Larry Gibson reminded us our work is not done. "Everything has to get bigger from here," Larry said. "We need to put our backs up against the wall and not back down. The 99% means nothing if we don't all support each other. No matter what our positions are we must come together."
Larry is right. To win our struggles against the extraction industries, we will have to band together. The fight against strip mining has been gaining ground over the last few years (here, here and here), but King Coal will keep stripping to the bitter end and leave Appalachia with nothing unless we act now. It was only after aggressive direct action in the 60s and 70s that the political will was created to address strip mining on a federal level. If we want strip mining to end and restoration work to begin; if we want a post-coal future that is more than devastated landscapes, rampant fracking, and deepening poverty; if we want a healthy and whole Appalachia, we must escalate our resistance.
At PowerShift 2011, currently imprisoned activist Tim DeChristopher pointed out, "With only the people in this room, we could send 30 people onto a mountaintop removal site, shut it down temporarily, start to clog up the West Virginia court system. And we could send 30 people the day after that and the day after that and the day after that every day for a year. I believe we would never get to the end of that year because mountaintop removal would end before we reached that point."
This summer we will take the first step toward that vision. Come to southern West Virginia on July 25. RAMPS will host a mobilization where people will prepare to take nonviolent direct action to shut down a strip mine. We are calling for as many people as possible to come together and do what the politicians, the regulators and the courts have been unwilling to do; to defend the land and the people; to stop strip mining.
The success of this depends on your participation. Whatever your skills, availability, or ability to risk arrest, there are ways for you to make this mobilization a success. To join ongoing working groups or find out more about ways to participate, please email officespace@wg.rampscampaign.org. We also deeply need your financial support. Please donate today so RAMPS can continue its vital work. Most importantly, spread the word.
We are all in a David versus Goliath struggle for our future, but Goliath is starting to stumble. With our survival at stake, we can unite and we can win.
Medic Training Opportunity at camp
Mountain Justice is hosting a 20-hour medic training Monday, May 21 at 2pm through Wednesday, May 23 at the Mountain Justice Summer Action Camp. For more information, see this section of the registration form.
Join us as we build pressure and momentum in stopping strip mining and other exploitative resource extraction in Appalachia. This Summer Action Camp is the place to learn new skills, expand on ones you already have; strengthen ties, meet new friends and get ready for bigger events later in the year.
You can bet the types of workshops offered will range from mountaintop removal 101, non-violent civil disobedience, to campaign and community organizing, science and SMCRA (Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act), and Appalachian community economics. In addition, there is a training-for-trainers track. Expect direct action to be part of this camp as well, though participation is not required for camp attendance.
Mountain Justice welcomes parents, kids, families, and people at all ages and stages of life. For the past few years, MJ camp and our other events have had a physical space and a crew of people we've called the Kid Collective-loving and experienced child care givers and educators, armed with books, crafts, toys, games, and quiet space! Please think about bringing your little ones. Please contact erin(AT)mountainjustice(DOT)org if you plan to bring kids, so we can get more details, give you more info, and prepare as best as possible to make this a great event for your family!
The final schedule will be released later. The registration form is now on-line. To be notified when these come out, sign up for our News and Announcement List. Registration fees will be $20 minimum plus $15/day, or $150 for the duration of camp. This includes all workshop activities, three meals a day and a place to sleep. No one will be turned away for the lack of funds--scholarships are available.
If you need a ride to camp or can offer one, post at our Rideboard.
Today, Appalachians will demand that UBS stop funding and supporting mountaintop removal mining.
Come out to our actions in:
Asheville, NC 11 am at 138 Charlotte St.
Knoxville, TN: 10 am at Market Square
Chattanooga, 11 am TN Corner of W MLK & Broad Street
Lexington, KY: 3 pm 307 South Ashland Avenue
Johnson City, TN: 214 East Mountcastle Drive, Suite 1700
Washington, DC: 1501 K St NW
New York: 1285 Avenue of the Americas
And if you can't make it today, please call UBS and demand that they change their official policy on MTR! Click the title of this post to find the phone numbers.
Learn about and take action against the destructive effects of the dirty life-cycles of coal and natural gas!
Our struggle for environmental justice in Appalachia has never been as publicized, analyzed, or urgent as RIGHT NOW! Not a moment too soon, your chance to plug in and make things happen is here! This March 21-28, Mountain Justice Spring Break will bring hundreds of young people face to face with the impacts of mountaintop removal and coal industry abuse- and give you the skills and knowledge you need to fight back! Through education, community service, speakers, hiking, music, poetry, direct action and more, you will learn from and stand with Appalachian communities in the struggle to maintain our land and culture.
This spring break will be like no other! With skill building and analysis sessions ranging from critical organizing to non violent direct action, you will leave camp with the training you need to not only make things happen in your community, but train others to do it as well! And since it is a "break" we will find plenty of time between rabble rousing to relax, reflect, and have a great time with each other, whether hula hooping, playing music, or cuddling in a hammock!
Please share your spring break with us in breathtaking Northern West Virginia, cultivating the skills and visions needed to abolish mountaintop removal and hydro-fracking and replace it with vibrant, healthy, self-reliant communities. Come and bring your friends! We are committed to learning a lot, getting involved in ending mountaintop removal, and having tons of fun!
WHAT? Mountain Justice Spring Break
WHEN? March 21-28, 2012 This year we are very excited to announce that Mountain Justice Spring Break will coordinate community service projects in the coal fields of northern West Virginia and the gas lands of Pennsylvania. In order to accommodate more students with various spring breaks, these service projects will take place before and after the week of camp. Please indicate on your registration form if you are interested, or contact the outreach coordinator, Michelle at mltodd22@gmail.com for more information.
WHO? Mountain Justice participants come from diverse backgrounds such as coal field residents, college students, environmentalists, Earth First!ers, and other concerned citizens that care about our mountains. Participants share a common goal to halt MTR coal mining.
CAN'T WAIT? The MJSB planning collective is looking for Campus Coordinators who can organize a crew of people from your school or community. You (yes, YOU) are strongly encouraged to let us hook you up with a coordinator resource packet to help you start fueling this movement TODAY! Please email Michelle at mltodd22@gmail.com for more information on how to become a campus coordinator or fill out our campus coordinator interest form here.
On the morning of Wednesday, March 26, more than 30 anti-fracking activists from across West Virginia and Appalachia picketed the Bridgeport, West Virginia, office of EQT Energy. The group of activists were supporting two landowners, Eileen and Jim Burke, who came from Doddridge County to try and meet with officials about concerns they had about about EQT's shale gas operations near their property.
In the last two days, livestock impoundment crews have confiscated calves and stolen and immediately sold horses belonging to several Dineh people of Big Mountain/Black Mesa, Arizona. These livestock impoundments constitute human rights violations against traditional Dineh (Navajo); they take away one of their major food sources and one of the main sources of their livelihood. This is a tactical move to further genocidal relocation policies.
Even though it is Saturday, call now and throughout the week and flood their lines and answering machines. Say that the elders need their animals to survive, these confiscations are WRONG, that we are watching, and that we see this ongoing harassment as part of cultural genocide. Also, make sure to ask that they stop driving quads illegally through sensitive environments.
Please Call The Hopi tribal chairman's office @ 928-734-3102. Ask for the chair, LeRoy Shingoitewa who made the direct order for the impoundments and stolen horses.
We're collecting funds to pay for livestock reclamation. We know it will be at least $500. The amount increases daily. You can go here to donate now: http://blackmesais.org/donate/
Many Thanks for Your Support. Stay in touch!
The BMIS Collective: Hallie, Berkley, Liza, Derek, and Tree
This October 28th-30th Coal River Mountain Watch and RAMPS will be hosting the 6th annual Mountain Justice Fall Summit in the Coal River Valley of Southern West Virginia. Rallying around destructive mining practices and the corporate control over our communities that allows these practices to continue, we intend to send a message that we will not stand for this any longer.
Massey Energy, formerly the largest coal producer in the state was bought out by Alpha Natural Resource this past June. The move was heralded as a move away from the safety and environmental violations that marked Massey's mining history in the region, Regulators and State politicians touting Alpha's "Running Right" slogan as a prediction of things to come.
RAMPS Campaign Vows to Continue Fighting to Save the Mountain
MARFORK, W.Va.—Catherine-Ann MacDougal is descending her oak tree on Coal River Mountain that she has lived in for the past month in protest of strip mining, and police have been notified. MacDougal, an activist with the RAMPS Campaign, had been in the oak tree on Alpha Natural Resources' Bee Tree permit since July 20; until August 2, she had been joined by fellow RAMPS activist Becks Kolins. Their tree-sit, the longest in West Virginia history, effectively halted blasting on the Bee Tree hollow portion of the site, aside from a small blast released on the third day of the tree-sit.
"The reality of limited resources now necessitates my descent but this is not the last they will see of us. I plan to remain here and fight for this mountain for years to come," said MacDougal.
The Bee Tree permit is the largest active strip mining permit on Coal River Mountain and is currently up for renewal. At a public hearing held last week by the W.Va. Department of Environmental Protection, about 50 residents showed up to ask questions and submit comments. Many discussed their concern over the health impacts of mountaintop removal, blasting near the Brushy Fork Impoundment, and the destruction of the mountains where they and their families had traditionally hunted, fished, and gathered wild plants.
MacDougal explains that the apparent ineffectiveness of other strategies…
Today marks the end of the third week of the tree-sit on Coal River Mountain. Catherine-Ann remains in her oak tree in good spirits and with no plans to come down.
As Catherine-Ann stops blasting in Bee Tree hollow, locals are gearing up for the permit hearing this evening on the renewal of the Bee Tree permit - and on the proposed new Collins Fork permit on Coal River Mountain. Despite community concerns over blasting damage, water pollution, increased cancer rates in the community, and destruction of their local mountain, the DEP is still planning to allow strip mining on Coal River Mountain.
