West Virginia State Police from the Whitesville Office arrested and cited 14 people last week as they peacefully protested at the Markfork Coal Mine.

According to a spokesperson at the Whitesville State Police Detachment, police charged several persons with trespassing at a Massey Energy coal mine.

The protest took place on Tuesday morning when reportedly five environmental activists chained themselves to a bulldozer and an excavator at the Marfolk Coal site, a subsidiary of Massey Energy.

Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice, two environmental groups, say the protest centers on safety at the mine. They argue that the mine’s coal sludge impoundment could flood nearby towns.

Activists contend that blasting from Massey’s mountaintop mining practices would endanger the Brushy Fork coal impoundment, which holds in excess of 9 billion gallons of coal waste.

Charles Suggs, a spokesperson for the two environmental groups, said one videographer who was documenting the protest was also arrested and cited.

“The videographer clearly had a press pass designating him as media. He followed the five protestors to the police department and then they arrested him, too,” Suggs said.

Those receiving citations and released were James Gerard McGuinness of Montegut, La.; Rory D. McIlmoil of Locust Grove, Va.; Glen Collins of Rock Creek; Matthew Noerpel of Rock Creek; Michael Roselle of Forestville, Calif.; and Chad Stevens, Athens, Ohio.

Suggs commented that Tuesday’s action was the renewal of civil disobedience tactics in protest to mountaintop removal mining in southern West Virginia.

Suggs further noted that an additional eight people were arrested and cited for trespassing as they tried to deliver a letter to a Massey representative around 1:00 p.m. at the entrance of the coal company.

“The letter was delivered, though,” Suggs commented, though he was not able to say whether representatives from the company had read the letter or forwarded it to the company’s CEO and Owner, Don Blankenship.

Suggs said a copy of the letter is posted at http://climategroundzero .com/gate_letter.pdf.



At the time of this printing the web site was experiencing some technical difficulties, according to spokesperson Mike Roselle, so the Coal Valley News has replicated the letter below.

Those receiving citations and released were Lorelei Scarbro of Rock Creek; Larry Gibson of Charleston; Melissa Petty of Knoxville, Tenn.; Heather Sprouse of Charleston; Charles Nelson of Glen Daniel; Mary Wildfire of Spencer; Vernon Halton of Naoma; and Allen Johnson of Dunmore.

Activists cited for trespassing are to appear in Magistrate Court in Raleigh County. Their arraignment date has not yet been set.

Officials with Marfork Coal and Massey Energy did not return calls to the Coal Valley News.

Sgt. Mike Smith said there was no violence and those cited were cooperative with police. Suggs also commented that the day’s protests ended on a peaceful note with activists singing “Amazing Grace.”

N n n

TO: President of Marfork Coal Company and the

CEO of Massey Energy-Don Blankenship

We, citizens of the Coal River Valley and friends, are here today to ask that you cease any and all operations relating to the Bee Tree surface mine adjacent to the Brushy Fork impoundment.

Given the recent toxic coal ash dam collapse in Harriman, TN, the spill in Alabama, the dam failure in Martin County, KY, and the catastrophic dam failure at Buffalo Creek, WV that took 125 people’s lives, we are greatly concerned about the integrity of Brushy Fork. The planned blasting within close proximity of a nine billion gallon toxic sludge dam and the mining activities in the past underneath this impoundment gives us cause to step forward in an effort to intervene.

Directly in the path of a possible spill at this site is a head start center, our senior center, and the town of Whitesville, with the potential for the loss of lives in the west end of Raleigh County and dozens of miles into Boone County.

We are also here today to stand in solidarity with our neighbors and friends and with support of this project all across the nation to ask the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to suspend the surface mining permits on Coal River Mountain. The DEP has failed to properly regulate sludge dams, according to a recent federal report, and halting mountaintop removal on Coal River Mountain is in the best interest of our communities and the survival of our future generations.

