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- Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, gives an excellent rebuttal to Don Blankenship's latest load of B.S.
While it baffles me that flat-Earthers like Blankenship still exist, my response to the last few deniers is simple.
If you don't believe in the science, that's your problem. But the need for America to generate jobs and strengthen our national security is paramount, and clean energy is the fastest way to achieve that.
- According to the latest from Climate Ground Zero, Nick Martin is out of jail.
Dea, Grace, and Laura are still in jail with bail set at $2000 cash only each. We need help raising money to pay their bail, any donations are appreciated!
The three remaining citizens who halted blasting on Coal River Mountain Saturday were released from jail early today. Laura Von Dohlen, Grace Williams, and Dea Goblirsch were released with a $2,000 bail and charges of trespassing, littering and conspiracy. Nick Martin was released Saturday night. This, the 18th action by Climate Ground Zero volunteers, held ground longer than any beside the treesit, in August . An entire day of blasting on Coal River Mountain was stopped by the actions of the four.
Maybe he does have a crew of elected politicians in W.Va. willing to help him stir up a panic over a non-existent crisis regarding MTR permits.
And maybe he does have 95% of the the print and broadcast media who will quote him without any effort of independent fact-checking - such as when he made the seemingly pulled-from-his-behind claim that "more than 75,000" attended Don-a-pollute-za.
But there's still that darn Charleston Gazette, where they insist on pesky things, such as actual journalists like Ken Ward.
And some basic rules for their opinion page.
Oh sure, they may print the guest columns of his underlings - homophobic slurs, factual errors and all. But that's not enough.
They won't change the rules of the paper and make an exception for Don when he gets criticized.
On his always unintentionally-hilarious Twitter feed, he's in a full-blown fit this week:
# Charleston Gazette trying to censor me on Global Warming views.12:12 PM Nov 3rd from web
# Gazette editor Jim Haught advised today that I will only be allowed 1 letter every 30 days12:17 PM Nov 3rd from web
# Haught will not allow me to respond to numerous letters attacking me.12:25 PM Nov 3rd from web
In The Coalfield Don's world, the fact that he's asked to follow any rules - whether it's regarding newspaper policy or environmental standards - makes him a perpetual victim.
You may remember how, when Don Blankenship tried to buy the West Virginia Legislature for the GOP in 2006, one of the issues he used his phony children's advocacy group, "For the Sake of the Kids" to advance was a concern over so-called "frivolous lawsuits"
(Translation: Your right to seek protection from companies like Massey through the courts needs to go.)
The cause has long been a favorite of Blankenship's. I wouldn't be too surprised to learn that a speaker or two at Don-a-Pollute-za brought it up among the hodge-podge of conservative issues raised at that gathering.
It also should be of no surprise that Blankenship and Massey have decided to file a civil suit against Climate Ground Zero activists Laura Steepleton and Nick Stocks (and two others) for the Edwight tree-sit a few weeks ago.
An excerpt of my interview with Steepleton (the rest of which is coming soon)
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L.S. - Massey has slapped a civil suit on the four of us - the basis of that being that we stopped business and endangered security, and also for the expense of hiring additional security.
Q- And Massey has also filed a similar suit for those who took part in the dragline protest earlier this year?
L.S. - Yes, and those people - I haven't received a letter yet, but I'm sure there will probably be a follow up - have been put on an injunction to not be allowed on their property.
It's interesting that Blankenship told Hoppy Kercheval of Metro News that the tree-sits weren't interfering with his operations (at about 1:12 in this clip).
Climate Ground Zero co-founder Mike Roselle discussed the suit involving the dragline activists with me.
M.R. - Massey has filed a civil action against us in Boone County. We have another against us here in Raleigh County. [...] They're asking for damages for the 4 hours that the dragline was out of commission.
They filed it shortly after [June] 19th, when the action happened. So I think, within a week, we got a temporary restraining order and that was replaced by a permanent injunction. And here in Raleigh County we have another injunction.
Q - Is this a new legal tactic for a company in response to direct action? Or has this occurred before with tree-sits and direct action in the Pacific Northwest?
M.R. - No. We haven't had too many injunctions in logging protests. Generally, we're dealing with different timber companies in the same region, so we're not always hitting the same logging company every time.
We have been sued for damages before. In terms of being enjoined for trespassing, there have been a couple cases of that, but it's not something we normally have to deal with.
Obama promised a "wealth-based green industry", but didn't go into much detail, as far as I could tell. And unfortunately, his "green jobs czar" was run off before he could really get the ball rolling. So its up to us.
