News
Coal in the Headlines
Thursday, April 15th, 2010
Mountaintop removal mining and coal related news has been making front-page news over the last couple of months. There is a lot to keep up with, so here are some of the highlights.
Impacting Communities
Mountaintop removal coal mining operations have destructive impacts on the environment as well as on communities. Not only does it have serious health impacts, but it is also turning many Appalachian towns into ghost towns.
“In Lindytown, most area residents are long gone. They tell TIME they were muscled out of their homes by Massey, whose representatives pursued them aggressively, phoning and visiting often. By acquiring property in the area, the company has expanded operations — literally into remaining residents’ backyards,” said Sophia Yan, “Appalachia Journal: When Miners Move in, Residents Move On.”
Protecting the Future
It is not just mining operations that are impacting communities, but also the storage of coal wastes. Marsh Fork Elementary School in Raleigh County, West Virginia is located downhill from one of Massey Energy’s slurry impoundments and approximately 300 feet from a coal silo.
After significant pressure, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship agreed to pledge $1 million to help fund the $8 million project to construct a new Marsh Fork Elementary School.
“And I would dare to say that the Coal River area has produced more millions, maybe billions of dollars in coal severance tax than anywhere in this state,” school board president Richard Snuffer, the school board president, said. “So it’s time they probably got a little bit back.”
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Sen. Robert C. Byrd supported this decision.
“This is a welcome and good start by officials at Massey Energy in announcing their pledge of $1 million for the construction of a new $8.6 million Marsh Fork Elementary School,” said Byrd. “….These children are our future and it is my hope that all the necessary funds will be made available to construct a relocated Marsh Fork Elementary School soon.”
