Mountain Justice (organization)

Last updated

Mountain Justice is a grassroots movement established in 2005 to raise worldwide awareness of mountaintop removal mining and its effects on the environment and peoples of Appalachia. The group seeks to encourage conservation, efficiency, solar and wind energy as alternatives to all forms of surface mining. It self-describes as "a regional Appalachian network committed to ending mountaintop removal". It seeks justice because the mountaintop removal (MTR) it opposes is a form of coal mining known as mountaintop removal mining which produces coal sludge toxic waste which is stored in a dam on the mountain and leaches into the groundwater, which poisons the environment, which defaces the top of the mountain, and which is not stopped due to political corruption.

Contents

The group is non-hierarchical, and decisions are made using a consensus model of decision making. In 2008, the group shortened their name from Mountain Justice Summer to simply Mountain Justice to reflect the year round efforts of their activities. [1]

Group details

Location: Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia

Mission Statement: Mountain Justice seeks to add to the growing anti-MTR citizens movement. Specifically Mountain Justice demands an abolition of MTR, steep slope strip mining and all other forms of surface mining for coal. We work to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the Appalachia coal fields. We work to contribute with grassroots organizing, public education, nonviolent civil disobedience and other forms of citizen action.[ citation needed ]

Historically coal companies have engaged in violence and property destruction when faced with citizen opposition to their activities. Mountain Justice is committed to nonviolence and will not be engaged in property destruction.[ citation needed ]

We work together to create diverse and sustainable economies in Appalachian regions traditionally dominated by the coal industry by supporting businesses, jobs and ways of living that are not environmentally or culturally destructive and are nourishing to the social and biological fabric of healthy communities.[ citation needed ]

Actions

June 7, 2005: First stockholders meeting of National Coal Corporation Disrupted

On June 7, 2005, approximately 45 Mountain Justice activists, some in animal costumes, surprised the first-ever shareholders meeting of Knoxville-based National Coal Corporation with a marching band, chants, drumming and noise makers. Demonstrators demanded that National Coal stop mountaintop removal mining and distributed informational flyers to shareholders. The sheriff and National Coal Corporation responded by assaulting protesters with pain compliance, choke holds and arrested three on bogus felony charges. [2]

June 30, 2005: West Virginia citizens occupy Massey headquarters

On June 30, 2005, Concerned parents, grandparents and other citizens of Coal River Valley, West Virginia, with support from Mountain Justice participants, delivered a list of demands to Massey Energy's headquarters in Richmond, Virginia, insisting that Massey respond. Two were arrested for trespassing when they refused to leave the premises until Massey responded to their demands. The citizens demanded that Massey shut down its preparation plant, coal silo, 1,849-acre mountaintop removal coal mine and 2.8 billion-gallon coal sludge dam - a toxic waste storage facility — located feet from an elementary school, Marsh Fork Elementary, in Sundail, West Virginia. [3] [4]

Aug. 15, 2005: Earth First!/Mountain Justice blockade of Campbell County mountaintop removal site

On August 15, 2005, Earth First! and Mountain Justice activists blockaded a road leading to National Coal's mountaintop removal coal mine in Campbell County, Tennessee. Activists stopped a car on the road, removed its tires, locked themselves to the vehicle, and erected a tripod with a person perched on top of it. National Coal workers arrived and threatened the protestors; one tried to ram the tripod with his car. Eleven people were arrested; the police treated the arrested activists very roughly, endangering their safety. [5] [6]

June 26, 2007: March & Street Theater at Dominion Headquarters

On June 26, 2007, 35 people with the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards and Mountain Justice marched in Richmond, VA, calling for Dominion Resources to abandon its plans for a Wise County Plant in southwest Virginia. The march began at Massey Energy's headquarters, where participants acted out a "baby shower" for newly mined coal. With "baby coal" placed in a coffin, the march moved to Dominion Resources' headquarters and a mock funeral was held for the coal, drawing a line between strip mining and coal-fired power plants. [7]

Mar. 16, 2007: Sit-in at West Virginia Gov. Manchin's office

On March 16, 2007, dozens of West Virginia community members - together with activists from Mountain Justice and Rising Tide North America - occupied the office of West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, in protest of the State Mine Board's approval of construction permits for a second coal silo near Marsh Fork Elementary School in Sundial, West Virginia. Community activists demanded that the state move the school; state officials have failed to comply thus far. Eleven people were arrested at this action, and many were treated roughly by police. [8]