But we know that sending letters to a corrupt agency like the DEP will not be enough to stop strip mining. In the words of Judy Bonds, we must "fight harder," and direct action is one piece of that struggle. We greatly appreciate all the people who have expressed their support for the tree sit. Please consider supporting RAMPS through donations - which will help us operate our base camp and provide support to Catherine-Ann. We also welcome folks to come and join us in the mountains of West Virginia! If you're interested in coming to help support this action or future actions, please get in touch with us! http://rampscampaign.org
Becks and Catherine-Ann have been in their trees for a full week and one day now. They have weathered severe heat, thunderstorms, and biting insects, but they remain resolute and in high spirits. They are determined to remain in the trees for as long as they can. They have succeeded in halting most work and blasting on the portion of the Bee Tree strip mine within Bee Tree hollow. Little work has continued on other parts of the site, and only one small blast was set off this past week - on Friday afternoon. The 12-hole blast occurred approximately 2010 feet from the sitters, which is outside of the MSHA required 1500 foot blast evacuation radius for strip mine workers.
Today was another hot and humid day on Coal River Mountain. The tree sitters remained in good spirits. During the day 2 baby bears visited near the trees, which was a highlight for Becks and Catherine-Ann.
In the late afternoon, security approached the trees to inform the sitters that a blast was about to go off on the BeeTree permit, but not immediately next to the sitters' location. After the relatively "small" blast the security returned to the site again. The sitters were not harmed in any way and were not able to witness the blast. We will be in communication with Alpha to ensure that the safety of the sitters is maintained, and we are monitoring the situation. The sitters are still halting blasting and work in the immediate area of the tree-sit. Aside from this blast, there has been no work done on the mine site today.
Check out the video uploaded today with interviews from both tree sitters, and Eli and Junior, as well as of the flyover of the area that took place on the first day of the tree sit.
As night approaches there may be a storm headed for the tree sit, we hope the sitters will stay safe and dry overnight. Thanks for your continued support, and check back frequently for more updates. Also, don't forget to follow RAMPSWV on Twitter!
Activists Block Mining Operations on Coal River Mountain posted July 20, 2011 Two protesters associated with the RAMPS Campaign halted blasting on a portion of Alpha Natural Resources' Bee Tree mountaintop removal mine on Coal River Mountain today by ascending two trees. Catherine-Ann MacDougal, 24, and Becks Kolins, 21, are on platforms approximately 80 feet off the ground within 300 feet of active blasting on the mine. The banners hanging from their platforms read 'Stop Strip Mining' and 'For Judy Bonds' in honor of strip mining activist Julia - Judy - Bonds of Packsville, W.Va. who died of cancer earlier this year.
Since it is Independence Day, it's a great time to road-trip to see a real -- and famous -- West Virginia fighter for freedom and family.
It's just a short drive past Charleston to Cabin Creek, where the little mountain of a man, Larry Gibson, and the Mountain Keepers Foundation are hosting the annual Mountain Keeper Music Festival Saturday and Sunday, July 2-3, at Kayford Mountain's Stanley Heirs Park. There's a slew of singer/songwriters including renowned cellist Ben Sollee (who was named one of NPR's Top 10 unknown artists), The Carpenter Ants, Kate Long, John Lilly, poet Crystal Good and many more.
Environmental attorney and documentary participant Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and director Bill Haney will be in attendance opening night screening Thursday, June 9 at 7pm.
Also featuring special guests Kathy Mattea and Justin Townes Earle.
Mountain Justice training camp 2011!
Letcher County, Kentucky
May 20th - 27th
As the campaign to stop mountaintop removal gains national awareness, we have more and more opportunities for folks to help out. We've got a job for every interest, skill set and time commitment! We invite you to spend the summer working with one of our ally groups or to work with us in your hometown throughout the year!
Mountain Justice training camp is an opportunity for veteran and novice activist to build the skills and vision needed to abolish mountaintop removal and build vibrant, healthy, self-reliant communities. We ask that you attend camp with the intention of using these skills either working with allies in Appalachia or working on this issue in your hometown.
Hawkwind Earth Renewal Cooperative and Healing Arts Center Northeast Alabama
Mountain Justice Spring Break (MJSB) will bring together coalfield residents, college students, environmentalist and concerned citizens who are interested in learning more about mountaintop removal coal mining and cultivating the skills and visions needed to build a sustainable energy future in Appalachia. Through education, community service, speakers, hiking, music, poetry, direct action and more, you will learn from and stand with Appalachian communities in the struggle to maintain our land and culture.
FRANKFORT--At least fourteen Kentuckians have decided to remain in Gov. Steve Beshear's office over the weekend at the invitation of the governor himself.
Among those remaining in the governor's office include Wendell Berry, 76, the acclaimed writer who has decried mining abuses for the past fifty years; Beverly May, 52, a nurse practitioner from Floyd County; Mickey McCoy, 55, former educator and mayor of Inez; Teri Blanton, 54, a grassroots activist from Harlan County; Stanley Sturgill, 65, a former underground coal miner of Harlan County; Rick Handshoe, 50, a retired Kentucky State Police radio technician of Floyd County; John Hennen, 59, a history professor at Morehead State University; and Martin Mudd, 28, an environmental activist.
FRANKFORT--A group of twenty Kentuckians has gathered at the state Capitol in an attempt to meet with Gov. Steve Beshear to discuss the issue of mountaintop removal mining. They plan to remain in his office until the governor agrees to stop the poisoning of Kentucky's land, water, and people by mountaintop removal; or until he chooses to have the citizens physically removed.
Among the group are Wendell Berry, 76, the acclaimed writer who has decried mining abuses for the past fifty years; Beverly May, 52, a nurse practitioner from Floyd County; Erik Reece, 43, who has written extensively about the coal industry; Patty Wallace, 80, a grandmother and long-time activist from Louisa; Mickey McCoy, 55, former educator and mayor of Inez; Teri Blanton, 54, a grassroots activist from Harlan County; Stanley Sturgill, 65, a former underground coal miner of Harlan County; Rick Handshoe, 50, a retired Kentucky State Police radio technician of Floyd County; John Hennen, 59, a history professor at Morehead State University; and Martin Mudd, 28, an environmental activist.
Mark your calendars for Climate Ground Zero's second Winter Action Camp! CGZ is now accepting applications for the camp, scheduled to be held January 3rd - 24th in the coal fields of southern West Virginia. The camp will involve multiple intensive training tracks, such as action team, action media, legal support, and other skills relevant for this campaign and its future actions, as well as for your campaigns back home.
This October 22nd-24th, the 5th annual Mountain Justice Fall Summit will be held on Kayford Mountain in the Southern West Virginia coalfields. Coming on the heels of Appalachia Rising, we are building momentum and standing together in the coalfields for the abolition of surface mining.
It is a culmination of the national movement against surface mining and a foundation upon which to build a pan-Appalachian movement for prosperity and justice.
Coalfield citizens and organizers envision a vibrant mobilization of thousands -- coalfield residents, students & youth, Christians & people of all faiths, families, celebrities, underground miners, activists, artists, and all who yearn for justice -- to converge on Washington DC for a day of non-violent action and dignified civil disobedience targeting the politicians and agencies who could abolish surface mining with the stroke of a pen.
Call Senator Webb and ask We are asking the senator to step to to 1. Thank
the EPA for all they have done to protect coalfield communities from surface
coal mining and 2. Ask the EPA to continue to intervene with the Ison Rock
Ridge water permit.
To reach Senator Webb's DC office call: 202-224-4024
or Toll Free: 1-866-507-1570
MARFORK, W.Va.—Protestors associated with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice have locked to and shut down a highwall miner on Coal River Mountain today. Colin Flood, 22, and Katie Huszcza, 21, are locked to the mining equipment on Massey Energy's Bee Tree Surface Mine, near to the Brushy Fork Sludge Impoundment. Their banner states "Save Coal River Mountain" alongside images of ginseng, a morel, a deer and a bear.
WHERE: WV State Capitol Back Steps Near Fountain, Charleston, WV
WHAT: On June 15 at the capital in Charleston, WV, coalfield residents and allies from across Appalachia will announce Appalachia Rising a mass mobilization set for September 27 in Washington DC. They are calling for thousands to join them in demanding the Obama Administration abolish surface mining and investment in sustainable economic diversification in Appalachia. Groups aim to mobilize thousands from across the country for a dignified day of action in DC to increase public pressure on elected officials and regulators to ban surface mining.
Monday, June 7, 2010 CONTACTS: Ashley Browning 859-248-7027, Martin Mudd 859-963-5574
Lexington Protest Shames PNC's Mountaintop Removal Financing PNC Bank is the biggest US financier of Appalachian mountain destruction
LEXINGTON, KY--At least 40 concerned citizens rallied in downtown Lexington today to express their anger at PNC Bank for financing mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining. Local activists were joined by members of the group Mountain Justice and residents from mountaintop communities, who spoke out about the direct impact that this destructive form of mining has on their community, health and environment.
Join MTR abolitionist group Mountain Justice in Lexington, KY, Monday
6/7 at 11:30 on the courthouse lawn to send a strong message that we
will no longer tolerate the criminal destruction of our mountains,
streams and communities.
This rally marks the beginning of a summer of non-violent direct
action in Kentucky to pressure corporations, banks, politicians and
regulators to end destructive strip mining for coal and help build
sustainable economies in Appalachia.
There will be inspiring speakers, street theater, and environmental
justice activists young and old so this action will be a lot of fun.
Come during your lunch hour to stand in solidarity with our fellow
Kentuckians in the coalfields!
We will meet at 11:30 on the courthouse lawn at the corner of
Limestone and Main in downtown Lexington. Contact Martin at if you
have questions.
Mountain Justice Summer training camp 2010!
Wiley's Last Resort in Letcher County, Kentucky
May 27th through June 6th
As the campaign to stop all forms of surface mining gains national awareness, we have more and more opportunities for folks to devote a summer of work to stopping mountaintop removal. We've got a job for every interest, skill set and time commitment! Don't worry if you can't volunteer all summer long, there are plenty of ways you can continue working with us in your hometown throughout the year!
