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Some of my colleagues have been making the case in recent days that there were worse environmental offenders than Massey Energy in 2010. Sure, BP was responsible for the worst accidental oil spill in history. And yes, Koch Industries funds climate denial groups in an attempt to mislead the American people. But I think Massey Energy and its CEO, Don Blankenship, are the absolute worst. Between their disregard for safety and environmental standards, their denial of climate science and their destructive coal mining practices, Massey Energy and Blankenship clearly deserve your support in Repower America's 2010 Snake Oil Awards.
Last Monday was one of the saddest and most disturbing days in West Virginia history. The Upper Big Branch Mine explosion has thus far taken the lives of 25 brave and hard-working people, while 4 still remain missing. I recently have picked up the use of my Twitter account that I got last year but have yet to habitually use. The past week I have followed Ken Ward, a veteran Charleston Gazette journalist who has been covering the situation basically 24/7 since it happened.
Four eight-man teams are at a staging area within the mine, he said. Two teams will advance to check on the final refuge chamber, the only hope for survival for the four miners who are still unaccounted for.
Visibility inside the mine is limited to about 100 feet, because after Monday's massive explosion, there is probably dust in the air and the walls are charred black, making it harder to see. The refuge chamber is located in a cross cut, meaning that rescue teams would need to be almost on top of it before they can tell whether it has been deployed, an obvious indication that there are miners inside.
If there is no one inside the chamber, the mission immediately shifts to recovering the bodies of dead miners and taking them out of the mine.
The only hope of finding survivors will be in the final "rescue chamber" that has yet to be checked. The chambers are designed to be a safe haven after a situation like this occurs, where there is enough oxygen for a group of miners to survive for roughly 4 days. They have checked all but one chamber. We are still praying that there will be a miracle.
The hopes are growing dimmer and Governor Joe Manchin has begun to accept this realization.
Gov. Manchin: "Our journey is about to end"
This story is sad, and as a West Virginian I can vouch that the whole state feels a significant sadness in our hearts. The pain the families of the fallen miners must be unimaginable.
But the question remains is, where will we go from here? How can a disaster such as this be prevented? What will the families of the miners, and the miners who were not on duty do for work now? (because it has to be assumed that the Upper Big Branch Mine will be shut down indefinitely)
President Obama has called for a full investigation and is requesting a detailed report be on his desk by next week, but will he pursue the issue? We can only hope.
For a small town with limited resources like Montcoal, WV... where will they go from this? The mine ity of the residents. The coal mine life to many there.
The people of this community face the worst part of this situation. The hard working community has to face the heartbreak of losing so many wonderful people to such a horrific disaster, and now have to worry what they will do after this situation clears. The mine is finished indefinitely. Where will they go, what will they do for work?
To me the whole situation does a grave injustice to the hard-working families that inhabit the community, and the people who were unfairly affected by the disaster.
My heart goes out to the families affected, the miners lost, the miners who look to move on, and to the entire state of West Virginia. For the people of Montcoal, if you are reading this, the entire state of West Virginia loves you and care about you, and wishes the best. As a small state, there is a certain connection felt when tragedy strikes to unite. We are West Virginians, therefore we all care about you and your families. My prayers go out to all those affected by the disaster, and to the families. I pray that there is justice brought to the situation, and that the families of the miners and the miners themselves may eventually find peace.
Already before we know the fate of the missing miners, before the bodies have been prepared for burial, there are people on the right trying to figure out a way to score political points off this disaster that has the rest of our state united in mourning.
With fingers trembling in anger I write these words: Have you no decency? Have you no sense of dignity and grace, of decorum and propriety?
I will let UMWA President Cecil Roberts speak for me:
"The hearts and prayers of all UMWA members are with the families of those lost today at Performance Coal Company's Upper Big Branch mine. We are also praying for the safe rescue of those still missing, and for the safety of the courageous mine rescue team members. They are putting their lives on the line, entering a highly dangerous mine to bring any survivors to safety.
"As a mine operated by a subsidiary of Massey Energy, the Upper Big Branch mine is a nonunion mine. Nevertheless, I have dispatched highly trained and skilled UMWA personnel to the immediate vicinity of the mine, and they stand ready to offer any assistance they can to the families and the rescuers at this terrible and anxious time. We are all brothers and sisters in the coalfields at times like this.