Nov. 15, 2007: Rainforest Action Network day of action against coal finance

On November 15, 2007, Rainforest Action Network activists - acting together with allies from Coal River Mountain Watch, Appalachian Voices, Rising Tide North America, Mountain Justice, Student Environmental Action Coalition, and Energy Justice Network - staged dozens of actions against Citibank and Bank of America branches in cities across the county, in protest of those two companies' refusal to stop funding new coal power plant development and coal mountaintop removal mining. In San Francisco, RAN activists attached caution tape - reading "Global Warming Crime Scene" - to dozens of Bank of America and Citibank ATMs, and held "cough-ins" in several branches. Similar ATM closure actions were held in New York City, Davis (CA), Los Angeles, Portland (OR), and St. Petersburg (FL), while protests against the two companies were held in numerous other cities. [9]

March 6, 2008: Bluegrass at the Bank, Boone, NC

On March 6, 2008, approximately two dozen Mountain Justice activists visited a Bank of America in Boone North Carolina to protest the bank's funding of mountaintop removal coal mining and coal-fired power plants. [10]

March 28, 2008: Mountain Justice Spring Break action at AMP-Ohio headquarters in Columbus

On March 28, 2008, activists participating in Mountain Justice Spring Break occupied the lobby of AMP-Ohio's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio, and demanded a meeting with AMP's CEO Marc Gerken. Several people stated their intention to conduct a sit-in in the office if their demands weren't met; about 40 people protested outside. After 30 minutes, Gerken met with the protestors, and agreed to their demands: to schedule a meeting of the board of trustees at which community members could present their concerns with AMP-Ohio's proposed coal-fired power plant in Meigs County, Ohio. No arrests were made. [11]

June 30, 2008: Activists Blockade Dominion Headquarters

On June 30, 2008, 20 Activists with Blue Ridge Earth First! and Mountain Justice blockaded the entrance to Dominion Resources' corporate headquarters to protest the company's plan for the new coal-fired Wise County Plant in Southwest Virginia. Four protesters formed a human chain with their hands encased in containers of hardened cement and a fifth dangled by a climber's harness from the Lee Bridge footbridge. After several hours police made their way through the miles of backed up traffic to cut the activists out of the lockboxes and barrels. The climber came down on his own. Police also detained eight others standing on the sidewalks supporting the lockdown team. 13 in total were arrested. [12]

July 10, 2008: Mountain Justice activists protest approval of coal gasification plant, Boston, MA

On July 10, 2008, nearly fifty Mountain Justice activists gathered in opposition to a coal project in Massachusetts, donning [[haz-mat suits and delivering a pile of coal while displaying "global warming crime scene" caution tape on the front steps of the Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs in Boston. The action was in response to the office dismissing an appeal of the state's approval for a coal gasification project in Somerset, MA. [13]

July 20, 2008: Four arrested at Tennessee strip mine

On July 20, 2008, residents from coal-impacted communities throughout Appalachia gathered for a march at Zeb Mountain, the largest surface coal mining site in Tennessee, to protest the environmentally destructive practice of mountaintop removal and surface coal mining. The march was organized by United Mountain Defense Archived 2017-09-23 at the Wayback Machine , Mountain Justice, and Three Rivers Earth First! and included political theater, life-sized puppets and rousing speeches. [14] In an act of civil disobedience, four citizen activists walked across a line marked with police tape designating National Coal Corporation's property. The four were immediately arrested without incidence and removed from the property by the Campbell County Sheriff's office. [15]

September 15, 2008: 20 Protesters lock-down at Dominion coal plant construction site, Wise County, West Virginia

On September 15, 2008, around 50 peaceful protesters entered the construction site of Dominion Resources Virginia's coal-fired Wise County Plant. Twenty protesters locked their bodies to eight large steel drums, two of which have operational solar panels affixed to the top that illuminated a banner reading "renewable jobs to renew Appalachia." In addition to those locked to the construction site, over 25 protesters convened in front of the plant singing and holding a 10'x30' banner, which said "we demand a clean energy future." Eleven were arrested. This action was organized by Mountain Justice, Blue Ridge Earth First!, Rainforest Action Network, Asheville Rising Tide, and Students for Democratic Society. [16]

March 14, 2009: 14 Arrested at TVA headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee

