Thirteen Arrested in Struggle for New Marsh Fork Elementary School

Marsh Fork Elementary School has been described by West Virginia Public Radio as a touchstone in the fight against mountaintop removal. Its an egregious example of several ways that Coals greed endangers health and threatens lives, with the support of our state government.

Coal River Mountain Watch has researched the specific funding mechanisms the Governor could use to get the new school built. They are leading the effort to establish a new, safe school for Marsh Fork Elementary students in their community.

Fed up with the Governors inaction on this issue, they decided to pay him a visit. Other coalfield residents, college students attending Mountain Justice Spring Break, OVEC members and other concerned citizens came out to express their support.

After police officers told everyone to move away from the Governors office, 13 people were arrested, including four from OVEC: board members Larry Gibson and Michael Morrison, volunteer organizer Chuck Nelson and staff organizer Abraham Mwaura. Board member Winnie Fox, 87, was not arrested despite her participation in the non-violent civil disobedience.

        Since the arrests, an OVEC organizer and a volunteer have been working cooperatively with Coal River Mountain Watch to develop and implement a stepped-up community organizing plan on the school issue.

        OVECs Mwaura, Morrison and Fox wrote an opinion piece regarding the arrests, a version of which ran in the Huntington Herald-Dispatch on April 21:

       Thirteen people were arrested at Gov. Joe Manchins office in the Capitol on March 13. Concerned citizens had gathered to ask for an audience with the governor on the issue of Marsh Fork Elementary School in Raleigh County. They had attended countless other hearings, without results. They wanted the governor to address constituents request for another elementary school to be built in the community.

       The attendees waited patiently for hours to see him, singing traditional songs and hymns. The governor on numerous occasions has avoided addressing the issue. This time, the people were determined to meet with him, no matter how long they had to wait, and it was this determination that led to the 13 arrests. The 70 people who were at the governors office were not a threat to any person or property. Yet the governor chose to expose the attendees to an unacceptable level of brutality and disrespect.

      Why are these people so desperate to replace Marsh Fork Elementary School? A poisonous binding agent is sprayed on the coal while loading it onto coal trains. Coal dust is everywhere and it may be affecting the childrens health. Geologist Scott Simonton, who has investigated this issue, has found high levels of coal dust inside the school. In his report he stated, "I believe that the occupants of Marsh Fork Elementary School are at risk from the exposure to the dust emitted from the (Massey coal) facility."

      And a Massey coal slurry impoundment looms a mere 400 feet above the school. Directly behind the slurry dam is an 1849 acre mountaintop removal mine. Residents fear that the repeated blasting may be destabilizing the earthen dam.

     Gov. Manchin is shirking his duty to protect the children of West Virginia. He continues to shift his responsibility onto lower levels of government that are less able to bear the fiscal expense. Manchin continues to lose credibility as an effective public servant, as his lack of action on the situation at Marsh Fork Elementary becomes more and more a test of his integrity and leadership.

       One of the great lessons from Martin Luther King Jr. is to use non-violent civil disobedience when other tactics are not working in order to get justice. It is time for us to all pick up the torch of justice here in West Virginia and get a new Marsh Fork Elementary School in the community.