I'm old enough to remember when West Virginia used to be a real manufacturing mecca. Think about it. From tools to weapons, from silicon chips to silicone coatings, we've been a source for aluminum, steel, plastics, Teflon, glass, and even Glyclean, used in the processing of high purity electronics & semiconductor processing.
I have a pretty good idea why we DON'T manufacture high grade alternatives like solar panels and wind turbines in WV. Its because of the hyper-toxicity of coal-driven politics. Big Coal simply wants to drive everyone out and turn WV into a giant moon scape. We may as well face it. As long as surface mines are allowed to proliferate and there aren't any Clean Election Laws implemented, Big Coal will be all but encouraged by our politicians to continue that course of action.
Clean election laws aside, EPA's enforcement of Clean Water Act laws and OSM strict oversight of SMCRA regs can potentially jam a crowbar into the spokes of surface mine operators.
So to turn things around we need to embrace the fact that manufacturing takes energy, and right now, WV's fossil fuels are the only source of that energy. Since Clem points out that coal production per man hour is on the wane in WV, perhaps dangling the prospect of jacking up local energy needs by luring manufacturers to come to WV is part of the political solution. And all the while, demand that deep mining and strict environmental laws are being enforced.
Guaranteeing more deep mine operations while ramping up local energy consumption so WV can manufacture alternative energy sources can be a winning argument. I just wonder if our state leaders could be persuaded to promote the discounting of energy for the purpose of manufacturing anything "green". Seems to me that discounting energy was one major method he tried to keep those Ravenswood aluminum workers from getting laid off. He certainly tried getting discounted energy when it came to trying to save Blenko from shutting down.
Another wealth-based green industry is cleaning up the over 400 toxic slurry injection sites, the abandoned coal mines, and the countless sludge impoundments strewn across WV. While the WV Brownfields Redevelopment program is doing remediation in northern WV primarly using state funds, it just so happens that Don Blankenship was recently required to spend $10 million of Massey cash for remediation.
As part of the deal, Massey agreed to perform 20 water quality improvement projects along 25 miles of the Little Coal River, and to set aside 200 acres of riverfront property as protected from development. source
Now that's what I call generating shovel-ready 'wealth-based green jobs', because implementation didn't shift the responsibility onto the taxpayer.
Although there is a huge potential for a local green version of FDR's "New Deal" to be found in the remediation of hundreds of thousands of Clean Water Act permit violations, the plain truth is that there isn't the political climate for enforcement. First of all, even though there can't be any greener jobs than those engaged in remediation, neither Joe Manchin nor Randy Huffman are ever going to call them "green". Because that would then call attention to the fact that it's the EPA which has had to step in before scofflaw companies get busted.
Between January 2000 and March 2006, self-reported violations, included in reports Massey filed with regulators, amounted to 60,500 days of violations, or about 28 violations per day, according to court records.
That $20 million went into FED coffers and not WV because in all those violations over all that time, our DEP never busted them. And although $10 million is being spent towards remediation, it should have been a lot more.
It is notable that it was Bush's EPA that struck the deal.
One coal industry analyst previously cited by The Associated Press estimated Massey's potential fines at more than $2.4 billion.
So the thing that really ticks me off about the whole deal is that while the fine seemed large, it was the equivalent of only ten days worth of profit-taking by Massey.
Randy Huffman is even now stalling green jobs from being implemented by blocking the OSM from enforcing SMCRA requirements for restoring blasted-away mountains to their approximate original contour ("AOC").
This could really be a key issue towards changing the political attitude in WV regarding "green jobs". As surface mines are shut down, restoring to AOC has the potential to keep many of those dozer and other heavy equipment operators working. And again, it has the potential of being done on the scofflaw coal operator's dime, not ours.
81 Year Old Military Veteran Announces 25 Mile Senior Citizen's March to End Mountaintop Removal
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - Roland Micklem is an 81-year-old military veteran from Richmond, VA. State police arrested Micklem and three others for blockading Massey Energy's regional headquarters in an act of non-violent civil disobedience on the morning of Wednesday September 9.
In his statement, Micklem announced his intent to lead a five day, 25 mile march for senior citizens, ages 55 and older, in a protest against mountaintop removal (MTR). Micklem and other participants will depart on the morning of Thursday October 8 from the state capital in Charleston, W.Va.. The march will conclude at the gates of the Massey-owned Mammoth MTR site in Kanawha County on Monday October 12, where those who choose to will engage in an act of non-violent civil disobedience against mountaintop removal.