Local residents joined dozens of activists from across the country in a demonstration at the Tennessee Valley Authority's headquarters, which resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals, after participating in a "die in" in front of the building. This event was held in solidarity with communities affected by the destructive impacts of mountaintop removal coal mining and the survivors of the coal ash disaster in Harriman. The demonstration began with a rally in Market Square, where organizers from United Mountain Defense and Mountain Justice spoke about coal's impact from cradle to grave on communities in Appalachia and the surrounding area. At the end of the march people interested in participating in civil disobedience gave a statement as to why they wanted to take this action. With the support of a singing crowd each participant fell to the ground representing the deaths caused by the coal industry. After a few minutes Knoxville law enforcement informed the participants that they were blocking the sidewalk, and that they needed to remove themselves from the area. All 14 people were arrested, and cited for loitering. [17]

March 20, 2009: 'Bluegrass at the Bank' hits Florida Bank of America branch

Members of Mountain Justice and Earth First! from Florida and Appalachia disrupted the lobby of a Bank of America branch in Sarasota, FL in protest of the Bank's continued funding of mountaintop removal mining and the construction of new coal-fired power plants despite recent claims of environmental concern.[ citation needed ]

May 23, 2009: 17 arrested at 3 separate action in Coal River Valley, West Virginia

In the morning, two people donning hazmat suits and respirators were arrested after taking boating into the Brushy Fork Impoundment in the Coal River Valley. [18] Later, over seventy-five residents of Coal River Valley along with members of Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero picketed the entrance to Massey Energy's Marfork Complex mining site. [18] The group was protesting Massey's plans to blast 100 feet near the Brushy Fork sludge impoundment. [18] Seven people were arrested after approaching the dam facility's entrance and refusing to leave. [18] In the third action, six people chained themselves to a dump truck on a MTR mine owned by Patriot Coal on Kayford Mountain. [18] All six were arrested.

June 23, 2009: 31 Arrested at Marsh Fork Elementary School

Mountain Justice and residents of Coal River Valley again joined forces for a rally at Marsh Fork Elementary School, where the group delivered a list of demands to Massey Energy. [19] The approximately 400 protesters were met by Massey employees, who shouted obscenities and taunts at the protesters. [19] Arrests were made after a smaller group of the activists sat down in the middle of the road. [19] Among those arrested were 94-year-old former U.S. Congressperson Ken Hechler, NASA scientist James E. Hansen, actress Daryl Hannah, and West Virginia residents. [19]

July 26, 2009: MJS parades against the TVA in Knoxville, Tennessee

An activist parade made its way through downtown Knoxville. [20] Almost 100 people associated with Mountain Justice, United Mountain Defense Archived 2017-09-23 at the Wayback Machine , and Three Rivers Earth First!. [20] Around the Tennessee Valley Authority Headquarters and the John J. Duncan Federal Building, home of the Office of Surface Mining environmental regulator. [20] The group protested the TVA's involvement in coal extraction and combustion, especially in light of the December 2008 coal combustion waste spill at a TVA plant. [20]

August 14–19, 2009: Nationwide rallies at regional EPA headquarters

Rallies were held against the Environmental Protection Agency's role in mountaintop removal at the regional EPA offices in Atlanta, New York, Boston, Dallas, Kansas City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. [21] Some of the groups involved were Mountain Justice, Mountain Defense, Student Environmental Action Coalition, and Energy Justice Network. [21] The protests were organized because mountaintop removal permits were approved under EPA chief Lisa Jackson and the Obama administration despite Obama's campaign rhetoric opposing the mining practice. [21]

October 19, 2009: 7 Arrested at West VirginiaGovernor's Office

Residents of Coal River Valley and their allies delivered a letter to West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin, urging him to declare a state of emergency and rescind permits for the Bee Tree mountaintop removal mine on Coal River. [22] The letter was signed by 13 residents and accompanied by nine personal statements, a cross-section image of the neighboring Brushy Fork sludge impoundment and underground mines below, and an aerial image of the impoundment. [22] Seven people sat in Manchin's antechamber and refused to leave at the office's closing time; the seven were arrested with misdemeanors for trespassing and obstruction. [22]

October 22, 2009: Lockdown on WV MTR mine

Four Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice activists chained themselves to each other and blocked a road on a mountaintop removal mine in Kanawha County, WV. [23] The protesters were joined by four people who provided them with support; all eight were arrested. [23] Bail was set at $2,000 each (totaling $16,000) with no 10% bond option, and was ordered to be paid in cash only. [23]

