May 14 |
OVEC Action
Alert Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition |
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Ansted Citizens and Gauley Mountain Need You June 9 (and Maybe June 10, Too)
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Today: Last Day to Register for Mountain Justice Summer Camp
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July 11: Save the Date! West Virginia premier of "Coal Country"
Update for
Mingo County Flood Assistance Volunteers
OVEC's Mingo County members, their neighbors and our Mingo County
organizer Patricia Feeney extend a big Thank You! to all who have
already sent donations for water and cleaning supplies, to all who
have already come out to help with clean-up and to all who are on
the way.
Here's
an update on what to bring, where to meet and who to call
before you arrive.
Apply for OVEC
Organizer Position Until May 22
Speaking of Patricia, who is also our Sludge Safety Project
coordinator, this summer she's moving to part-time work with as she
pursues her higher education goals. Until May 22, OVEC is taking
applications for Patricia's full-time position. If you are
interested in applying, click
here (PDF).
May 23:
Picket at Pettus!
Big Action! As Mountain Justice Summer Camp (more details on
camp below) ends, everyone is encouraged to come out for the
Picket at Pettus at noon on Saturday, May 23. Here's a message
from
Mountain Justice:
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. To stop this madness we must maintain pressure on the mining and energy companies, lawmakers and regulators. The government's harmful inaction has failed to stop the crimes of mountaintop removal and the administrative remedies have been exhausted, leaving no option but civil disobedience. But we can't do it alone. Please come out!
WHAT: A picket style rally, focusing on the proposed mountaintop removal site on Coal River Mountain. We want to display a pair of shoes for each of the 998 people who's lives are endangered by the Brushy Fork coal sludge dam and impoundment up Marfork Hollow.
WHERE: At the gates of the mine site and preparation plant in Pettus, W.Va. on Route 3 in Raleigh County, where the coal company plans to destroy the last mountain untouched by mountaintop removal coal mining in the Coal River Valley: Coal River Mountain.
WHEN: 12:00 p.m. May 23, 2009
WHY: Across the street from the gates at Pettus, directly in the line of fire, is the Pettus Head Start. If the coal sludge dam fialed, the 40-foot wall of sludge, swelling to 72 feet, would engulf every town from Pettus, past Whitesville to Prenter where it would still be 20 feet deep.
What you should bring: Shoes- all the old pairs of shoes you can find!
The 1972 Buffalo Creek disaster was 132 millon gallons, killed 125 people in a matter of minutes and left over 4,000 people homeless. The 2000 Martin Co., Ky., spill was 306 million gallons, contaminated the water supply for over 127,000 people but, luckily, nobody was killed. The TVA fly ash spill disaster was over 1 billion gallons its aftermath is slowly killing people living nearby.
Marfork Hollow is where the infamous Brushy Fork coal slurry impoundment looms over a Head Start school, two elementary schools and close to 1,000 people. The impoundment's dam, at 900 feet, is the tallest in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth tallest in the world. It has a 9-billion-gallon capacity. As in the Martin County disaster - where the floor of the impoundment broke through into underground mine workings and the slurry burst out through two mine portals - Brushy Fork's current seven billion gallons sit on top of a honeycomb of underground mines. Massey wants to set off explosions as close as 100 feet to the impoundment. Here's a video about Brushy Fork and the blasting.
If the slurry - coal toxin concentrate - broke through into those deep mines, it could rush out all sides of the mountain and down onto dozens of communities. If the dam broke, the kids at the Pettus Head Start would have 12 minutes before the sludge is 5.7-feet-deep, 31.5 feet in 20 minutes and 72 feet in 30 minutes--that's an average of 4 feet per minute. More of the numbers on this are available in Marfork Coal's emergency warning plan (PDF). Either of these disasters would dwarf the Buffalo Creek, Martin Co., Ky., and TVA coal ash spill disasters, combined.
Please come out at noon on May 23!
Ansted
Citizens and Gauley Mountain Need You June 9 (and Maybe June 10,
Too)
Attorneys for citizens in
Ansted, West Virginia and the Sierra Club have appealed a
permit renewal granted by the
WV Department of
Environmental Protection to Powellton Coal Company for
mining on Gauley Mountain in
beautiful Fayette County. The
WV
Surface Mine Board will hear this appeal on June 9, and if
needed, June 10. We need you to attend this hearing. It
starts at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday June 9 at DEP headquarters, 601 -
57th Street, Charleston (Kanawha City). If you need more
information, contact
vivian@ohvec.org.
Today: Last
Day to Register for Mountain Justice Summer Camp
May 17- 22: The fifth annual Mountain Justice Summer Camp, in
the beautiful mountains near Pipestem in southern West Virginia.