And Demand that Massey Put People Over Profit
Come Stand in Solidarity with the Mountains and Fallen Miners
Tuesday, May 18th, 8:30 a.m. - 12 or 1 p.m.
The Jefferson Hotel, 101 W Franklin St. Richmond, VA
MasseyProtestRVA@gmail.com
Our struggle for environmental justice in Appalachia has never been as publicized, analyzed, or urgent as RIGHT NOW! Not a moment too soon, your chance to plug in and make things happen is here! This March 12 - 20, Mountain Justice Spring Break will bring hundreds of young people face to face with the impacts of mountaintop removal and coal industry abuse - and give you the skills and knowledge you need to fight back! Through education, community service, speakers, hiking, music, poetry, direct action and more, you will learn from and stand with Appalachian communities in the struggle to maintain our land and culture.
Pettus, W.Va.-- Three occupied Massey Energy subsidiary Marfork Coal Company, Inc.'s main office this morning at eight. The protestors plan to present a citizen's arrest warrant and list of violations on the Marfork processing plant, Bee Tree Surface Mine and Brushy Fork sludge impoundment to company president Christopher Blanchard and Massey CEO Don Blankenship.
The above image shows two areas, in purple, where Massey Energy is blasting dangerously close to the Brushy Fork Impoundment and multiple gas wells. The tree sit was right next to the #2 Haul Road. Click the image for a larger version.
1:00 pm Monday, March 1st
EPA Region 4 Headquarters
Meet outside the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center
61 Forsyth Street, SW
Atlanta, GA 30303
On March 1st, join Mountain Justice and other allies as we demand that the EPA do their job to protect the land, water, and livelihoods of Appalachian coalfields residents. EPA's Region 4 office in Atlanta has the power to stop granting new mountain top removal mining permits, and the EPA nationally has the power to ban this devastating practice forever. They need to hear from us!
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing a new rule to regulate the disposal of toxic coal ash - the byproduct of burning coal for power. As expected, the coal industry is fighting to maintain the status quo on coal ash, backing a proposal that limits opportunities for public input and ensures coal ash is treated less responsibly than household trash.
We must generate thousands of emails and phone calls to the White House, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the US EPA and Congressional Offices telling them coal ash is hazardous and federal regulations are needed immediately. There is no more time for delay!
Burning Coal on Campus is Hazardous to Student Health and the Commonwealth
LEXINGTON, Ky: Tuesday, an anonymous group of students from the University of Kentucky hung a banner from a parking structure near Rose Street to protest the university's use of coal power on campus. The banner, reading "COAL: A Tradition of Oppression. STUDENTS: Let's Change Our Legacy", included a reproduction of the familiar UK symbol, with a burning smokestack between the letters instead of the usual Memorial Hall steeple.
"Coal River Mountain was the last mountain around here that hasn't been touched and they could've been using it for windmills... But Massey wants to get that coal. It seems like they just don't care about the populace. Just the land and their checkbook."
- Richard Bradford
MARFORK, W.Va.-Protestors associated with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice halted blasting on Coal River Mountain today with a three-person tree-sit. David Aaron Smith, 23, Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28 are on platforms approximately 60 feet up two tulip poplar trees and one oak tree. They are located next to where Massey Energy is blasting to build an access road to the Brushy Fork Impoundment on its Bee Tree Strip Mine. Their banners state: "Save Coal River Mtn.," "EPA Stop the Blasting" and "Windmills Not Toxic Spills."
On Wednesday, January 20th, TVA police pulled over United Mountain Defense (UMD) volunteer Matt Landon Jones and two journalists from the North Carolina based newspaper "The Appalachian Voice" for no apparent reason. They were on their way to a previously scheduled appointment to interview a local resident of Roane County who had been devastated by the TVA coal ash disaster. After detaining them and taking away their video cameras, the TVA police searched them and their vehicle and then arrested them on charges that have not been made clear. While on the phone with Jones, UMD volunteer Bonnie Swinford heard Jones asking the officer if he was being arrested, to which the officer answered "yes." When Jones then asked the officer what he was being arrested for, the officer replied, "I'll get back to you." At that point the phone connection was broken. They are now being processed at the Roane County jail and no information about charges is being shared with us at this time. This arrest follows a pattern of TVA police harassing UMD volunteers and members of the press who are trying to help victims of the TVA disaster and get their stories out. See videos of Police harassment below.
We need help with bail money. Please send checks marked "For January 20 arrest."
By mail:
United Mountain Defense
PO Box 20363
Knoxville, TN 37920
Or donate online at www.unitedmountaindefense.org by using the yellow paypal button on the right side of the home page.
Join Mountain Justice and United Mountain Defense for a fun night of music, dancing, slam poetry, raffles and fiery speeches about the destruction of mountaintop removal coal mining. An eclectic collection of bands will entertain us with rap performances by Loose Leaf, old timey mountain music with Catfish Mercury Load and dancing into the night with DJ Lauren Elysse spinning soul records and much more.
Yall come! Come prepared for shallow but cold stream crossings.
Join Tennessee Mountain Justice, Appalachian Earth First!ers, and United Mountain Defense for a PRIMITIVE Winter Solstice Camp Out at Frog Level in Tennessee on December 18th, 2009. If you love mountains, camping, hiking, the forest and all that awesome, come spend a rejuvenating, spa-like atmosphere among friends in the woods for the weekend. The camping is a breezy stroll from the parking area and is easily accessible.
This is the line in the sand. This is a call to action. We call upon all good people to come join us on Dec. 7th. We call upon all who stand for human rights and people's rights over that of corporate greed to come join us on Dec. 7th. We call upon those that are tired and fed up with government agencies that place corporate interest above that of The People, come join us on December the 7th.
IT'S TIME TO STOP THE INSANITY
Where: West Virginian Department of Environmental Protection, 601 57th Street SE, Charleston, WV When: December 7th, 2009 2:00PM
PETTUS, W. Va.- Early this morning two concerned citizens, Dea Goblirsch and Nick Martin, locked down to a drill rig on Coal River Mountain's Bee Tree mountaintop removal site, effectively stopping blasting. Two others, Grace Williams and Laura Von Dolen, joined them in direct support, holding a banner with the message "Save Coal River Mountain".
These nonviolent protestors have taken this action to bring attention to the extreme danger facing residents of the Coal River Valley from blasting near the Brushy Fork Impoundment. They plan to stay locked down until law enforcement removes them.
Massey Energy has begun blasting on Coal River Mountain in southern West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has stated that the mining operation on the mountain is "actively moving coal." Workers were seen throughout this past week moving heavy equipment up to the mining zones, and blasting and plumes of smoke were seen and heard near the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment on Friday.
The Brushy Fork impoundment is an enormous retention pond holding 8.2 billion gallons of toxic coal slurry waste. If the impoundment were to fail due to the blasting, hundreds of lives will be lost and thousands more will be in jeopardy from an enormous slurry flood.
Please call or fax a letter to President Obama today at 202-456-1414/fax number: 202-456-2461 and implore him to use his agencies and influence with West Virginia politicians to stop the destruction of Coal River Mountain immediately!
November 6-8, 2009: Weekend in Wise posted November 3, 2009 Come to beautiful Wise County, Southwest Virginia November 6-8 for a weekend summit focusing on a sustainable future for Appalachia!
Coal River Valley residents and supporters associated with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero delivered a letter to Governor's Manchin's office in the State Capitol building at 12:15 p.m. today. The statement from Coal River Valley residents calls on Manchin to use his executive powers to halt mountaintop removal mining operations on Coal River Mountain, one of the last intact mountains remaining in the Coal River Valley area.
Mountain Justice and Energy Justice Network are again calling for rallies in every city where the EPA has an office. This is our third national action, following up on ones in June and August.
Lexington, KY- Early this morning, Kentucky Mountain Justice organizers made a bold statement about the proposed "Wildcat Coal Lodge" by hanging a banner from Memorial Coliseum. The banner, reading 'University of Coal? Or University of Kentucky?', along with the Mountain Justice website, criticized a recent decision by UK's housing board to accept "Coal" in the name of a new athletics facility.
Please take a few minutes out of your day to contact the Army Corps of Engineers (ACoE) and let them know you support their proposed elimination of the streamlined permitting process -- known as Nationwide Permit 21, or NWP 21-- which allows coal companies to seek quick approval for their mountaintop removal coal mining projects. The deadline for comments is October 26, 2009.
We are making undreamed of gains in the fight against strip mining and Mountaintop Removal for coal and as a result the coal industry is responding with intimidation and thug behaviour. At the ACoE hearing on October 13, the mining industries public relations firms orchestrated shipping bus-loads of people to the hearings to intimidate and harass anti strip mine activist. In WV Friends of Coal supporters were shouting environmentalist down as they tried to testify, literally crowding some activist up against a wall while chanting and threatening their safety requiring a police escort through their masses. There was no removal of those people who were disrupting the event and the Army Corps and the cops complied with the threats from the coal thugs by requiring many environmentalists to leave the hearing for their own safety.
We need you to take a minute to comment, email, write the Army Corp of Engineers to tell them you support the revocation of NWP 21 in favor a permit by permit process. No two mountains are the same, no two streams are the same, no two strip mines are the same--the one size fits all practice that is NWP 21 has failed miserably and need to be revoked.
On October 13, 2009, The Army Corps of Engineering hosted one of six hearing
on the proposed suspension of Nationwide Permits 21 permits on mountaintop
removal in Charleston, WV. Tonight, hearings are also occurring in Pittsburgh,
PA, Big Stone Gap, VA and Cambridge, OH, and citizens are concerned for their
safety at these hearings as well.
At the Charleston, WV hearing, lack of respect for public safety as well as
lack of proper planning created an extremely dangerous situation and prohibited
many people from attending or speaking at the hearing. There was no removal
of those people who were disrupting the event and there was no serious reprimand
of those who were disrupting the event. The Army Corps did not act to prevent
this disruption of free speech...
It's important that we get a good crowd out to show support for the Army Corps' decision to stop issuing rubber stamp permits called "Nationwide Permits" -- and to let them know that a lot more is needed to protect our communities from the devastating impacts of mountaintop removal.