October 27, 2009: KY MJ protests University of KY alliance with Coal

Kentucky Mountain Justice organizers hung a banner at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in protest of a decision to name a campus building the "Wildcat Coal Lodge." [24] Despite opposition from some faculty, basketball players and fans, environmentalists, and general student population, the Board of Trustees approved the dorm name in a 16–3 vote at their annual meeting in October 2009. [25] [26] Among the concerns about "coal" in the name was the issue that it arguably conflicts with UK's pledge to transition to renewable energy and that the building is LEED-certified. [25] A letter from an opposing Board of Trustees member to UK faculty can be found here.

January 20–29, 2010: Tree Sits Stops Blasting on Coal River Mountain

Three protesters associated with Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice halted blasting on a portion of Massey Energy's Bee Tree mountaintop removal mine on Coal River Mountain, West Virginia by ascending three trees, two tulip poplars and an oak tree. David Aaron Smith, 23 Amber Nitchman, 19 and Eric Blevins, 28 were on platforms approximately 60 feet up in direct protest of mountaintop removal mining and blasting near the Brushy Fork Coal Impoundment. Joshua Graupera, Isabelle Rozendaal, and Bernard Fiorillo were also arrested for providing ground support. The tree sit halted blasting for nine days. A federal judge granted a permanent injunction to Marfork Coal Co. Inc., a subsidiary of Massey Energy, ordering the defendants to keep off all company property. [27] [28] [29] [30] [31] The occupation was strategically placed next to the spot where Massey was blasting for a road for the Bee Tree mine. [31] Massey employees responded with constant harassment including air horns, bright lights throughout the night, and violent threats. [32] Governor Joe Manchin called for an end to the violence but did not take any steps to intervene. [32] One tree-sitter came down on the fourth day. [32] On the fifth day, police arrested someone who was attempting to deliver aid bags to the tree-sitters. [33] The remaining two tree-sitters decided to descend because of cold temperatures. [34]

May 18, 2010: Protest at Massey Shareholders Meeting

Environmental groups (including Mountain Justice, Coal River Mountain Watch, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and Rising Tide) teamed up with labor unions to protest Massey Energy at the company's annual shareholder meeting in Richmond, Virginia. [35] [36] The event was six weeks after an explosion at Massey's Upper Big Branch mine killed 29 miners, the worst coal mining disaster in the U.S. in forty years. [36] Protesters called for Don Blankenship to resign and be prosecuted by the law for the accident and many other safety and environmental violations Massey has committed under Blankenship. [35] [36] Some protesters wore orange jumpsuits. [36] At least two were arrested after hanging a banner inside the Jefferson Hotel, where the meeting took place, and were cited for trespassing. [36]

June 8, 2010: PNC Bank protested for MTR financing

In Lexington, Kentucky, Mountain Justice participants and coalfield residents joined local residents to protest a PNC Bank branch because of the bank's role in financing mountaintop removal mining. [37] The protest included a floating banner and a clown street-theater troupe. [37] PNC bank has been the number one financier of MTR mining since January 2008. [37] As PNC was the recipient of government bailout money, protesters highlighted the connection between taxpayer money and money invested in MTR. [37]

July 14, 2010: Lockdown on Coal River Mountain

Two protesters with Mountain Justice and Climate Ground Zero locked themselves to mining equipment on the Massey Energy's Bee Tree mine, close to the Brushy Fork sludge impoundment. [38] They were joined by two people filling supportive roles. [38] All four were arrested and held on $12,000 bail altogether. [39]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coal mining</span> Process of getting coal out of the ground

Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United Kingdom and South Africa, a coal mine and its structures are a colliery, a coal mine is called a 'pit', and the above-ground structures are a 'pit head'. In Australia, "colliery" generally refers to an underground coal mine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree sitting</span> Occupying trees as a political protest

Tree sitting is a form of environmentalist civil disobedience in which a protester sits in a tree, usually on a small platform built for the purpose, to protect it from being cut down. Supporters usually provide the tree sitters with food and other supplies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mountain (Kentucky)</span> Mountain in Kentucky, United States