Workshops, great speakers such as author Jeff Biggers ("United
States of Appalachia") and Dr. Chad Montrie (author "To Save the
Land and People"), famous coalfield activists such as 2003 Goldman
Prize winner Judy Bonds and Mountain Keeper Larry Gibson, Earth
First! co-founder Mike Roselle, plus mountain music, bonfires,
dancing, good food, skill-sharing, and action. The cost is very
reasonable (under $100) for a week of fun and camping with a great
group of dedicated young people and experienced activists. We would
love to have you join us!
Note: Today, May 14 is the last day to register for Mountain Justice Summer Camp. Click here to register.
Mountain
Aid Concert Tickets on Sale Now
Being part of the movement to end mountaintop removal is not easy,
especially when
West Virginia's governor appears to be the coal industry's
Lobbyist-in-Chief . So, we need to take time out to have
some fun. That's why we hope many OVEC Action Alert subscribers can
join us June 19 and 20 in North Carolina for the first
Mountain Aid
concert, featuring performances by Donna the Buffalo, Kathy Mattea,
Ben Sollee and more.
Proceeds from the concert, sponsored by OVEC and Coal River Mountain Watch, benefit the Pennies of Promise Campaign. Tickets are on sale now.
Mountain Aid concert in the news: Mountain Aid concert to educate about mountain top removal
A Message
from the Producers of "On Coal River"
"On Coal River"
is a new feature documentary film that takes viewers on a gripping
emotional journey into the Coal River Valley of West Virginia, where
longtime local residents begin to uncover the toxic effects of
America’s increased demand for cheap coal, a resource that supplies
half of America’s electricity.
Our goals for the film include national and international television
release and an outreach program that uses the film's power to foster
a community for change. The film is nearly complete, but we
are short of funding and we need your help to bring this project to
life. Visit
oncoalriver.com
to watch the trailer and to donate to this project.
July
11: Save the Date! West Virginia premier of "Coal Country"
July 11: 7 p.m. Save the Date! World-wide premier of "Coal
Country," the new documentary from West Virginia
native Mari-Lyn Evans and
Phyllis Geller. Join us for this free screening at, the
LaBelle
Theatre / South Charleston Museum. OVEC board member Chuck
Nelson, Coal River Mountain Watch's Judy Bonds, former Congressman
Ken Hechler, country music star Kathy Mattea and many coalfield
residents you may know are in this film.
Evans and Geller also created the film "The Appalachians," which had a companion book, as does Coal Country. Evans, Silas House, and Dr. Shirley Stewart Burns co-edited the new book, which, when released, will include essays and photos from people working to end mountain removal in West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
More Events,
Near and Far
May 22-25: The 19th annual Heartwood Forest
Council, Memorial Day weekend at Camp McKee near the Red River Gorge
in Kentucky. The theme of this year's Forest Council is "Defending
the Earth, Sustaining Ourselves." For more information, click
here.
May 30: 1 - 5 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre in Blacksburg, Va. Save Our Mountains: The Dirty Truth About Coal in Appalachia! Join us at an Environmental Justice Benefit for Mountain Justice Summer, Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, Concerned Citizens of Giles County and Energy Justice Network.
A double-feature of prize winning documentaries donated by the
filmmakers:
"Black
Diamonds" (Catherine Pancake, 2006)
"Burning the Future" (David Novack, 2008)
Tickets: $10 (donations above ticket price are tax-exempt with form); For tickets and updates, visit Homebody or email Beth Wellington at beth.wellington@gmail.com or Kim Kirkbride at kkirkbride17@gmail.com. Can't attend? Be a sponsor! Individuals $10, local businesses $20.
Co-sponsored by OVEC, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.
May 30 - June 30: OVEC is sponsoring the art exhibit "Awareness," at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, 815 Young Street, Charleston, WV. The opening reception is 6-8 p.m. on June 24. The exhibit is part of Charleston's FesitvALL.
June 28-July 3: Listening for a Change: Oral History and Appalachian Heritage - A Summer’s Week in the Highlands of West Virginia. Fall in love with traditional Appalachian music and the thrill of a good tale. Open up to an Allegheny Highlands Week. These rugged mountains have nurtured a rich and vibrant culture that resonates in its songs, ballads, and oral traditions. Learn to document life stories and community experience through the art of deep listening. This course will explore techniques for seeking out and recording the voices and songs of local citizens through field trips to West Virginia hillside farms and general stores. For more details, click here.
Note: Registration deadline is May 15.
August 23: Save the Date! Charleston, WV Capitol Building Stage. Aurora Lights Release Party for the second stop mountaintop removal benefit CD. The CD is titled "Still Moving Mountains: The Journey Home." Groups that will appear at this event include Everett Lilly & the Lilly Mountaineers (International Bluegrass Musical Association Hall of Honor Winner) and The LoneTones (TN originals with Appalachian Roots). Volunteers needed for this event. Contact Danielle Henry at Danif1000@aol.com or 716-432-9455.
Recommended
Reading
Massey's Dark Side
The Razing of Appalachia:
Mountaintop Removal Revisited
Coal Tattoo
www.ohvec.org 304-522-0246 vivian@ohvec.org |
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