The Senior Citizen’s Walk to End Mountaintop Removal will unite citizens over 55 years of age in a 25 mile march to protest mountaintop removal. It is part of the ongoing campaign to end mountaintop removal, and the destruction of Appalachian mountains and communities. It is a joint effort of local and national organizers. Those who wish to take part in non-violent civil disobedience at the gates of Mammoth Coal mountaintop removal site, may do so on the afternoon of Monday October 12. This promises to be a powerful event, and will bring some much needed energy and the wisdom of age to the movement to end mountaintop removal.
You have pushed the EPA to take real steps against mountaintop removal. Friday, September 11, the EPA decided that of all 79 mountaintop removal permits they were reviewing, none of them should be approved in their current form!
This temporary stay of execution is a historic step: the biggest any agency has ever taken to end the devastating practice of mountaintop removal. We have achieved it thanks to the years of organizing and outcry from you and tens of thousands of allies across the country.
But now is a crucial time to make sure that this temporary reprieve becomes a permanent change. While the EPA regional offices review the permits in their area, the EPA has opened a 14-day comment period.
Please take a moment to thank the EPA for this important step and ask them to stop all permitting of valley fills? You can submit official comments here. Comments are needed by the end of this week!
This September the fossil fuel industry and their political supporters are descending on Pittsburgh to put a green face on global capitalism. These meetings amongst the world superpowers whose failed policies are responsible for the global economic, environmental and human rights crises, will be met by global citizens who know we need to do things differently. We'll stick our necks out to demand real, localized and community-based solutions that come from the 6 billion people of the earth, not 20 heads of state.
The Three Rivers Climate Convergence will be held September 20-25th in Schenley Park, located in the heart of Oakland, Pittsburgh's student neighborhood. The convergence will gather together people united for environmental justice to share knowledge, attend workshops, plan actions and demonstrations in response to the International Coal Conference and G20 Summit and live sustainably in the shadows of a 21st Century city. At this time, the encampment is not permitted by the city.
During the week of the International Coal Conference and G20 Summit, groups representing countless issues will arrive in Pittsburgh with their own definitions of resistance. The Pittsburgh Principles urge every movement present at this mobilization to respect the space and tactics of other groups. www.resistg20.org/principles.
JULIAN, W.Va. Four protesters blocking the road to Massey Energy's Regional Headquarters in Boone County and a journalist covering the event were arrested this morning. The protesters are charged with trespass, conspiracy, destruction of property, disobeying a lawful order and resisting arrest. Roland Micklem, 81, James McGuinness, 53, Joseph Hamsher, 22, and Fred Williamson, 75, comprised the human roadblock. The journalist, Gianni Lapis, is charged with trespass, failure to obey a lawful command, and conspiracy.
About a year ago an elderly Floyd County couple, both deaf and living on a fixed income, were approached by a coal company offering money to strip
mine their mountainside.
They refused, but on Friday, Aug 28th a massive boulder crashed from the Frasure Creek Mining strip job on Caney Fork and into the bedroom of Billy
and Eileen Tussy.
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va.—The two Edwight tree sitters, Nick Stocks and Laura Steepleton, came down from their 80-foot tulip poplar perches this afternoon and were taken into State Police custody. They have been preventing more blasting from rocking the homes of Pettry Bottom because harmful government inaction has failed to do so. They have both been charged with trespass, obstruction and littering, and their bail has been set at $25,000 each. For the past five days, they endured psychological torture, verbal assault and threats.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A tree-sitting protest designed to halt blasting at a Massey Energy mountaintop removal mine in southern West Virginia ended Monday when the activists descended from an 80-foot high platform and were arrested.
State Police confirmed that Laura Steepleton and Nick Stocks were taken into custody after spending six days in a poplar at the Edwight mine in Raleigh County.
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va. – After six full days in an 80-foot-tall poplar tree, Nick Stocks will voluntarily come down at 10:00 a.m. today. Since Tuesday morning, Stocks has been living on a platform 30 feet from Massey Energy's Edwight Surface Mine, preventing further blasting over the community of Pettry Bottom. Stocks will turn himself immediately over to the State Police. Fellow tree sitter Laura Steepleton remains in a neighboring tree with no immediate plans to come down.
On Day 5, tree sitters still sittin' strong. They're still preventing blasting on top of Pettry Bottom and it's illegal to blast tomorrow, the Lord's day.
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va. —The two tree sitters forced Massey Energy to cancel blasts on the the Edwight mountaintop removal mine above Pettry Bottom. According to a confidential source, Massey Energy had planned to use explosives to blast off a knob near the tree sitters at approximately four p.m., yesterday. This directly conflicts with statements made by the Edwight site supervisor.
As of sun rise on Wednesday morning, the protesters maintain that they will not abandon their treetop platforms until Massey Energy commits to ending blasting above Pettry Bottom and Peachtree, pays the full health care and property repair costs for Pettry Bottom and Peachtree residents, and the Federal Office of Surface Mining commits to the full reclamation of the Edwight mine site.
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va.—Two people are occupying two treetops at the edge of Massey Energy’s Edwight mountaintop removal site above Pettry Bottom and Peachtree in Raleigh County, West Virginia. At 6:30 a.m., concerned citizens unrolled two banners reading “Stop Mountain Top Removal” and “DEP – Don’t Expect Protection” from their treetop platforms. They are perched 80 feet above the ground, within 30 feet of the mine, and within the 300 feet of blasting. Blasting is prohibited when people are within such proximity.
Concerned citizens nationwide rallied together at regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters for National Days of Action protesting mountaintop-removal coal mining (MTR). Demonstrations took place in Atlanta, New York, Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
CHARLESTON, W.VA.— At 9 a.m., four protesters entered the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) and locked themselves to the office entrance. They are demanding that the agency hand over control of key programs to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) and that WVDEP Secretary Randy Huffman resign. Around them, dozens of demonstrators reiterated those demands. Inside the WVDEP, the four protesters are displaying signs that read "Closed Due to Incompetence" and "Department of Encouraging Pollution."
On Friday, August 14 SEAC is hosting a centralized action against mountaintop removal at EPA Headquarters, in Washington DC. Everyone, drop what you're doing and make plans to be there!
Date:
Friday, August 14, 2009
Time:
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:
EPA Headquarters
302 12th St. NW, Washington, DC
A fierce campaign is being waged in southern West Virginia against companies destroying the Appalachian Mountains with mountaintop removal. This week, five activists received hefty fines ($1900 each) after chaining themselves to mining equipment on Kayford Mountain in May after Mountain Justice Summer camp.
Now they need your support in paying these fines and keeping the campaign going.
Please consider donating to Mountain Justice using the Donate button on the left or by mail. Please mark your donations "Kayford Legal Fund". Every contribution helps! Fundraising with your friends and communities to stop this atrocious practice helps even more.
Our friends in the West Virginia coalfields are in danger, and they need your help.
Please call Gov. Joe Manchin today 304 558 2000 and tell him to stop the violence against environmentalists in the coalfields. You don't have to live in West Virginia to call - mountaintop removal is a national issue!
We desperately need your donations to help out some climate heroes in need. As you probably know, 30 people -- including NASA Scientist James Hansen, Actress Daryl Hannah and former Congressman Ken Hechler -- were arrested last Tuesday opposing mountaintop removal and a second coal silo at Marsh Fork Elementary school in southern West Virginia.
You may also know that the brave citizens were charged with block traffic and obstructing an officer. We were forced to block traffic by the Fiends of Coal who had blocked our access to the road -- but no one came near obstructing an officer. We are trying to get the outrageous charges dropped, but as it stands, these trumped up charges may cost each person $500-600!
Most of the 30 were average citizens -- including students, grandmas and grandpas, teachers, and many, many local heroes to the movement...
It'll be great to have everyone up at Larry's Kayford Mountain in West Va. this weekend - This will be an important recharge time for all of us who are putting our hearts
into this work for environmental and social justice to take a weekend to celebrate mountain life with some fine music and stories.
BOSTON, MA – Activists with Rising Tide draped a 25-foot banner reading, "Mountain Top Removal Kills Communities: EPA No New Permits. MountainJustice.org" at the downtown offices of the Environmental Protection Agency this morning. The group is urging the agency to block over 150 pending permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.
"Mountaintop removal is destroying our nation's most diverse forests and historic communities," said Alex Johnston, a Rising Tide activist. "President Obama and the EPA need to take immediate action to stop the bulldozers from destroying America's oldest mountains and Appalachians homes."
WE NEED YOUR HELP! We need people in or near any one of the ten EPA regional offices to commit to an action of any sort - signs, rallies, call-ins or just handing out material. Action planning is already under way at a few of the offices. If you are from or near any of these cities and can give a few hours of your time, please contact us at christopherscottirwin {at} yahoo.com or on Facebook.
On June 23rd join NASA climate scientist James Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, 94-year-old former US Representative Ken Hechler, Rainforest Action Network executive director Michael Brune, and community members in Coal River Valley, West
Virginia to launch a year of activism to end mountaintop removal coal
mining.
Scale 20-story tall machinery to call attention to nation's worst form of coal mining; This is the first time a dragline has been scaled on a mountaintop removal site.
Update: 14 activists are now in custody, will be arraigned as early as 1 pm. All are safe and in good spirits.
Kathy Mattea, Donna the Buffalo, Ben Sollee and more are scheduled perform at "Mountain Aid", a benefit for the Pennies of Promise campaign, on June 19-20 at Shakori Hills in Chatham County, North Carolina.
Attorneys for citizens in Ansted, WV and the Sierra Club have appealed a permit renewal granted by the WV DEP to Powellton Coal Company for mining on Gauley Mountain in Fayette Co. WV. Gauley Mountain is in the heart of the rafting and outdoor recreation industry of WV and is also depicted on the back of the WV state quarter. The WV Surface Mine Board will hear this appeal on June 9th (and maybe the 10th as well)
We would like to have as many people in attendance as possible. Please come and show your support!