In Micklem's open letter, he states, "No substantial gain in our efforts to continually evolve into a more humane and caring society has been made without the willingness of individuals-with non violence as both a creed and a strategy--to step outside the framework of law and tradition in order to correct wrongs when conventional measures had failed. The abolition of slavery, the enactment of civil rights legislation, the right of women to vote, the termination of the Vietnam war could not have come about without the help of the same kind of non violent, direct, and sometime unlawful action that we are using here to stop mountaintop removal. And as a Christian as well as one who basically respects the laws of the land, I see the growth and maturing of my Faith to be in direct proportion to my readiness to stand for truth, and to embrace causes that will contribute to our moral and spiritual uplift as the dominant species on the planet."
Micklem's march is a collaborative project between Climate Ground Zero, Mountain Justice, Intergenerational Justice, and Christians for the Mountains, and is part of an ongoing campaign of non-violent civil disobedience against mountaintop removal. Micklem and march co-organizer, Andrew Munn, age 23, are planning evening activites and speaking events to conclude each day's walk and educated the public about MTR and related issues.
[...]
According to Micklem, five people, including clergy men and women, are committed to the full march, and at least ten others will join for stretches. He expects more will join as word spreads.
Massey subsidiary Mammoth coal operates a mountaintop removal site and coal processing plant next to Route 60 east of Charleston. In 2004, Massey bought out Cannelton Coal, which formerly operated that site, cut the United Mine Workers contract, and reopened it as the non-union Mammoth Coal Company despite a union organized picket and lawsuits.
Wow. This has really picked up steam this week. Via Sparki at Its Getting Hot In Here, I see that over 20 groups are now calling on Verizon Wireless to drop its support Blankenship's labor day rally.
For anyone new to the story, you can read our major coverage of the rally in these stories:
Here's a copy of today's press release and their letter to Verizon Wireless:
Groups Ask That Verizon Wireless Withdraw Support of Controversial, Climate-change Denying Labor Day Event
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.- Today a coalition of groups led by the Center for Biological Diversity sent a letter to Verizon Wireless asking the corporation to withdraw its sponsorship of a Labor Day rally being held in West Virginia to support mountaintop removal coal mining and oppose climate legislation . The groups represent millions of members and include Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace USA, Friends of the Earth, Appalachian Voices, Christians Caring for Creation, and many others.
"Verizon Wireless may say they're an environmentally friendly company, but their mouth isn't where their money is. Verizon Wireless is now aware that they paid money to sponsor an event that celebrates mountaintop removal coal mining, and they have not withdrawn their sponsorship. They can keep saying they're a friend to the environment until they're green in the face, but there's just no environmentally friendly way to blow up mountains and dump them into streams," said Tierra Curry, a biologist at the Center for Biological Diversity.
More groups are expected to sign on to the letter, which will be updated on Monday. As of Friday morning, nearly 80,000 concerned citizens had submitted letters to Verizon Wireless through CREDO Action and the Center asking the company to withdraw its sponsorship of the event. Other groups have also launched action alerts to their membership.
As current customers of Verizon Wireless, several of the groups have expressed their concern to the company about its support for the mountaintop removal rally, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, and Grand Canyon Wildlands Council, and intend to reevaluate their relationship with Verizon Wireless.
September 4, 2009
Lowell McAdam
President and Chief Executive Officer
Verizon Wireless
Dear Mr. McAdam,
We are writing on behalf of the millions of members of our organizations to request that you withdraw sponsorship of the Friends of America Rally being put on by the coal industry in West Virginia on Labor Day in support of mountaintop removal coal mining and in opposition to climate legislation.
We believe that Verizon Wireless' sponsorship of this event indicates the company's support for mountaintop removal coal mining and indicates opposition to climate change legislation. It is undeniable that the rally is a political event, for several reasons: Attendees must register for tickets online next to a link to sign a petition that's against climate legislation, the keynote speaker is a prominent critic of global climate change science, and the stated purpose of the event is to protect coal mining jobs, with a particular focus on mountaintop removal. Thus, by sponsoring this event, Verizon Wireless is also endorsing the political positions behind the event.
Coal is one of the largest sources of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Mountaintop removal coal mining has destroyed more than a thousand miles of streams and more than a million acres of forest in Appalachia, while permanently contaminating drinking water supplies, endangering residents with dust, fly rock, and mud slides, and jeopardizing imperiled species.
