Archive for April, 2010
Photo: Shane Evans, WV Legislature
Appalachian Voices continues to hold the families of Raleigh County in our thoughts and prayers. As we have said before, the loss of these courageous men saddens us deeply, and we continue to support the efforts of all who are working to ensure that no similar tragedy befalls our region again.
Unequivocally, our miners deserve safe working conditions, and indisputably, our communities deserve healthy living environments. Yet, the pervasive and imposing influence of reckless mining companies like Massey Energy are standing in the way. Companies that disregard safety and environmental regulations with such startling frequency are disregarding our people and our land. It’s time we showed them the door.
Is Surface Mining the Safe Alternative to Deep Mining?
There are some who will argue that surface mining is the safe alternative to deep mining, but it is important to recognize that Appalachians in communities where there is surface mining suffer tremendous costs. These costs are incurred as a result of increased flooding, “flyrock,” poisoned water, blasts, and coal dust among other factors. According to the Hendryx study, coal mining costs Appalachia $42 billion every year as a result of negative health impacts and loss of life.
Surface mining is not always safer for miners either. In 2009, more Americans were killed at our country’s surface mines than in our deep mines.
Can We Prevent This From Happening Again?
Every miner deserves the right to go home safely and retire healthy, but is this wishful thinking in such an inherently dangerous industry? Kevin Stricklin of the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) believes we can do better. Referring to the Upper Big Branch tragedy, Stricklin notes, “all explosions are preventable,” after pointing out that “it’s quite evident something went very wrong here.”
Cecil Roberts, president of United Mine Workers of America, agrees: “Mine safety laws and regulations have progressed to the point where, when followed and properly enforced, they should prevent disasters like this one at Upper Big Branch from happening.” Massey’s Upper Big Branch mine was not unionized.
Certainly, when any miner takes a job, there are certain risks. Still, these risks should never be amplified by a company’s disregard for its workers’ safety. In order to prevent another tragedy our miners need safety regulations that are enforced in Appalachia. They need these immediately.
Thinking long term, job diversification is critical. Men and women in our region need employment opportunities beyond those offered by law evading, union busting, companies such as Massey. According to the Appalachian Regional Commission, we could create 15,000 jobs a year for five years by investing in energy efficiency. Even West Virginia Congressman Nick Rahall has said he agrees that we should prioritize green jobs development.
There’s no better time than now. As Ed Markey, Democratic Representative from Massachusetts and co-author of the House approved climate-change bill, has pointed out: “Last year, coal’s share of America’s electricity generation dropped from 49 percent to 44 percent due to increased competition and decreased demand.”
Today, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin has called for a “Day of Honor and Mourning” in which all 290 underground mines in the state have been asked to halt production for a day. We encourage you support families who have their lost loved ones by sending a donation to the West Virginia Council of Churches.
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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.”
Click here to read the full story.
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.”
Click here to read the full story.
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After intense pressure from Ohio Citizen Action, and other constituents, Senator Sherrod Brown from the coal state of Ohio officially became the 11th cosponsor of SB 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, which would help to end mountaintop removal mining. When Sherrod Brown was serving as the Representative in Ohio’s 13th district up till 2005, he a cosponsor of the Clean Water Protection Act, a somewhat similar bill in the House of Representatives.
Mr. Brown serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committee where he is the chair of the Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms subcommittee; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee where he is the chair of the Economic Policy subcommittee, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, Select Committee on Ethics, and the Veterans’ Affairs committee.
If you live in Ohio, call and thank him at (202)-224-4024. If your one of your Senators is not a cosponsor yet, please take action today and ask him or her to become one today.
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We here at iLoveMountains.org express our sympathy for the families who have lost loved ones in the mining explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, WV.
Coal mining can be a dangerous profession. It is easy to take for granted the sacrifice that coal miners make every day to supply the nation with energy. We need to be mindful of our electricity use and work to make energy production the safest and cleanest it can be, not just for ourselves, but for those who work to make sure we do have energy. Everyone has a right to work in a safe and healthy environment.