Clem and others will dismantle the fallacious arguments put forward by those trying to rewrite history with the blood of the dead miners.
This is not that time. This is a time to stand in prayer, in unity, in mourning with all our brothers and sisters in the coalfields.
Before I begin, I want to send my deepest condolences, our thoughts and prayers to the families and the friends of the workers who lost their lives after an explosion took place in a West Virginia mine yesterday. At this moment, there are still people missing. There are rescue teams that are searching tirelessly and courageously to find them.
I spoke with Governor Manchin of West Virginia last night and told him that the federal government stands ready to offer whatever assistance is needed in this rescue effort. So I would ask the faithful who've gathered here this morning to pray for the safe return of the missing, the men and women who put their lives on the line to save them, and the souls of those who have been lost in this tragic accident. May they rest in peace, and may their families find comfort in the hard days ahead.
In a surprising turn of events, four employees of British-Australian mining firm Rio Tinto pleaded guilty Monday to taking bribes during annual negotiations over iron ore prices in China, according to lawyers and an Australian diplomat.
I have described where I lived in California as halfway between Death Valley and Buck Owens. Bakersfield is the county seat of Kern County, California. The Pacific Gas and Electric litigation that Erin Brockovich brought due to contaminated water was in Hinkley, also in the Mojave Desert..
Terri Judd's labor owns part of this eerie landscape--or rather its void. She's a third-generation borax miner, as deeply rooted in the high desert as one of the native Joshua trees. Every working morning for the past thirteen years, she has bundled her long red hair under a hard hat, climbed up the ladder of a giant Le Tourneau wheel loader and turned on its 1,600-horsepower Detroit Diesel engine.
It is the largest open pit mine in California. The workers have been locked out since January 31. These are the people who got on the bus for Burros - Bobcats meets.
Generally, the population falls within the lower to middle socioeconomic group. Boron is a rural mining community and got its name from the boron compound known as borax, which is found in the area.
We were the burros, the pack animal of the old prospectors. They were the bobcat, masters of desert survival. We both had to watch out for coyotes.
Last week W.Va. Department of Environmental Protection (sic) Secretary Randy Huffman was on Capitol Hill boasting about his department's surface water runoff regulation approach.
This week the Obama administration U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement sent him back with homework. They want the W.Va. DEP to do a better job.
Who knows, with enough Federal pressure we may go from having a DEP with regulations that might help with surface water run-off issues to one that actually follows through and enforces surface water run-off regulations.
-Rate Hike For Power Companies Opposed - There's a really, really, really big hike on the table for later so meanwhile the power company is asking for a merely really big hike in the interim.
The state Public Service Commission plans to make a decision before July 1 on a rate increase request from two subsidiaries of American Electric Power. Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power are seeking an 18.5 percent interim increase.
Bayer said that Doug Jones comes to the Institute plant from the company's plant in New Martinsville.
(Hey, if anyone is listening out there, it might be worth checking to see if Doug Jones' old safety-related position at the New Martinsville plant is still filled... just sayin').
Preventing the swine flu is as simple as following the precautions of the normal flu. You should wash your hands thoroughly, cover your mouth when you cough and, if you fell sick, you should just stay at home.
This is a good time to remind our politicians--it would be a really good idea for the public health of our country to mandate paid sick days for all employees. Right now someone with flu symptoms is heading to work because they can't afford an unpaid day at home.
It's such a well-researched post, it's difficult to excerpt. I'll just set it up and encourage you to go read the whole thing:
From what I hear, President Barack Obama may be close to nominating a longtime Interior Department bureaucrat named Glenda Owens to be director of the U.S. Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.
Now, Obama's got a lot on his plate. Who knows if he's even got this little agency on his radar screen at all. Maybe OSMRE isn't a big priority. But if the president really opposes mountaintop removal, favors green jobs and cares anything about the nation's coalfield communities, Obama will take this appointment (not to mention the nomination of someone to run the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration) very seriously.
But coalfield residents don't think that's what's happening. Earlier today, they started a call-in campaign to try to encourage Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to appoint either West Virginia University law professor Pat McGinley or Lexington, Ky., lawyer Joe Childers to run - reform, reinvigorate or rejuvinate might be better words - OSMRE. For coalfield residents and environmental advocates, picking someone promoting someone from within OSMRE is almost as bad as Obama turning to an industry lawyer or lobbyist for the post.
