by Amanda Starbuck
We’re hearing some reassuring news from the EPA this morning.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it is moving to block the largest mountaintop removal mining permit in West Virginia history, at Spruce Mine, operated by Arch Coal in Logan County.
I spent last week in Wise Virginia with 100 Appalachian coalfield residents, students and youth from up and down the east coast, direct actionistas living in WV, TN, KY and VA and retired union coal miners at Mountain Justice Spring Break. The theme of the camp focused on mountaintop removal (MTR), coal, local communities and Appalachian culture and what we’re doing to turn around this highly destructive fossil fuel economy.
Most publicized on this site and in the media is the epic battle being waged by the movement against the coal companies laying waste to Appalachia’s Mountains. It’s also fought and stopped over half of the coal fired power plants proposed by the Bush-Cheney energy plan.
Reposted from the Understory
By Amanda Starbuck
RAN activists have spent two days locked-down to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding justice for the people of Appalachia by enforcing the Clean Water Act and ending mountaintop removal mining (MTR).
Activists Risk Arrest with Elaborate Protest at EPA HQ; Demand Immediate Action to Stop Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining
Group Erects Purple Mountain Majesty At EPA; Say “If Administrator Lisa Jackson Won’t Visit the Appalachian Mountains, They Will Bring The Mountains to Her”
This week I’m at Mountain Justice Spring Break with folks from all over Appalachia and the east coast. Ex-coal miners, college studens, people from Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, California, West Virginia and lots more are here.
85 Supporters of Mountain Justice gather at Natural Tunnel State Park for Spring Break
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 03/15/2010
Contact: Marley Green, green.marley@gmail.com
Today, I got the following email from Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping:
Our new song “Mountain-top” begins with this re-questioning from Dr. King’s last sermon:
Have we been to the mountain-top?
Did we do all we could do?
JP Morgan rains down rock
Exploding loans from the Devil came due…
Dear Friends,
Now two of the three activists arrested last week at the Marfork Coal Company’s offices are fighting back against their excessive bails ($5000 for two and $7500 for the third activist, Mike Roselle).