BECKLEY, W.Va.—Seventeen mountaintop removal activists had no choice but to enforce the laws since all administrative remedies have been exhausted, said some of the activists and supporters at a press conference today. The four still-jailed activists were released on their own recognizance by Judge Burnside shortly after the press conference, which was held on the Raleigh County Courthouse steps.
More Arrests on Coal River Valley as Actions Against Mountaintop Removal and Coal Sludge Dams Continue posted May 24, 2009 COAL RIVER VALLEY, W.Va.—More than seventy-five residents of the Coal River Valley and members of a coalition that includes Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero picketed the entrance to Massey Energy's Marfork mining complex today at noon. Seven people were arrested. The actions were in protest of the company's plans to blast 100 feet away from the Brushy Fork coal sludge impoundment.
Come join the rising tide of nonviolent civil disobedience to mountaintop removal as Mountain Justice gathers at the gates to Massey Energy's Marfork facility in Pettus, W.Va.
The beautiful Appalachian South Folklife Center, located deep in the West Virginia hills near Pipestem State Park is our location for the 2009 Mountain Justice Summer Training Camp.
The purpose of camp is to provide skills for participants to spend their summer in Appalachia working with Mountain Justice and our allies to end mountaintop removal and build a sustainable future or to take these skills back home to organize for the same goals.
Among needed items for flooded areas are drinking water, cleaning supplies, shovels, brooms, mops, nonperishable foods, diapers and baby formula. For more information call 304-664-9625.
Knoxville, TN – May 12, 2009 - This week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency entered into an agreement with TVA to oversee the cleanup efforts at the TVA disaster site where more than one billion gallons of coal ash devastated a community in December. This is an enforceable agreement under the Administrative Order, which was entered into under the superfund law, also know as CERCLA.
Activists maintain pressure on Massey and EPA posted April 17, 2009 SUNDIAL, W.Va. – Three activists, who are committed to nonviolently ending mountaintop removal, unveiled a banner that said “EPA stop MTR” at Massey Energy's Edwight mountaintop removal mine. Five people were arrested: the three activists Charles Suggs, Madeline Gardner, and William Wickham, and independent photographer Antrim Caskey and independent filmmaker Jordan Freeman. The activists chose the Edwight mine because Massey has recently begun blasting directly above the town of Naoma, W.Va., and the grave danger its slurry dam poses to Marsh Fork Elementary. This is the fifth in a series of such actions over the last 3 months that Climate Ground Zero has taken against Massey Energy and mountaintop removal coal mining.
Local residents joined dozens of activists from across the country today in a demonstration at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s headquarters, which resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals, after participating in a "die in" in front of the building . This event was held to in solidarity with communities affected by the destructive impacts of Mountaintop Removal coal mining and the surivors of the recent coal ash disaster in Harriman.
Please support these individuals fighting for the mountains of Appalachia,
arrest donation can be sent by clicking the Donate Paypal button. Please mark donations for "for MJSB" or checks can be sent to:
P.O. Box 86
Naoma, WV 25140
Please mark checks "for MJSB"
Meet at 1pm in Knoxville’s Market Square (outside TVA headquarters)
Tennessee's call to action to speak out against mountain top removal, dirty energy, and the recent TVA coal ash spill disaster. Participate in a symbolic march around downtown Knoxville, followed by a large rally in Market Square. We will hear from captivating speakers, determined activists, local heroes, and survivors of the recent coal ash spill, followed by a proposal for a Green New Deal, a prayer, and call for civil disobedience.
WE ARE DEMANDING THAT TVA STOP
DESTROYING OUR MOUNTAINS
On Thursday, March 5 United Mountain Defense member Matt Landon was arrested by TVA police while giving a ride home to an elderly disabled Swan Pond resident, Eva Hewitt. The two were returning from the Tennessee Environmental and Conservation public meeting held earlier that day where Eva was one of several community members who spoke at a citizen's press conference about health concerns relating to the TVA disaster.
Nine days of training, service and action for environmental justice in the coal fields.
In less than four weeks, you'll have a chance to get totally plugged into the growing movement to end mountaintop removal and bring justice to the coal fields. Come to Eastern Tennessee, March 7-15 for Mountain Justice Spring Break, where we will share the skills and knowledge needed to fight back against dirty coal.
"Yesterday, we again confronted Massey. This time on Cherry Pond Mountain, Clay's Branch, above my home. Look at what they are doing... and what we are doing. We really have no choice. They're blasting the mountain down on top of us."
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.
Mountain Justice has drafted a letter to President Obama and the board and president of TVA as well as the provisions of the Green New Deal, a plan to restructure and evolve TVA.
This document will be sent to the TVA board today and possibly hand-delivered to them at their board meeting in Knoxville tomorrow.
There will be a press conference outside TVA headquarters in Knoxville on March 13th for the Green New Deal to be signed by TVA.
This will coincide with the Mountain Justice Spring Break march on TVA, so hopefully lots of folks will be there.
Between now and the March rally/press conference, we want as many groups and organizations as possible to sign this letter voicing their support for the signing of the Green New Deal.
If your group wants to sign on, please send an e-mail to truth@mountainjustice.org...
Please contact the TVA board (board@tva.gov) and Obama (www.whitehouse.gov/contact) and ask them to sign the Green New Deal.
Massey Energy blasting would endanger community, destroy permanent renewable energy potential
This morning five activists, who had chained themselves to a bulldozer and an excavator, and one videographer were arrested for trespassing at a mountaintop removal site. By afternoon, dozens of local residents, friends and supporters from throughout Appalachia converged at the mine’s gate. Eight more citizens were arrested in the afternoon action.
Call Governor Manchin at 1-888-438-2731 and / or use our simple web form to e-mail the governor.
This morning five activists were arrested after locking down to a bulldozer and excavator on Coal River Mountain. They had giant banners that read “Save Coal River Mountain” and “Wind Mills NOT Toxic Spills.”
This afternoon, local residents, friends and allies from across Appalachia will gather to demonstrate against Massey Energy's preparation for blasting on Coal River Mountain. Massey’s bulldozers have razed a huge mud pit and torn down trees on the mountain, and the first blasts permitted would be next to the world's largest toxic coal slurry impoundment.
1-19-2009: TENNESSEE DAY OF ACTION AGAINST COAL posted January 17, 2009 Monday, January 19th, community organizers in Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga, Tenn., are holding a public demonstration against TVA. All three protests will begin simultaneously at noon.
On December 22nd, in the largest coal ash disaster in American history, a massive disaster at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant flooded more than 400 acres in Roane County, Tennessee, with one billion gallons of toxic coal ash sludge. Coal ash commonly contains pollutants such as arsenic, which causes cancer, and heavy metals that can contaminate water supplies in downstream communities.
Local residents are understandably worried about the possibility of drinking contaminated water, as well as other health risks from polluted air and soil in their neighborhoods. But many of these families, who are already dealing with disrupted lives and damaged property, cannot afford the medical tests necessary to determine if they have been exposed to toxics in the coal ash. United Mountain Defense (UMD) and other groups are urging the TVA to cover all costs associated with medical testing and health care for the victims of this disaster, something the TVA has not yet volunteered to do.
1-14-2009: Residents living near TVA’s Coal Ash Disaster receive medical screening for heavy metal exposure posted January 15, 2009 On Tuesday January 13 residents of Roane county attended the second day of clinical testing for exposure to heavy metals and other environmental toxins in Harriman, TN following TVA’s massive coal ash disaster of December 22, 2008. The clinical screening was performed by a Brentwood, TN corporation called Internal Balance. Internal Balance assembled a skilled team of physician’s assistants who worked under the guidance of a licensed physician, Dr. Daniel Kalb, MD. The owner of Internal Balance, Tamara Mariea is a biochemical nutritionist and a detoxification specialist...
UMD: WE NEED INDEPENDENT AIR MONITORS NOW! posted January 14, 2009 United Mountain Defense has been leading the charge for the on the ground response here in Harriman. We have been here since day one gathering more than 80 water and coal samples and more than 50 hours of video footage. Because of your help we have gotten free heavy metal testing for more than 29 local residents impacted by the disaster. The next big push for help that we need is probably the one that will impact you the most, AIR, AIR, AIR. No one is testing the air except TVA and the private corporation that they hired. And guess what they are saying every thing is fine. Please donate hazmat respirators...
CALL TO ACTION: NASHVILLE, KNOXVILLE, CHATTANOOGA AND MUSCLE SHOALS, AL! posted January 12, 2009 We need signs and people protesting--if just for an hour--in front of the TVA offices in these 4 cities where TVA has offices. In terms of impact 1 person holding a sign with a picture has as much impact as 25 would two months ago. Person for person these next two weeks are the time for protest against TVA at these headquarters....
1-10-2009: Report from Widows Creek posted January 11, 2009 Day two of our work at Widows Creek yielded more samples, photographs, and confrontations with security. James and I arrived in Stevenson, AL around 2:30pm and, remembering our paths from yesterday, took a labyrinth of back roads to bypass police blockades. A security truck followed us for a couple of miles as we drove straight to the private drive leading to our new friend's house, on private land bordered by Widows Creek and TVA property.
We will be discussing the Tennessee TVA coal ash disaster and our response, as well as planning the MJ Summer Camp which will also be at Camp Blanton in May. Come check out this beautiful camp in the Kentucky mountains!
We (UMD) found out from the expert that we had come speak to last weekends community meeting that there is a window. After around 27 days the arsenic leaves urine. A lab said they could do this an other heavy metal testing. At first the cost was 700 per person--but they brought it down to 500 to help.
We had 50 people sign up for testing.
One of our volunteers (Bonnie) just called me in tears. She said "look, I am calling and people are sick, some are so sick that their families are there and answering the phone for them. The ones that know us are telling us the truth--they just lost their land value, there health and some of them everything and there is no way they can come up with that kind of cash.
Preliminary testing was conducted on samples from the Emory River by scientists working in coordination with Appalachian Voices and the Waterkeeper Alliance's Upper Watauga Riverkeeper Program.