We believe there is a higher and better use for the area permitted for mountaintop removal in the Bee Tree permit which does not include the dangers associated with blasting close to a toxic sludge dam. That project is the Coal River Wind Project. Below are statements of some community members who support this project, some of whom can trace their family heritage in the Coal River Valley up to ten generations:

For our children and grandchildren, and for the future of all West Virginians,

Chuck Nelson, Glen Daniel, WV: Economic development is important, but concern for the well-being of citizens is a top priority. This wind farm could save local communities, people's lives, and our way of life, while also bringing new economic development to the area. This idea is an excellent alternative, and maybe the only alternative for our lands which are being permanently destroyed. This is a major change in our history. We are setting a pattern for the rest of the world to follow in that there are other alternatives to depleting fossil fuels, and that can guarantee that generations to come will have a sustainable future here in the heart of coal country. What better place than Coal River Mountain for this to happen.

Michael Harvey, Rock Creek, WV: I live in the mountains. I dig ginseng, yellow root, and other plants. That’s my way of life, and it’s my livelihood. I think the wind farm in an excellent idea. It will save me and my family.

Gary Anderson, Colcord, WV: The wind farm will preserve the mountains and all that they provide us.

Nick Regalado, Rock Creek, WV:We, here in the mountain state, are presented with a wild, wonderful new choice. A choice of change and possibility. This is a choice between short-term jobs or long-term careers, demolition or construction, quick profit or long-term investment, corporate greed or public good. It is literally a choice between building the future and burning the future. This moment is unprecedented in West Virginia history. We have the ability to develop one of the largest renewable energy resources in this country. We, as citizens of West Virginia, of Appalachia, and of the United States of America, we need to make the Coal River Wind Farm a reality.

Sherry Geisler, Rock Creek, WV: I have a right to enjoy my mountain views and clean air and water. This is what drew us to this beautiful state. We have a right to have our property value maintained and to live the life that anyone would expect to live.

Debbie Jarrell, Rock Creek, WV:We have a vision of clean water and air for our

communities, a vision of being able to pass on to future generations a heritage that we can all be proud of. I don't want to think that in my lifetime alone we have destroyed any hope of a future for our children. Without Coal River Mountain, is there a Coal River Valley? We need and deserve renewable energies NOW!

Charles Ballard, Dry Creek, WV: I live up Dry Creek holler at the base of Coal River

Mountain. I spent 22 years as an underground coal miner in West Virginia, and I’ve been around the coal mines all my life. What they’re doing to the mountains around here is messing up every damn thing we have in these mountains, and I’m hoping that this wind farm gets built because it’d be much better than to have a huge mountaintop removal mine.

Judy Bonds, Rock Creek, WV:We must fight for this wind farm and green jobs because our children deserve clean water, clean air and jobs forever. Renewable energy is our children's only chance.

Lorelei Scarbro, Rock Creek, WV: As the widow of a union underground coal miner I believe the time has come to offer diversity in the job market in southern WV. Clean, green, renewable jobs and energy are a must as we prepare for the post-coal future.

Pauline Canterbury, Sylvester, WV: I am behind this wind farm 100%.

George Geisler, Rock Creek, WV:I’ve only lived here three years, but I moved here expecting clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and no noise pollution. These are rights everyone should have no matter where they live.

Bo Webb, Peach Tree, WV:A wind feasibility study concluded that Coal River Mountain would be a near perfect site for a large wind farm that could power 150,000 homes and provide good jobs for the local community.

Lisa Henderson, Rock Creek, WV: This has always been my home; I love the Coal River Valley. Thanks to this project, one day soon my community will be proud and prosperous again.

Vernon Haltom, Naoma, WV: We have a clear choice on Coal River Mountain: either destroy it for short-term jobs and a limited supply of the world's most polluting energy source, or develop a permanent source of clean energy and good jobs, forever. The people in the communities surrounding Coal River Mountain are entitled to the same protections as any other American citizen and are sick of the proposition that we give up our families' health, homes, and future for one industry's short-term profits. We are not an acceptable sacrifice.