AP: Coal River Mountain Community Appeals Blasting Permit at State Capitol

The view of beautiful Coal River Mountain, from Rt. 99, Bolt Mountain, West Virginia.
The view of beautiful Coal River Mountain, from Rt. 99, Bolt Mountain, West Virginia. photograph by Antrim Caskey

Environmentalists appeal blasting on WVa mountain

By the Associated Press
February 9, 2009

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Environmentalists trying to stop a strip mine on Coal River Mountain in southern West Virginia plan to pack a hearing about planned blasting.

The Mine Surface Board hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Department of Environmental Protection headquarters in Charleston.

The Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition sent an alert about the meeting Monday.

It says the board will hear an appeal of a permit that lets Richmond, Va.-based Massey Energy Co. begin blasting within 200 feet of the 8.9 billion gallon Brushy Fork coal sludge impoundment.

Activists with Coal River Mountain Watch want to preserve the mountain for construction of a wind farm.

Last week, 14 protesters were arrested after chaining themselves to equipment at the Beetree surface mine.

Windmills Not Toxic Spills

Marfork, West Virginia — On the heels of the TVA coal ash sludge disaster in Harriman, Tennessee, where 1.1 billion gallons of toxic coal ash sludge collapsed into the Clinch and Emory Riveres, concerned citizens in southern West Virginia have been fighting to stop the coal mining of Coal River Mountain and to build instead the Coal River Wind project, which would create clean jobs in perpetuity.


Five activists chained themselves down to heavy mining equipment inside the Massey Energy-owned mountaintop removal (MTR) coal operation. Two banners reading: "Windmills Not Toxic Spills" and "Save Coal River Mountain" were hung. Proesters were completely non-violent and were taken off the mine company property without incident, cited for tresspassing and released.
Five activists chained themselves down to heavy mining equipment inside the Massey Energy-owned mountaintop removal (MTR) coal operation. Two banners reading: "Windmills Not Toxic Spills" and "Save Coal River Mountain" were hung. Proesters were completely non-violent and were taken off the mine company property without incident, cited for tresspassing and released. photograph by Antrim Caskey