We ask that Verizon Wireless withdraw sponsorship of this event or explain the company's support for mountaintop removal coal mining and opposition to climate legislation. If Verizon Wireless indeed does not support mountaintop removal coal mining, then we ask that you officially let your customers know that you oppose this destructive practice.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Appalachian Voices
The Center for Biological Diversity
Christians Caring for Creation
Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Coal River Mountain Watch
Defenders of Wildlife
Endangered Habitats League
Environmental Protection Information Center
Friends of the Earth
Global Exchange
Grand Canyon Wildlands Council
Great Old Broads for Wilderness
Greenpeace
Kentucky Heartwood
Natural Resources Defense Council
New Sustainability Project
Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
Public Resource Associates
Rainforest Action Network
Responsible Endowments Coalition
San Bernardino Valley Audubon Society
Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards
After nearly a month of publicity and who knows what kinds of incentives (like a paid day to attend the rally?), Don Blankenship and friends got 100,000 registrations for his rally.
In less than five full days to already have nearly 80,000 concerned citizens submit letters to Verizon Wireless is nothing short of amazing.
Somehow, I don't think this is the kind of attention Blankenship and all those cosponsors were expecting when they decided to drop so much money into this event.
Bobby's guests were Laura Steepleton and Nick Stocks who sat in a tree as protestors of mountaintop coal removal at a Massey Coal Mine site and Tiara Curry of the Center for Biological Diversity, opposed to Verizon as a sponsor of a rally for Massey Coal.
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Also, two of the security guards hired by Massey speak out against The Don and back up a good deal of Nick and Laura's version of events.
Video:
http://blip.tv/file/2547139
"Total mortality rates are higher in coal-mining areas compared to other areas of Appalachia and the nation," Hendryx said. "The incidence of mortality has been consistently higher in coal-mining areas for as long as Centers for Disease Control rates are available, back to 1979."
Total mortality data for West Virginia suggests there are 313 excess deaths every year from coal-mining pollution. source
One tree-sitter to descend after week defending people from blasting
PETTRY BOTTOM, W.Va. - After six full days in an 80-foot-tall poplar tree, Nick Stocks will voluntarily come down at 10:00 a.m. today. Since Tuesday morning, Stocks has been living on a platform 30 feet from Massey Energy's Edwight Surface Mine, preventing further blasting over the community of Pettry Bottom. Stocks will turn himself immediately over to the State Police. Fellow tree sitter Laura Steepleton remains in a neighboring tree with no immediate plans to come down.
Stocks stated "To this day the DEP has acted as a thin, weak delegate for big coal in West Virginia. They have circumvented, sidestepped, dismissed and lied to communities and individuals who look to them for protections that ought to assure healthy children, safe drinking water and a continued existence in the valley. To this day they have not done their job to even the slightest degree. When the government fails in its obligation to protect its people and communities are made unsafe and unlivable, it is the responsibility of all concerned people to turn attention to that failure and do all in their capacity to ensure the safety of the community. If the DEP doesn't do it, we must do it ourselves, and we will go beyond. We will stop the devastation of this mountain and protect the communities below. We will end mountaintop removal."
Stocks and Steepleton have endured 24-hour sleep deprivation tactics and the brandishing of a chainsaw. All day and all night Massey security personnel have flashed bright lights, sounded air horns, and banged loudly on metal buckets in an effort to prevent the tree sitters from getting any sleep. "The security guards' actions with the lights and air horns are making the situation less safe," Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice volunteer Charles Suggs said. "Depriving sleep from people who have to maintain safety systems to prevent a fatal fall endangers their lives."
Do 87 million Verizon Wireless customers, stockholders, and its Public Policy Development and Corporate Responsibility department know that their company is a co-sponsor of next week's climate-change-denying union-busting pro-mountaintop removal rally organized by Massey Energy in Logan, West Virginia?
Contact Verizon Wireless and let them know you find their support of this rally unacceptable.
Bottom line: Verizon should withdraw their sponsorship of this bogus rally immediately; or, explain their support of mountaintop removal, climate change-denial and union-busting to its 87 million customers.
In one superheroic feat worth $2 million of your hard earned tax dollars, Governor Joe Manchin just relieved Massey Energy Co., Omar Mining Co., Independence Coal Co., Elk Run Coal Co. (doing business as Black Castle Mining Co.) and Pine Ridge Coal Co. LLC. from much of their liability for poisoning the aquifer supplying water to the communities of Prenter and Seth, WV.
Wouldn't it have been far cheaper for MoJo to have simply required the WV DEP to do the right thing in the first place?
There was evidently a protest at the Capitol. Ken Ward will have an article tomorrow. This is their bold.
In a letter dated April 6, 2009, the SHPO alerted the Keeper of the NRHP that there may have been an error in calculating the property owner objections due to this oversight. The State has not petitioned the Keeper for removal of the Blair Mountain Battlefield from the National Register in accordance with 36 CFR 60.15.
Sen. Wells, the Governor can't count. What does that say about the state of education in the state?
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