Concentrations of eight toxic chemicals range from twice to 300 times higher than drinking water limits, according to scientists with Appalachian State University who conducted the tests.
12/31/08: UMD Update from TN posted January 1, 2009 This holiday season has been like one I have never experienced. Today is New Year’s Eve and as people drink themselves into stupors United Mountain Defense volunteers are working tirelessly to help the people of Harriman, TN. This morning United Mountain Defense full time volunteer staff person, Matt Landon gave a 15 minute interview on Democracy Now. United Mountain Defense has been on the ground since day 1 to share the real story with the world and will continue to do so. Early this morning we had an overly enthusiastic water monitoring volunteer who set out to gather another round of water and coal sludge samples and was detained by local police and verbally warned not to enter the area again or risk arrest.
12/30/08: UMD Update from TN posted January 1, 2009 United Mountain Defense volunteers collected samples of well water and spring water from Swan Pond Rd. These samples were sent off to an independent laboratory in the Southeast. Because of the holiday season we are not sure how quickly we will get the results back.
It seems that some of the national media has finally gotten back from Christmas break. United Mountain Defense volunteers helped connect these national media sources with local residents who wanted to share their stories. We met with ABC, Truthout.org, GQ, and the Appalachian PBS series...
Volunteers for United Mountain Defense handed out flyers announcing the Public Meeting that was scheduled to happen in Kingston, TN at 4:30pm. We also distributed copies of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) dealing with different grades of coal ash. The information contained on these Safety sheets suggests that as this coal ash dries out and becomes more airborne that everyone should wear single or double filter respirators. Also each house should have a HEPA filter and change the filter once a week. United Mountain Defense volunteers were reporting having soar throats at the end of the day today after being in the disaster zone all day. We will be purchasing respirators for our ground crews. It will be an interesting day as we deliver MSDS information to local residents while wearing lung protection. United Mountain Defense volunteers continued to deliver clean bottled water to residents on Swan Pond Rd.
12-27-08: UMD at Kingston Public Meeting - TVA Coal Ash Spill posted December 28, 2008 United Mountain Defense volunteers spent yesterday Dec 27, 2008 delivering Material Safety Data Sheets about fly ash and announcements about the Public Meeting in Kingston to the coal impacted citizens around TVA's coal ash spill site. We also mobilized volunteers from the Hurricane Creek Keeper of Tuscaloosa, AL and Upper Watauga River Keeper of Boone, NC to paddle up the river and gather samples of river water, sludge, and document all the impacts they could see. While in route they were interviewed by a New York Times reporter in a bass boat. They are sending their samples to a Toxicity Lab at Appalachian State University and are hoping to get the results back on Tuesday.
Today I awoke to a phone call. The kind progressive people of Roane County, TN had allowed me to post to their RoaneViews.com community forum last night. I was delighted to get a phone call and an offer of a work space in the area surrounding TVA's ash spill area. The local resident was so inspired by the ground truthing, outreach, and daily reports that United Mountain Defense was delivering that we were granted rent free use of the property...
I brought 2 conductivity meters for water testing down to the spill scene yesterday - along with Ph and dissolved oxygen testing equipment - I met up with United Mountain Defense members plus John Wathen of Riverkeepers (former chair of Citizens Coal Council)
We tried to drive back to the spill site but TVA became irate when we pulled off the road and tried to take some pictures - Matt and I were detained for almost an hour at a check point yesterday...
United Mountain Defense and Independent Media volunteers have been on the ground since December 22, 2008 gathering water samples of the coal sludge, learning all we could from local residents, handing out free education materials, and documenting TVA’s coal ash pond spill. On Christmas Day two United Mountain Defense volunteers got in a boat and paddled out into the Emory River to gather water samples and an hour of video footage from the point where the ash spill meets the river. TVA has stated that the Coast Guard is on site, there are silt fences on site, and they were constructing a gravel levy around the spill.
United Mountain Defense volunteer staff person Matt Landon stated, “We launched a boat after witnessing three kayakers paddle unhindered yesterday. To our surprise there was no Coast Guard onsite. We did not have to paddle over any TVA installed silt fences. We did not have to portage over any TVA built gravel levy. We did not see any fish....
For most of my life Christmas morning was a time of hanging out in my pajamas, opening presents, eating really good food, and spending time with my family. This year was a little different. I spent Christmas in the man-made disaster that used to surround TVA's Kingston Coal Burning Power Plant. Due to TVA's negligence a HUGE coal ash pond exploded into the surrounding countryside dumping HUGE amounts of toxins into the local environment... ...Read more.
(UMD PRESS RELEASE) Huge environmental disaster of epic proportions in TN posted December 25, 2008 Monday December 22, a tragedy 40 times bigger than the
Valdez Oil spill occurred outside of Kingston, TN.
Residences living near the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) Kingston coal plant were flooded with
approximately 500 million gallons of nasty black coal
waste. It covered 400 acres of land and flooded into
tributaries of the Tennessee River which is the water
supply for Chattanooga TN and millions of people
living downstream in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky... ...Read more.
Members of United Mountain Defense traveled today down to Harriman, TN to learn more first hand about the impacts of the coal ash pond failure. We traveled on Swan Pond Rd visiting local residents and passing out information about the chemicals that may be present in the drinking water. Beginning at 3pm Dec 23, 2008 TVA officials began to visit all of the houses just prior to our visit advising residents to boil their drinking water before consuming it for the next 5 days. Unfortunately TVA did not inform anyone about the reasons for needing to boil the water and any chemicals that may be present in their water. The city of Harriman was working 24 hours a day to install a new water pipe in order to provide these residents with cleaner water. Their current water source was a large spring which may have been contaminated by the spill...
I could have expected more from the corporate media but that would have been wishful thinking. I saw a 1.5 minute piece on this coal ash spill on the three local news stations. 2.6 billion gallons of coal sludge spilled into the surrounding area. The pond was 40 acres large. They were telling people to boil their water if they have wells in the area. Supposedly it had been leaking since 11pm last night according to the news. This is ridiculous. This is a crime.
We have a model for the media coverage of coal slurry spills in the US with the spill in KY in 2001. Please help us make this the media story that it needs to be. I am going back down there tomorrow to do some more video taping, distribution of information, and protesting. I really want to get to all the people living along the Swan Pond Rd with info about what is in the coal ash so that they don't boil the coal slurry and drink it. This is insanity. Please help us!
If you have any spare funds for gas, copies, paper please send money to:
P.O. Box 20363
Knoxville, TN 37920
Make sure to write for TVA Coal Ash Pond Disaster.
If you can come down for a protest please let me know. If you can post info on the internet please do it. I will be providing up to the minute updates from the frontlines and hope to get the video up and running soon.
Till then,
Matt Landon - full time volunteer staff person for United Mountain Defense
Mountain Justice is hosting a Winter Campout at Frog Level Tennessee. If you love mountains, camping, hiking, the forest and all that is wild you're invited to the Winter Solstice camp on Dec 19, 20th and 21st.
Please RSVP to bswinford <at> yahoo.com if you plan on attending.
November 21-23, 2008: Student / Youth Anti-MTR Summit posted November 18, 2008 Everyone is invited to the 2008 Fall Student Summit in the Coal River Valley. Coal River Mountain Watch, along with the Student Environmental Action Center and Southern Energy Network are hosting the 4th Annual Fall Summit on November 21-23. Join us to learn about the past, present and future of the fight against Mountaintop Removal and other abuses of the coal industry.
As Mountain Justice begins its 5th year as a movement for social and environmental justice in the coalfields, we're heading to the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem,
West Virginia to plan out the next steps in the fight for a sustainable future in Appalachia.
Over the course of a weekend we will get to know each other, eat great food, share our perspectives and sit down to the important work of deciding what needs to happen next in the movement to stop mountaintop removal and grow a strong, diverse and healthy Appalachian future.
Please come support us as we sign the plea bargain and make a statement to the courts and media on October 17 at 9:30 a.m. in at the Wise County Courthouse in Wise, Virginia, the seat of Wise County in Southwest Virginia.
Protesters from across the country join Wise County VA residents to oppose power plant's impact on environment and health, and to demand a clean energy future.
Ten activists locked
down
to steel
barrels
and other devices to blockade two gates at the site.
Join us for a Weekend in Wise County, in the incredible mountains of Appalachia.
The weekend will include tours of Mountaintop Removal sites, service projects,
local music, hiking and canoeing trips, as well as trainings on how to bring
the fight for a clean energy future back to your own home town. Meet the
folks leading the charge against the greed of coal and energy companies by
standing up for a brighter future. See the beauty of the land we are all
fighting to protect, and see the devastation that threatens the future of
Appalachia.
On September 16th, Appalachian residents - with the support of local, regional and national community and environmental organizations - will be holding a rally on the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol from 5-6 pm, calling for the development of a wind farm on Coal River Mountain. The rally will be a celebration of the amazing potential for renewable energy development and the creation of Green Jobs in West Virginia, and Coal River Mountain stands as a symbol of the transition that West Virginia must make in order to prepare for a post-coal, sustainable future.
September 19-21, 2008: Appalachian Community Economics conference posted August 14, 2008 On September 19-21 in Abingdon, VA the Appalachian Community Economics conference will bring together people who want to build sustainable economies in areas traditionally dominated by the coal industry. Whether you have skills to share, want to learn how to make money with your skills or start a business, have a small business and want to network with potential customers, want to learn new skills that can help sustain you economically, or just want to work toward sustaining Appalachian life and culture beyond coal, then ACE is for you.
**UPDATE 8/8/08** There was no jail time or fines imposed by the Campbell county judge today. Your generous donations helped pay the $1156 in court costs. THANK YOU!
July 20th at Zeb Mountain four protesters were arrested in solidarity with United Mountain Defense, Three River
Earth First!, Mountain Justice and coal-impacted residents of Appalachia.
Holding hands and singing
Amazing Grace, with more than 50 protesters
behind them, they crossed the line onto National Coal's property. Once across the line police calmly handcuffed and arrested them.