Ken goes on to recount a history of government actions that Ms. Owens has been involved with as a government bureaucrat. If for no other reason, the post is a valuable reminder of the duplicitous role that federal government "enforcement" agencies have played over the years.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Coal may keep the lights on for about half the country, but in West Virginia it also keeps politicians in office.
During this year's campaign, Republicans and Democrats alike jockeyed to prove their devotion to the fuel source, with politicians from both parties running TV ads in which they held up lumps of coal like good-luck talismans.
It might therefore seem foolhardy to give the other party an opening by disavowing any aspect of the industry, but Danny Chiotos doesn't see it that way.
Chiotos is the head of the environmental caucus of the West Virginia Young Democrats. He played a crucial role in getting that group to pass a resolution earlier this year calling for an end to new mountaintop removal permits, thereby opening a new chapter in one of the state's most contentious debates.
As mentioned in the comments, this week's newsletter from the W.Va. Citizen Action Group (PDF), has a helpful update on the battle for a much needed West Virginia Surface Owners' Bill of Rights:
Surface Owners' Bill of Rights -- We Need You By Julie Archer, Julie@wvcag.org
As anticipated, the Surface Owner's Bill of Rights was introduced in the Senate earlier this week. SB 482 sponsors are Senators Larry Edgell, Jon Blair Hunter, Brooks McCabe, Randy White and Jeff Kessler. Like our House sponsors, they deserve a big "thank you" from citizens for standing up for property owners' rights.
Now that the bill has been introduced, we are gearing up for WV Surface Owners' Rights Day next Wednesday, February 6. Legislators will only be impressed by a strong turnout. The oil & gas industry is powerful and well financed. As noted last week we've heard they have signed on several extra lobbyists. This means they are taking our efforts seriously and we need to respond accordingly by being vocal and visible. E-mail info@wvsoro.org or call (304) 346-5891 if you plan to attend.
If you can't make it Charleston next week, please be sure to contact your legislators. Tell them what happened to you and what you think should be done to protect surface owners from industry abuses. Tell them to support the Surface Owners' Bill of Rights (HB 4286 & SB 482).
If your legislator serves on one of the committees where the Surface Owners' Bill of Rights was referred, it's especially critical they hear from you. The House version was sent to the Committee on Industry & Labor/Economic Development & Small Business where it may be taken up next Wednesday (WV-SORO Day). (See here for a list of committee members.) We'll know Monday if the HB 4286 will be on the agenda and plan to request a public hearing so the committee can hear from WV-SORO members. If the committee holds a hearing, they will also accept written comments. We hope you can attend and take advantage of this opportunity to share your story. If you can't make it but have comments you'd like to share, send them to info@wvsoro.org and we'll make sure they are distributed.
Regional Town Hall Meetings Update & Thanks Yous WV-SORO held its second Regional & Information meeting Thursday, January 31, 2008 at the Heritage Park Community Center in Spencer. We had a great turn out (more than 100 people) and got folks fired up to help us push for passage of the Surface Owners' Bill of Rights.
Special thanks to: Chuck Wyrostock for helping with logistics and getting the word out; Robin Wilson for getting us there and back, and other behind the scenes support and assistance; and John Snyder, founding member, citizen organizer & researcher extraordinaire. John has put together a great informational CD covering a variety of topics affecting surface owners. Get in touch if you would like a copy.
We're still planning a meeting for the Boone, Lincoln, and Logan County areas in the near future.
WV-SORO Day agenda:
WV-SORO Day at the Legislature, State Capitol, Charleston
8AM to 11AM ~ Gather in Governor's Press Conference Room (located in the Secretary of State's Office, Room 157-K; coffee & danish provided)
10AM ~ Press Conference on Surface Owners' Bill of Rights
11AM to 3PM ~ Lobbying, Meetings with Legislators
If you want to carpool with others from your area or want more information, call us at 346-5891 or 1-866-WVB-FAIR or e-mail norm (at) wvsoro.org
I received this from my friend Marley in Harrisonburg. If you want to help, write me at beth dot wellington at gmail dot com. These are my buddieswho did the "Santa Brings Coal to BankAmerica" street theater in Charlottesville, which I wrote about earlier.