The communities who are living with this tragedy need our help today. We would like to encourage you to send a donation to the West Virginia Council of Churches to help support these families as they work to rebuild their lives again.
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This study linked the ecological integrity of streams to cancer mortality in nearby communities of West Virginia. This study also found significant links between coal mining, decreased ecological integrity, and increasing cancer mortality rates. These findings indicate that West Virginians living near streams polluted by mine waste are more likely to die of cancer.
Hitt, NP. (2010) “Ecological Integrity of Streams Related to Human Cancer Mortality Rates.” EcoHealth. 7 : 91-104.
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“Our legislation is needed to end [mountaintop removal] before its destruction is so expansive that the Appalachian region can never recover,” said Senator Lamar Alexander in a recent article for The Tennessean.
Senator Alexander said that Tennessee’s natural beauty attracts millions of tourists, generating employment and economic benefits in the state. He said blowing off mountain tops and burying streams with blast debris would harm this industry as well as the health of Tennesseans and their environment.
Senator Alexander and Maryland Senator Ben Cardin recently introduced the Appalachian Restoration Act, a bill in the U.S. Senate that would stop mountaintop removal and valley fills, the practice of disposing of blast rubble and waste in waterways. The bill currently has 11 co-sponsors.
“Coal is an essential part of our energy future,” Senator Alexander said, “but it is not necessary to destroy our mountaintops and streams in order to have enough coal.” Read the full article.
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The following email was sent to the 41,500 supporters of iLoveMountains.org. To sign up to receive free email alerts, click here.
Would you like to support one of the heroes of the movement to end mountaintop removal — and get the chance to win a new Vespa scooter at the same time?
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
For nearly 25 years, Larry Gibson has been a hero of the movement to end mountaintop removal coal mining.
Larry has been able to protect a 50 acre parcel of land that sits atop the remnants of what was once Kayford Mountain in West Virginia.
Larry’s family has lived on Kayford Mountain for more than 200 years. More than 300 of his relatives are buried in the family cemetery on this property.
But in 1986, mountaintop removal mining started at Kayford Mountain. The slow motion destruction of Kayford Mountain has been continuous – 24 hours a day, seven days a week — and has flattened the mountains surrounding Larry’s house into a 12,000 acre wasteland. The mine comes within 200 feet of the family cemetery, and the blasts make the ground shake.
But what has never been shaken is Larry’s resolve to defend his home. Through his Keeper of the Mountains Foundation, Larry Gibson has promoted the importance of preserving Appalachian culture and heritage by traveling the country to spread the word about the devastation caused by mountaintop removal coal mining. Thousands of people have visited Kayford Mountain to experience the life-changing moment of seeing mountaintop removal firsthand.
Because of his courageous efforts, Gibson and Kayford Mountain have become the target of escalating levels of violence.
Donate today towards a security system for Kayford Mountain and earn a chance to win a new Vespa scooter.
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Thank you for everything you do to help heroes like Larry Gibson.
Matt Wasson
iLoveMountains.org
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Another VERY important post by Ken Ward Jr. on his wonderful Coal Tattoo blog (a project of the Charleston Gazette):
Brianna Bailey, 14, holds a sign showing her support for coal miners near the entrance of the Upper Big Branch Mine, Friday, April 9, 2010, in Montcoal, W. Va. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
We’ve been getting lots of calls and e-mail messages from folks who want to know how they can donate or help the families of the coal miners.
So, I thought I would pass on the Web site address for the West Virginia Council of Churches, which will accept donations to a fund for the families.
And for folks who might be so inclined, here’s a Web site where you can write your member of Congress about mine safety issues and this site will help you get in touch with your U.S. Senator.