Black Mountain is the highest mountain peak in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, United States, with a summit elevation of 4,145 feet (1,263 m) above mean sea level and a top-to-bottom height of over 2,500 feet (760 m). The summit is located at approximately 36°54′51″N82°53′38″W in Harlan County, Kentucky near the Virginia border, just above the towns of Lynch, Kentucky and Appalachia, Virginia. It is alternatively known as Katahrin's Mountain, and is about 500 feet (150 m) taller than any other mountain in Kentucky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mountaintop removal mining</span> Type of surface mining

Mountaintop removal mining (MTR), also known as mountaintop mining (MTM), is a form of surface mining at the summit or summit ridge of a mountain. Coal seams are extracted from a mountain by removing the land, or overburden, above the seams. This process is considered to be safer compared to underground mining because the coal seams are accessed from above instead of underground. In the United States, this method of coal mining is conducted in the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. Explosives are used to remove up to 400 vertical feet of mountain to expose underlying coal seams. Excess rock and soil is dumped into nearby valleys, in what are called "holler fills" or "valley fills".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface mining</span> Type of mining in which the soil/rock above mineral deposits is removed

Surface mining, including strip mining, open-pit mining and mountaintop removal mining, is a broad category of mining in which soil and rock overlying the mineral deposit are removed, in contrast to underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left in place, and the mineral is removed through shafts or tunnels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Massey Energy</span>

Massey Energy Company was a coal extractor in the United States with substantial operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. By revenue, it was the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States and the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia. By coal production weight, it was the sixth largest producer of coal in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian Voices</span>

Appalachian Voices is an American environmental organization. Their stated environmental concerns include eliminating air pollution, ending mountaintop removal, cleaning up coal ash pollution and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Bonds</span>

Julia "Judy" Belle Thompson Bonds was an organizer and activist from the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, United States. Raised in a family of coalminers, she worked from an early age at minimum wage jobs. Bonds was the director of Coal River Mountain Watch (CRMW). She has been called "the godmother of the anti-mountaintop removal movement."

Arch Resources, previously known as Arch Coal, is an American coal mining and processing company. The company mines, processes, and markets bituminous and sub-bituminous coal with low sulfur content in the United States. Arch Resources is the second-largest supplier of coal in the United States, behind Peabody Energy. As of 2011 the company supplied 15% of the domestic market. Demand comes mainly from generators of electricity.

Burning the Future: Coal in America is a 2008 documentary film produced and directed by David Novack. The film focuses on the impacts of mountaintop mining in the Appalachians, where mountain ridges are scraped away by heavy machinery to access coal seams below, a process that is cheaper and faster than traditional mining methods but is damaging to the environment. Some environmental problems discussed in the film include disfigured mountain ranges, extinct plant and animal species, toxic groundwater, and increased flooding. The film's run time is 89 minutes. In 2012, it was rereleased in a shorter, updated version, that was created for public broadcast on PBS. This new version of the film's run time is 56 minutes.

Maria Gunnoe is an environmentalist who opposes mountaintop removal mining, and is a winner of the Goldman Prize and Wallenberg Medal.

Mountaintop Removal is a 2007 documentary film directed by Michael O'Connell. The film explores how mountaintop removal mining in West Virginia has affected local communities. Filmed over a two-year period, Mountain Top Removal features community advocates, such as Ed Wiley, Larry Gibson, Julia Bonds, Maria Gunnoe, and Mountain Justice Summer volunteers, in their efforts to oppose the destruction of Southern Appalachia's natural landscape. The film includes commentary from Jeff Goodell, author of Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America's Energy Future, geologists Dr. William Schlesinger and Dr. Peter Taft, and also Bill Raney, President of the West Virginia Coal Association. The film won the Reel Current Award at the 2008 Nashville Film Festival. Mountaintop Removal also received a Jury award at the 2008 Wild and Scenic Film Festival, Audience award at the 2008 Woods Hole Film Festival and was screened at The Lincoln Center on Earth Day April 22, 2008. The film is currently being distributed nationwide on PBS through NETA. The film's soundtrack includes music by Jim Lauderdale, Donna the Buffalo, John Specker and Sarah Hawker.

Mining in the United States has been active since the beginning of colonial times, but became a major industry in the 19th century with a number of new mineral discoveries causing a series of mining rushes. In 2015, the value of coal, metals, and industrial minerals mined in the United States was US $109.6 billion. 158,000 workers were directly employed by the mining industry.

