Archive for October, 2014
In a report that we wish was shocking, a lab in West Virginia was recently convicted of faking water quality reports. Ken Ward with the Charleston Gazette reported, “Appalachian [Laboratory] employees “falsified and rendered inaccurate” water samples by diluting them with distilled water or replacing them with water they knew to be in compliance with permit standards, according to the stipulation. The document says that Appalachian officials used the term “honeyhole” to refer to water from certain sites that would always test within permit limits and could be used in place of or to dilute “bad water.”
According to the story, this lab was doing water testing for more than 100 mines across West Virginia, as part of companies self reporting for the Clean Water Act.
This article by Brian Sewell at Appalachian Voices points out that misreporting data is hardly a new phenomenon, but this latest incidence sheds important light on the corruption that is harming our water and putting Appalachian people at serious risk.
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Last month, a federal appeals court gave Friends of Blair Mountain, The Sierra Club and other groups standing to seek added historical protections for this important historical landmark. This memorial page gives a useful overview of the remarkable history of this mountain. Once the site of the 1921 battle between miners and coal companies, it has been a prime target for mountaintop removal for years. A dedicated group of people from the area and across the country have been working hard to protect this mountain.
Thanks to the September court decision, these groups can now seek legal action to protect this historic treasure from mountaintop removal coal mining. It’s the next step in what will like continue to be a long saga of the second battle for Blair Mountain.
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The Kanawha Forest Coalition is a community group near Charleston, WV that has been working hard to stop a strip mine from destroying a beloved state forest. Unfortunately, despite overwhelming public support, they were not able to stop the strip mine operations from beginning, but the group has been working hard to ensure that the mountaintop removal mine at least follows the law.
Unfortunately, the coal operator does not appear to have the same passion for protecting the streams and neighbors well water. Careful citizen monitoring has resulted 5 violations and one Cessation Order in 5 months on a surface mine near Charleston, WV. Community members are appalled by the irresponsible behavior of the company and the difficulty in getting responses from the WV Department of Environmental Protection.
The group, along with partners at the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Keepers of the Mountain and Coal River Mountain Watch have been working to collect signatures on a petition to stop the mine – please support this hard working community by signing the petition!
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Mountain leaders joined 400,000 in New York City for the People’s Climate March. Those fighting mountaintop removal were among some of the frontline communities to lead this historic march for climate protections.
Appalachian Voices did a great write up and captured the photo above. Media resources across the world captured this event, including this Grist article that features several voices from Kentucky leaders. Through the Climate Justice Alliance, key representatives from frontline communities directly affected by climate change and the destructive practices that fuel climate change acted as media spokespeople for the march. Read Stanley Sturgill’s powerful statement on the march here.
This powerful video captures some of the voices of those who attended from frontline communities:
In addition to the record breaking event, residents participated in a People’s Climate Summit and the Flood Wall Street action which made the link between climate chaos and the industries that are making massive profits off the destruction of our communities.
These events were an important opportunity not only to raise the stakes for world leaders to finally act to fight climate change, but also a chance for community leaders from California to Appalachia to connect the dots on the challenges and opportunities facing our communities and discuss how we build power from the grassroots up.
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Across Appalachia, the toxic legacy of mountaintop removal is hindering communities works towards economic transition. Cleaning up the land and making it safe for future generations is a key environmental and economic goal. Appalachian groups are making plans right now to explore ways to leverage federal funding to clean up the mess.
The Alliance for Appalachia has been working with an AppFellow, in coordination with the Highlander Center and the Appalachian Citizens Law Center (ACLC) to conduct primary research on the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) Fund–a body of federal funds set aside to clean up pre-1977 abandoned mines sites. The fellows are working on a white paper with policy recommendations which will be presented at an AML regional gathering on October 27th at the Breaks Interstate Park.
This meeting is a first step to influence the way in which AML funds are managed in the region, to put unemployed miners back to work through reclamation and reforestation efforts, and to begin to foster creative, community-led reclamation solutions that will benefit communities that have seen up to 25% of our land destroyed by mountaintop removal.
Go here to learn more about the gathering and to register if you’d like to attend!
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It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to our dear friend and mentor Lenny Kohm. Appalachian Voices has a beautiful tributeto the fun-loving, hard working chief. Lenny provided wisdom, guidance, humor and hard work to move forward many successful campaigns to protect our mountains and the people of Appalachia.
Please keep Lenny’s Appalachian Voices team, family and many friends in your thoughts. A memorial facebook page has been set up for folks to post their remembrances of Lenny.
A celebration of his life is scheduled to take place Saturday, Oct. 25, 2014 in Boone, N.C. Details will be posted on a website created in Lenny’s honor, and the website is also accepting tributes and remembrances. Visit lennykohm.org. – See more at: http://appvoices.org/2014/09/29/hail-to-the-chief-lenny-kohm/?#sthash.bTIF7toZ.dpuf
This inspiring video shows his philosophy and values of everyday Americans standing up for their land, filmed during his remarkable tenure working to protect the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge. “People ask me, ‘How do I do this,’ and I tell them look, the most important thing is to begin. Start. Now. Understand who you are, and the power that you have. And be grateful you live in a country where you can exercise that power.”
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Campaign Victory from Gainesville Loves Mountains!
The Florida based Gainesville Loves Mountains has been working for over three years to pass a an ordinance at the city commission that would ban the use of coal from MTR mines in regional utilities. This month, they won that campaign! This makes Gainesville the first community in the US to ban the use of MTR-mined coal for their electricity! Above, Gainesville Loves Mountains‘ key organizer Jason Fults and Appalachian Voices’ Ann League pose before the hearing. Members of Appalachian Voices traveled to Florida to educate the commission on the dangers of mountaintop removal coal mining and alternatives to using coal from this destructive practice.
Read more about this important victory and see the slideshow that Matt Wasson from Appalachian Voices presented to the commission in this blog.
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