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Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va. issued the following statements in response to media inquiries on a number of topics relating to the mining disaster in West Virginia:
“While the situation on the ground this morning is not as encouraging as we had hoped, my prayers continue for those who have lost their loved ones, and for the safe return of the four missing miners and those mine rescue team members who are also risking their lives to save their fellow West Virginians.”
“It is infuriating that in this day and age, and in this country, that such a disaster could still happen. I am sick. I am saddened and I am angry. We have the laws. We have the resources. These tragedies, on this scale, should no longer be happening.”
“Once we learn the cause of this disaster and investigations are completed whether it is wrongdoing by Massey, lack of enforcement by MSHA, or inadequacies with the mine health and safety laws, including the MINER Act of 2006, action will need to be taken.”
LEGISLATIVE CHANGES
“It is premature to say what changes in laws or regulations may be needed until the investigation is underway. But I have called for a reexamination of the health and safety laws that have been put into place and what more may need to be done to avoid future loss of life.”
“I have received a commitment from Senator Tom Harkin, who is a true friend of the coal miner, and who Chairs both the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education (LHHS), that a Senate hearing will occur on this overwhelming mining disaster. This will be in addition to the hearings in the House of Representatives that were requested by my West Virginia colleague, Congressman Nick J. Rahall. The House hearings will occur in the House Education and Labor Committee.”
MASSEY RESPONSE
“This has been one of Massey CEO Don Blankenship’s comments following this tragic mining disaster: ‘Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process. There are violations at every coal mine in America, and (the Upper Big Branch Mine) was a mine that had violations.’” (Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2010-04-08-editorial08_ST1_N.htm.)
“Well for this Senator, the more I learn about the extent of these violations by Massey at the Upper Big Branch Mine alone, the angrier I get. 57 citations in the month of March alone! Closed over 60 times during the past two years to correct problems!”
“To me, one thing is clear – for a company that has had this number of violations at just one coal mine – one must seriously begin to question the practices and procedures of this particular coal company and it needs the most serious scrutiny from the Congress and the federal regulators.”
MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FUNDING
“Through my efforts as the senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I have been able to increase funding for coal enforcement from $117 million in Fiscal Year 2006, to $159 million in Fiscal Year 2010 – a 36 percent increase. In June 2006, the Senate Appropriations Committee directed MSHA to hire 170 new coal inspectors. Since then, with the funding I have secured, MSHA has hired 444 coal enforcement personnel, including 119 in West Virginia – increasing the number of inspectors and specialists from 568 in January 2006, to 748 in March 2010. I will continue to examine the funding needs of MSHA as this investigation moves forward.
“Media reports have stated that ‘Safety officials warned Congress three months ago that the backlog of violations could undermine a crackdown on repeat offenders. A backlog of some 82,000 violations and $210 million in contested penalties is pending before a review commission. In 2009, companies protested roughly two-thirds of the $141 million in penalties assessed by federal regulators.’”
“I secured additional funding in the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriations bill for the Solicitor of Labor and Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (FMSHRC) to help litigate the fines. President Obama’s budget request for FY 2011 builds on that funding, and I am currently examining whether more funding is needed to help shorten the amount of time to litigate these fines.
The FMSHRC budget increased by $1.7 million in FY 2010 and the Solicitor budget has increased by $28 million in last two years. And at my request, the Appropriations Committee has urged the Department of Labor to use additional resources to litigate mine safety penalties.
“In addition, I have secured $4 million in the last two years to increase spot inspections to enforce dust control limits. This is necessary to reduce the risk of explosions and black lung.”
MARSH FORK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
“Marsh Fork Elementary School sits at the foot of a Massey Energy mountaintop mining site which includes a pond that holds back hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic coal slurry. Since the Upper Big Branch Mine site is in close proximity to the Massey Energy mountaintop mining site, I inquired as to whether the stability of the impoundment lot could have been compromised as a result of the mine explosion.”
“According to information I received from the Department of Labor, the slurry impoundment, located above the Marsh Fork Elementary School, was inspected on Wednesday and determined by inspectors to ‘be fine.'”
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