Climate Ground Zero (CGZ), founded in February 2009, is a non-violent civil disobedience campaign against mountaintop removal mining based in the southern coalfields of West Virginia. According to their website, Climate Ground Zero believes “that the irrevocable destruction of the mountains of Appalachia and its accompanying toll on the air, water, and lives of Appalachians necessitates continued and direct action". The organization seeks to end mountaintop removal mining by drawing attention to the issue through protests involving trespass on the property of mining companies. By locking down to machinery on mine sites, occupying trees in the blast zone, or blockading haul roads to mine sites, protesters associated with Climate Ground Zero directly interfere with mining practices. Other protests draw attention to the alleged negligence of regulatory agencies such as the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) or the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by occupying the offices of these governmental organizations. Climate Ground Zero has been referenced in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Democracy Now, and the Associated Press.

Coal was discovered in Kentucky in 1750. Since the first commercial coal mine opened in 1820 coal has gained both economic importance and controversy regarding its environmental consequences. As of 2010 there were 442 operating coal mines in the state, and as of 2017 there were fewer than 4,000 underground coalminers.

The Last Mountain is a feature-length documentary film directed by Bill Haney and produced by Haney, Clara Bingham and Eric Grunebaum. The film premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and went into general release on June 3, 2011. The film explores the consequences of mining and burning coal, with a particular focus on the use of a method for coal strip-mining in Appalachia commonly known as mountaintop removal mining.

Larry Gibson was an anti-mining environmentalist from West Virginia, who spent the majority of his adult life opposing mountaintop removal coal mining in the area, specifically at Kayford Mountain. He was president of the Keeper of the Mountains Foundation and lifetime member of the Sierra Club. He also was a board member for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hobet Coal Mine</span>

The Hobet 21 Coal Mine in West Virginia was operational between 1974 and 2015. Straddling the border of Boone County and Lincoln County in the Appalachian Mountains, the Hobet 21 mine was one of the largest mountaintop-removal coal mining operations in West Virginia. Originally owned by Fil Nutter, the mine used both underground mining and strip mining techniques, and later even more intensive surface mining using a dragline. Increasing productivity and profitability encouraged workers to successfully strike for their health plan in 1993, which resulted in unusually thorough coverage for mine workers at this time. The Hobet mine was incorporated into Arch Coal in 1997, along with several other mines, following booming coal demand. The mine was sold two more times: to Magnum Coal in 2005 and to Patriot Coal in 2008. Patriot Coal subsequently went bankrupt in 2015, and the Hobet site was passed into a Virginia-based conservation firm who continued to mine the land while reclaiming and planting trees to offset carbon emissions for other companies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia</span>

Environmental justice and coal mining in Appalachia is the study of environmental justice – the interdisciplinary body of social science literature studying theories of the environment and justice; environmental laws, policies, and their implementations and enforcement; development and sustainability; and political ecology – in relation to coal mining in Appalachia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Appalachia</span>

Environmental issues in Appalachia, a cultural region in the Eastern United States, include long term and ongoing environmental impact from human activity, and specific incidents of environmental harm such as environmental disasters related to mining. A mountainous area with significant coal deposits, many environmental issues in the region are related to coal and gas extraction. Some extraction practices, particularly surface mining, have met significant resistance locally and at times have received international attention.