Looking for ways to get involved in the Mountain Justice movement? Want to help but not sure how to get started? Then check out the "What Can I Do?" quick list to help spark ideas and then contact us. We need your help!
United Mountain Defense, Mountain Justice and Three
Rivers Earth First! ask you to march with us for Appalachia. This is a call for you to take a Sunday out of your life to help preserve some of the oldest mountains and watersheds on Earth. March with us in
solidarity against the watershed annihilation machine
known as mountaintop removal. This is a call not for any organization or group — but for the Mountains of Tennessee.
On the morning of June 30, 2008 , twelve activists from Blue Ridge Earth First! and Mountain Justice were arrested in Richmond, Virginia while participating in a blockade of the Dominion property on Tredegar Street.
Please help these courageous
frontline activists today by donating whatever you
can to their defense!
On Saturday, July 5th and Sunday, July 6th, the annual
Mountain Keepers Music Festival will be held at Kayford Mountain's Stanley
Heirs Park . This concert is the premier music festival that celebrates environmental
justice in southern West Virginia.
Make this years Mountain Keepers festival the most memorable yet, even if you can't make it. Help Larry Gibson surprise his bride-to-be with the best wedding gift ever - a composting flush toilet!
Action Camp equips Appalachian citizens to resist mountaintop removal Photo by Mary Kroeck, Parson Brown Productions.
Blanton Forest, KENTUCKY - Last week, citizens young and old from coalfield communities across Appalachia flocked by the dozens to historic
Harlan County, Kentucky, for the fourth annual Mountain Justice Summer Action Camp...
MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL, Michael O'Connell's revealing look at mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia, has been named the 2008 winner of the Reel Current Award. The winner is chosen and award presented each year by Al Gore to a documentary at NaFF that provides extraordinary insight into a contemporary global issue.
We have found a great location for our fourth annual Mountain Justice
Summer Camp: Camp Blanton at Blanton Forest, in Harlan County,
Kentucky, in the heart of the eastern Kentucky coalfields.
We have a full week planned of workshops on Appalachian coal
mining, music and culture featuring well-known Appalachian activists,
plus hiking, Appalachian mountain music, dancing, campfires, and
excellent healthy food.
May 9-10, 2008: Jam down at the Bank! posted May 9, 2008 Mountain Justice is asking for musicians and others to join Action Jackson in a great big jam down at the bank on Friday May 9th and Saturday May 10th. Where will this jam be held? At any Bank of America or Citi location near you.
It's not too late to sign the petition! Dominion Energy has proposed building a dirty coal-fired power plant in Wise County, Virginia that will pollute the
air and water, further destroy our mountains, and contribute to global warming.
Citizen’s of Southwest Virginia are standing up for their mountains and communities by leading a grassroots campaign to defeat the plant.
On April 1, 2008, Fossil Fools Day, activists throughout the world joined together in hundreds of autonomous actions against the fossil fuel industry and their facilitators...(read more)
Dec 3, 2007: KY State Legislators Tour Devastation of Mountaintop Removal posted December 6, 2007 More than a dozen state legislators came to Hazard, Kentucky on December 3 to view mountaintop removal sites and hear testimony from Eastern Kentuckians about this form of coal-mining. The media was out in full force, as well. As recently as a year ago it seemed impossible to ever get this many politicians to listen to those who were against mountaintop removal, so this was an important day in the fight against mountaintop removal and was a well-organized event set up by Kentuckians for the Commonwealth.
The federal Office of Surface
Mining (OSM) recently announced plans to change surface mining rules. These
rule changes would make the destruction of our Appalachian mountains
and communities even easier and more profitable for wealthy coal execs
and their investors.
The end result is an acceleration of
the irreversible damage occurring right now. Communities
throughout the region are in danger and need your help. Spread the word to
everyone you know that this can not be allowed to happen
and that public comments
opposing the rule change are urgently needed.
Join Rainforest Action Network, Coal River Mountain Watch, Appalachian Voices,
Mountain Justice and a cast of thousands as we mobilize to stop Bank of America
and Citi's investments
in the coal industry!
Public hearings on the proposed Office of Surface Mining's Stream Buffer Zone rule change have been scheduled for four locations on October 24, 2007 from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Oct.19-21: Student / Youth Summit posted October 16, 2007 Join us October 19-21st in the Coal River Valley, WV to see MTR up close, hear from community activists, and meet other young activists.
Come to Wise County, Va on October 12-14th for a Convergence of the Virginia Climate Action Network (VaCAN).
Bank of America targeted in nationwide Day of Action posted September 4, 2007 On August 31st there was a coordinated day of action against Bank of America for it's part in funding the complete cycle of coal, including MTR.
Tell Dominion Power No New Coal Plants in Virginia posted June 21, 2007 Concerned people from all over Appalachia will come together in Richmond, VA to tell Dominion Power "No New Coal in South Western Virginia!"
Monday, June 18: Stop Coal to Oil Boondoggle in Pikeville,KY. posted June 13, 2007 Come tell Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning that converting coal into a highly-subsidized liquid fuel for the US Air Force is a terrible idea for the communities, the environment, and the world.
MJS Training Camp! posted May 1, 2007 The third MJS kickoff training camp will be held May 20-27 at the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center in the mountains of East Tennessee.
Major Legal Victory! posted March 25, 2007 Judge Chambers ruled that The Army Corps of Engineers has been issuing permits in violation of the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Protection Act and rescinded four permits.
13 Arrested Demanding a Clean Healthy School posted March 21, 2007 13 Southern West Virginia Residents and Activists were arrested at the State Capitol Demanding a new school be built further than 160 feet from a coal loading silo.
Mountain Justice Spring Break posted February 20, 2007 Join us in Charleston, WV March 10th - 18th for a week of learning, celebrating and action!
Campus Climate Challenge posted February 20, 2007 America and Canada's youth are calling for five days of demonstrations to jumpstart the second semester of the Campus Climate Challenge and put the heat on a new U.S. Congress and a returning Canadian Parliament to begin aggressive national power shifts on global warming. In December, a wide cross-section of young activists took part in a national brainstorm to come up with the theme "Rising to the Climate Challenge: Visions Of Our Future."
Coaltrans Conference, Jan 31-Feb 1 posted January 17, 2007 At the end of the month, the coal industry will have a large conference in Miami, FL. All are invited (sort of).
In Memory of A Friend posted January 5, 2007 We lost a much loved member of the MJS Family this past fall. Some thoughts and memories of Jamie McGuinn.
Mountain Links Fundraiser posted December 7, 2006 There will be a fundraiser for Mountain Links, the new community resource center in Appalachia, VA on December 10th in Asheville, NC
Bill to Ban Surface Mining in TN! posted November 18, 2006 A bill to ban all surface mining has been introduced to the Tennessee Legislature. Find out what you can do to help.
Dominion waste coal power plant hearing, Oct. 17 posted October 12, 2006 Dominion Virginia Power is trying to put a 500 - 600 Megawatt waste coal burning power plant in Southwestern Virginia. There will be a hearing in Richmond, VA (conveniently 330 miles from the planned site of the plant)
2nd loading silo above Marsh Fork Rejected! posted August 21, 2006 The WV Department of Environmental Protection rejected Goals Coal's second attempt to put another coal loading silo behind Marsh Fork Elementary School.
National Governors Association Press Release posted August 5, 2006 This is the first press release from down in Charleston, SC. There have been all sorts of great activities and actions and more is to come.
National Governors Association Convention August 4-6 posted July 31, 2006 On August 4-6th, the Governor's from all 50 states will meet in Charleston, SC to talk about how great they are. Not all of them are telling the truth. And we're going to let everybody know.
Pennies of Promise Call to Action posted July 31, 2006 On August 2nd, Grandfather Ed Wiley will leave the capitol steps in Charleston, WV and walk to Washington DC to raise awareness and meet with federal representatives.
What happened with that Rendezvous? posted July 13, 2006 Following a week of learning new things, meeting new people, and catching up with old friends in the woods of South Western Virginia, Earth First! blockaded a 40 year old dirty coal power plant.
Great Series in the Roanoke Times posted July 13, 2006 As you can see by all the links in the news section, the Roanoke Times has done an amazing series on mountaintop removal coal mining.
Fourth of July Celebration posted June 27, 2006 Hey Everybody, it's the fourth of July weekend and that means it's time once again to gather at Kayford Mountain in West Virginia.
Three Great New Short Films posted June 8, 2006 Hey Everybody, check out three great new videos on MTR and surrounding issues at TruthOut.
MJS Camp posted June 7, 2006 Wondering how the Camp went?
Pennies of Promise posted June 6, 2006 A new community effort has sprung up in the Coal River Valley in Southern West Virginia. Since WV Governor Joe Manchin has failed to act, residents are raising funds to build the kids of Marsh Fork Elementary a safe new school in their own community.
MJS Training Camp, May 20-26 posted April 27, 2006 Hey everybody, Come to the MJS Training Camp in Southern West Virginia to Kick off another great summer of resistance
Beyond Coal: Building Healthy Communities in Appalachia posted April 21, 2006 April 28 4pm-7pm & April 29 9am-6pm
What does Appalachia do after coal?
Sometime in the near future the Appalachian economy will face an end to the era of coal. Just as with oil and natural gas, experts now predict a "peak" for coal production in the foreseeable future. This conference seeks to discuss the challenges facing Appalachians as economies based on coal transition in the future.
Join us for an engaging lineup of speakers, workshops, and discussions. Conference activities will take place at the historic Hindman Settlement School in the heart of the central Appalachian coal region.
Coal Field Residents to Participate in United Nations Meeting posted March 27, 2006 The first Coal Field Delegation to the United Nations will be attending
the U.N. Commission on Sustainable Development this May. A group of ten inspiring
Coal Field residents are prepared to take the truth to the UN, but we
need your support if we are going to make it.