Hey friends
Im emailing you because I know you are smart, passionate, kick-ass people that want to help our land and our people from eco-destruction. Every day the fertilizer bombs are biting chunks out of the life, history, f..ing geology of Appalachia. The f...ers take the spirit out of it, process it till it's toxic goo, stuff it in their pockets and lie through their teeth all the way to the bank.
but we are the root force, we are outraged, and we are organizing. I email you because all that was unnecessary, because u know it already. want I want to ask is for your help in stopping it. Mountain Justice Spring Break. March 1-9 in Southwest va (near abingdon), March 22-30th in SOuthern Ohio, Meigs Co. Im helping to organize the SW. Va week, but our collective needs help.
(Thank you, Beth Wellington, for this well researched diary on the House passage of the S-MINER Act. - promoted by Clem Guttata)
Clem wrote about one coal industry astroturf group, so I'll add something about another, the National Mining Association's ACT for Mining.
January 16, the House passed the "Supplemental Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act" (S-MINER Act) (H.R. 2768) by a vote of 214 to 199. See Thomas:
Our "friends" at the National Mining Association took the position that Mr. Miller was
pushing a new "mine safety" bill even before the mining community has had a chance to fully implement the bipartisan Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response (MINER) Act. The House is set to vote on Jan. 16 on the Supplemental-MINER Act (H.R. 2768), a bill that would impose new, unnecessary regulations on both hardrock and coal mining operations that will do nothing to improve mine safety. Passage of this new legislation could possibly idle or close mines and have unintended, adverse effects on mine safety.
HMA sent out an alert urging their supporters to call or e-mail their House member and ask them to vote against the bill. So what was the reaction to what it termed a "narrow" passage:
The 199 votes cast in opposition are substantially more than the 145 votes needed to sustain a threatened presidential veto, should one ultimately be necessary. This action also will likely diminish interest in Senate consideration of H.R. 2768, in essence, stopping the progress of this bad bill.
They're now urging that we write to thank the 199, which includes the following 16 Democrats:
My gut reaction is to ask our friends in their home states to curse them out (all right, just ask why they voted that way, then express disappointment and look up the rest of their record to determine if it's prooblematic, and if so, work to get a more progressive Democrat elected in the next primary and General Ecection). Then, instead, write to thank those who voted for the bill. Reactions, friends?
Details on who voted how and amendments under the fold.
Companies that drill for oil and natural gas on federal lands pay a royalty to the federal government either in cash or in kind; this week the government raised the rate to 18.75 percent on oil drilled in the Gulf of Mexico.
The hardrock mining industry is exempt from royalties due to the General Mining Law Grant signedin 1872, hoping to encourage Western land development. Nick Rahall D_WV) chief sponsor of the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007 (HR 2262) says reform is needed to end mining companies' ability to buy land for as little as $2.50 an acre, which amounts to "fast food hamburger prices."
If enacted, the bill would represent the first major overhaul since Grant's time. Gross revenue from gold, silver, copper, uranium and other minerals mined on public lands would be levied at the rate of 8 percent royalty on new hard-rock mining and 4 percent on existing operations.
Of course, my "friends" at the NMA sent me an urgent email to oppose the bill. (see their email below the fold.
Chris Baltimore of Reuters reported today that the House voted in favor of the measure 244-166
Bush (as usual) threatens a veto, saying royalties "could reduce the continued domestic production of hardrock minerals."
WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted to slap the first-ever federal royalties on gold, silver, copper, uranium and other minerals mined on public lands.
The House voted 244-166 for the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2007, which would levy an 8 percent royalty on the gross revenue from new hard-rock mining activities and impose a 4 percent royalty on existing operations.
The White House threatened to veto the bill, warning that imposing royalties "could reduce the continued domestic production of hardrock minerals."
The U.S. Senate would have to approve the bill before President George W. Bush could review it.
If it becomes law, it would be the first major overhaul of the General Mining Law since former President Ulysses S. Grant signed it in 1872 to encourage Western land development.
Democrat Rep. Nick Rahall of West Virginia, the bill's chief sponsor, said reform is needed to end mining companies' ability to buy land for as little as $2.50 an acre, which amounts to "fast food hamburger prices."
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