References

  1. ↑ Goals of Mountain Justice Archived 2013-06-02 at the Wayback Machine , Mountain Justice website, accessed February 2008.
  2. ↑ First stockholders meeting of National Coal Corporation Disrupted, Mountain Justice, April 29, 2008.
  3. ↑ Coalfield citizens arrested delivering demands to Massey headquarters, Mountain Justice, June 30, 2005.
  4. ↑ Coalfield citizens arrested delivering demands to Massey headquarters Archived 2015-11-07 at the Wayback Machine , Richmond Times Dispatch, June 30, 2005.
  5. ↑ Eleven Arrested Protesting ET Coal Mine, WBIR website, August 15, 2005.
  6. ↑ Tennessee Coal Road Blocked to Protest Mountaintop Removal Mining Archived 2007-12-03 at the Wayback Machine , Mines & Communities website, August 15, 2005.
  7. ↑ “Virginians say “No” to a new coal-fired power plant in Wise County; Protests at Massey and Dominion”, Mountain Justice, June 26, 2007.
  8. ↑ 11 Protesters Arrested at West Virginia Governor’s Office, Mountain Justice website, accessed January 2008.
  9. ↑ Thousands Take to the Streets to Protest Citi and Bank of America’s Coal Investments Archived 2008-02-06 at the Wayback Machine , Rainforest Action Network press release, November 16, 2007.].
  10. ↑ Mountain Justice website, accessed 9/26/2008
  11. ↑ "Mountain Justice Takes On King Coal in Columbus", WattHead blog, Mar. 28, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Thirteen arrested in protest at Dominion today" [ permanent dead link ], Richmond Times-Dispatch, June 30, 2008.
  13. ↑ Mountain Justice Press Release July 10, 2008, Mountain Justice website, accessed, 9/26/2008
  14. ↑ APPALACHIAN RESIDENTS GATHER TO MARCH ON ZEB MOUNTAIN, The Small Ax, 7/21/2008
  15. ↑ More anti-coal direct action at Appalachian mine site Archived 2008-08-29 at the Wayback Machine , Rainforest Action Network, 7/21/2008
  16. ↑ Peaceful Protesters Lock their Bodies to Dominion Power Plant Archived 2012-11-03 at the Wayback Machine Press Release, Wise Up Dominion, website accessed September 15, 2008
  17. ↑ "March 14, 2009: Fourteen Arrested At TVA Headquarters During March in March," Archived June 20, 2013, at the Wayback Machine Mountain Justice website, accessed March 15, 2009
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "Non-violent civil disobedience in Coal River Valley, WV", Mountain Justice website, accessed August 3, 2010.
  19. 1 2 3 4 31 Arrested demanding justice in Coal River Valley, WV, Mountain Justice website, accessed August 3, 2010.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Mountain Justice parade shakes up downtown Knoxville, Mountain Justice website, accessed August 3, 2010.
  21. 1 2 3 Nationwide rallies in opposition of mountaintop removal, Mountain Justice website, accessed August 3, 2010.
  22. 1 2 3 Coal River Valley residents declare state of emergency, meet with Governor Joe Manchin Archived 2013-06-02 at the Wayback Machine , Mountain Justice website, accessed August 6, 2010.
  23. 1 2 3 "8 arrested on Kanawha Co. strip job, $16,000 cash-only bail" Archived 2010-05-05 at the Wayback Machine , October 22, 2009.
  24. ↑ Kentucky Mountain Justice speaks out against UK alliance with coal, Mountain Justice website, accessed August 6, 2010.
  25. 1 2 Jeff Biggers, "University of Kentucky dorm renamed Wildcat Coal Lodge despite student protests", Grist, October 29, 2009.
  26. ↑ Robynn Pease, Board of Trustees staff representative message – November Update Archived 2010-05-28 at the Wayback Machine , University of Kentucky website, accessed August 6, 2010.
  27. ↑ Guttata, Clem. "Tree Sit Halts the Blasting on Coal River Mountain (YES, AGAIN)". West Virginia Blue. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  28. ↑ Lannom, Andrea. "Marfork Coal Co. Granted Permanent Injunction". WBOY Channel 12. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  29. ↑ "MARFORK COAL COMPANY, Plaintiff, v. CIVIL ACTION NO. 5:10-cv-00069 DAVID AARON SMITH, et al., Defendant" (PDF). In The United States District Court For The Southern District Of West Virginia Beckley Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  30. ↑ "Mountain Justice". mountainjustice.org. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
  31. 1 2 "Tree sit halts the blasting on Coal River Mountain" Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, January 21, 2010.
  32. 1 2 3 "Climate Ground Zero meets with Governor Manchin" Archived 2012-05-17 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, January 28, 2010.
  33. ↑ "Man arrested helping tree sit, abuse of sitters continues" Archived 2012-09-10 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, January 26, 2010.
  34. ↑ "Nine-day tree sit ends, sitters vow not over until blasting stops" Archived 2012-09-05 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, January 29, 2010.
  35. 1 2 "Mountain Justice protests Massey annual shareholders meeting" [ permanent dead link ], Climate Ground Zero website, May 18, 2010.
  36. 1 2 3 4 5 Dena Potter, "Massey shareholder meeting: protesters gather, but no change in leadership", "Huffington Post", May 18, 2010.
  37. 1 2 3 4 "Lexington protest shames PNC's mountaintop removal financing" Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, June 7, 2010.
  38. 1 2 "Activists stop strip mining machine on Coal River Mountain" Archived 2015-09-28 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, July 14, 2010.
  39. ↑ "All highwall miner protesters released" Archived 2012-09-05 at the Wayback Machine , Climate Ground Zero website, July 24, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.