Black Diamonds, Virginia Premier, April 12 posted March 17, 2006 "...a searing 90-minute documentary. ...mixes history, sociology, advocacy journalism, and personal portraits vividly depicting the catastrophic ecological and cultural effects wrought by mountaintop removal." Michael Yockel,
Baltimore Magazine, May 2005.
West Virginia Energy Gathering posted March 6, 2006 Were you wondering how the West Virginia Energy Gathering went? I know I was. We now have a full report back from the amazing, inspirational, and fun weekend. See you there next year.
MJS and Black Mesa posted February 17, 2006 MJS activist, Summer, presented a letter of solidarity on behalf of Mountain Justice to Black Mesa and Big Mountain residents and activists today at the Local to Global Justice Convergence in Phoenix, AZ., where she also gave a presentation about mountain top removal.
CRMW Statement on Sago Mine Tragedy posted January 4, 2006 In light of the recent tragedy at the Sago mines, Coal River Mountain Watch wishes to extend its most heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the fallen miners.
Two Rad Demos in Huntington, WV posted October 8, 2005 Come one, come all! On October nineteenth and twentieth the coal industry's "Coal Quality '05" expo will occur in Huntington West Virginia.
Group says WV Governor broke promise on Marsh Fork Elementary posted October 7, 2005 A citizens’ group and concerned parents of the children at Marsh Fork
Elementary School in the Coal River Valley of West Virginia
expressed disappointment in Governor Joe Manchin’s decision
to drop his investigation of health concerns at the school. The school
has gained attention over the summer as residents protested Massey
Energy’s coal operations next door.
Music for the Mountains posted August 24, 2005 August 27 is the end of Mountain Justice Summer and you are invited to attend!
MJS Takes on Gordon Gee at Vanderbilt posted August 14, 2005 Today about a dozen mountain defenders from MJS paid a visit to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, home of Chancellor Gordon Gee who sits on the board of directors of Massey.
Some Songs for Download! posted August 7, 2005 We had rally today at Zeb Mountain and folks wanted to hear some of the songs that we're sung. Here are two...
Urgent! Request A Hearing Now! posted August 4, 2005 Request a hearing to stop a Tennessee mountaintop mining site before it starts.
Elk Valley Rally Press Advisory posted August 3, 2005 Environmentalists and Citizens Take a Stand Against Mountaintop Mining in Tennessee
As the campaign to stop mountaintop removal gains national awareness, we have more and more opportunities for folks to help out. We've got a job for every interest, skill set and time commitment! We invite you to spend the summer working with one of our ally groups or to work with us in your hometown throughout the year!
Our struggle for environmental justice in Appalachia has never been as publicized, analyzed, or urgent as RIGHT NOW! Not a moment too soon, your chance to plug in and make things happen is here! This March 12 - 20, Mountain Justice Spring Break will bring hundreds of young people face to face with the impacts of mountaintop removal and coal industry abuse - and give you the skills and knowledge you need to fight back! Through education, community service, speakers, hiking, music, poetry, direct action and more, you will learn from and stand with Appalachian communities in the struggle to maintain our land and culture.
LEXINGTON, Ky: Tuesday, an anonymous group of students from the University of Kentucky hung a banner from a parking structure near Rose Street to protest the university's use of coal power on campus. The banner, reading "COAL: A Tradition of Oppression. STUDENTS: Let's Change Our Legacy", included a reproduction of the familiar UK symbol, with a burning smokestack between the letters instead of the usual Memorial Hall steeple.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Yall come! Come prepared for shallow but cold stream crossings.
PETTUS, W. Va.- Early this morning two concerned citizens, Dea Goblirsch and Nick Martin, locked down to a drill rig on Coal River Mountain's Bee Tree mountaintop removal site, effectively stopping blasting. Two others, Grace Williams and Laura Von Dolen, joined them in direct support, holding a banner with the message "Save Coal River Mountain".
Massey Energy has begun blasting on Coal River Mountain in southern West Virginia. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection has stated that the mining operation on the mountain is "actively moving coal." Workers were seen throughout this past week moving heavy equipment up to the mining zones, and blasting and plumes of smoke were seen and heard near the Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment on Friday.
Coal River Valley residents and supporters associated with Mountain Justice and 
Lexington, KY- Early this morning, Kentucky Mountain Justice organizers made a bold statement about the proposed "Wildcat Coal Lodge" by hanging a banner from Memorial Coliseum. The banner, reading 'University of Coal? Or University of Kentucky?', along with the Mountain Justice website, criticized a recent decision by UK's housing board to accept "Coal" in the name of a new athletics facility. 
On October 13, 2009, The Army Corps of Engineering hosted one of six hearing
on the proposed suspension of Nationwide Permits 21 permits on mountaintop
removal in Charleston, WV. Tonight, hearings are also occurring in Pittsburgh,
PA, Big Stone Gap, VA and Cambridge, OH, and citizens are concerned for their
safety at these hearings as well.
The Senior Citizen’s Walk to End Mountaintop Removal will unite citizens over 55 years of age in a 25 mile march to protest mountaintop removal. It is part of the ongoing campaign to end mountaintop removal, and the destruction of Appalachian mountains and communities. It is a joint effort of local and national organizers. Those who wish to take part in non-violent civil disobedience at the gates of Mammoth Coal mountaintop removal site, may do so on the afternoon of Monday October 12. This promises to be a powerful event, and will bring some much needed energy and the wisdom of age to the movement to end mountaintop removal.
JULIAN, W.Va. Four protesters blocking the road to Massey Energy's Regional Headquarters in Boone County and a journalist covering the event were arrested this morning. The protesters are charged with trespass, conspiracy, destruction of property, disobeying a lawful order and resisting arrest. Roland Micklem, 81, James McGuinness, 53, Joseph Hamsher, 22, and Fred Williamson, 75, comprised the human roadblock. The journalist, Gianni Lapis, is charged with trespass, failure to obey a lawful command, and conspiracy.
About a year ago an elderly Floyd County couple, both deaf and living on a fixed income, were approached by a coal company offering money to strip
mine their mountainside.
Concerned citizens nationwide rallied together at regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) headquarters for National Days of Action protesting mountaintop-removal coal mining (MTR). Demonstrations took place in Atlanta, New York, Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC. 
On Friday, August 14 SEAC is hosting a centralized action against mountaintop removal at EPA Headquarters, in Washington DC. Everyone, drop what you're doing and make plans to be there!
Locations: TVA Towers in
Knoxville and Chattanooga, TN
BOSTON, MA – Activists with Rising Tide draped a 25-foot banner reading, "Mountain Top Removal Kills Communities: EPA No New Permits. MountainJustice.org" at the downtown offices of the Environmental Protection Agency this morning. The group is urging the agency to block over 150 pending permits for mountaintop removal coal mining in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.
SUNDIAL, W.Va. – Three activists, who are committed to nonviolently ending mountaintop removal, unveiled a banner that said “EPA stop MTR” at Massey Energy's Edwight mountaintop removal mine. Five people were arrested: the three activists Charles Suggs, Madeline Gardner, and William Wickham, and independent photographer Antrim Caskey and independent filmmaker Jordan Freeman. The activists chose the Edwight mine because Massey has recently begun blasting directly above the town of Naoma, W.Va., and the grave danger its slurry dam poses to Marsh Fork Elementary. This is the fifth in a series of such actions over the last 3 months that Climate Ground Zero has taken against Massey Energy and mountaintop removal coal mining.
In less than four weeks, you'll have a chance to get totally plugged into the growing movement to end mountaintop removal and bring justice to the coal fields. Come to Eastern Tennessee, March 7-15 for Mountain Justice Spring Break, where we will share the skills and knowledge needed to fight back against dirty coal.
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.
There will be a Mountain Justice meeting the weekend of Jan 9-11 at Camp Blanton in Harlan County, KY, all are welcome.
As Mountain Justice begins its 5th year as a movement for social and environmental justice in the coalfields, we're heading to the Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem,
West Virginia to plan out the next steps in the fight for a sustainable future in Appalachia.
Protesters from across the country join Wise County VA residents to oppose power plant's impact on environment and health, and to demand a clean energy future.
On September 16th, Appalachian residents - with the support of local, regional and national community and environmental organizations - will be holding a rally on the steps of the West Virginia State Capitol from 5-6 pm, calling for the development of a wind farm on Coal River Mountain. The rally will be a celebration of the amazing potential for renewable energy development and the creation of Green Jobs in West Virginia, and Coal River Mountain stands as a symbol of the transition that West Virginia must make in order to prepare for a post-coal, sustainable future.
On September 19-21 in Abingdon, VA the Appalachian Community Economics conference will bring together people who want to build sustainable economies in areas traditionally dominated by the coal industry. Whether you have skills to share, want to learn how to make money with your skills or start a business, have a small business and want to network with potential customers, want to learn new skills that can help sustain you economically, or just want to work toward sustaining Appalachian life and culture beyond coal, then ACE is for you. 
Looking for ways to get involved in the Mountain Justice movement? Want to help but not sure how to get started? Then check out the "What Can I Do?" quick list to help spark ideas and then contact us.
On the morning of June 30, 2008 , twelve activists from Blue Ridge Earth First! and Mountain Justice were arrested in Richmond, Virginia while participating in a blockade of the Dominion property on Tredegar Street.
On Saturday, July 5th and Sunday, July 6th, the annual
Mountain Keepers Music Festival will be held at Kayford Mountain's Stanley
Heirs Park . This concert is the premier music festival that celebrates environmental
justice in southern West Virginia.
MOUNTAIN TOP REMOVAL, Michael O'Connell's revealing look at mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia, has been named the 2008 winner of the Reel Current Award. The winner is chosen and award presented each year by Al Gore to a documentary at NaFF that provides extraordinary insight into a contemporary global issue.
It's not too late to sign the petition!
On August 31st there was a coordinated day of action against Bank of America for it's part in funding the complete cycle of coal, including MTR.
On June 25, 
The third MJS kickoff training camp will be held May 20-27 at the Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center in the mountains of East Tennessee.
After 40 days and and 455 miles, Ed Wiley will reach Washington DC. Please support Ed and the kids of Marsh Fork. 
