Coal River Mountain is not a dump

On Thursday, April 12, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection will hold a public hearing on proposed revisions to the Collins Fork Permit in Raleigh County. These revisions would allow Republic Energy, LLC, to forgo reclamation efforts and instead use the area to dump tires, store fuel, stockpile coal and store equipment.

Please join Coal River Mountain Watch at the Clear Fork Elementary School, 4851 Clear Fork Rd, Artie, WV 25008 on April 12 at 6:00 p.m. to speak out against these proposed revisions. 

Even if you can’t attend in person, please add your name to tell WVDEP that Coal River Mountain is not a dump and that the permit revisions should be denied.

The Collins Fork Permit, S300208, is located at the head of Workman’s Creek and McDowell Branch on Coal River Mountain and is among 10 square miles of active and pending mining permits and sludge dams on Coal River Mountain.

The permit area is located within the Clearfork and Coal River watershed and was once forestland. Not only do the revisions endanger the community’s health and safety, they simply do not meet any reclamation standards set forth to restore ecosystems, forests or garner resources for the community.

Before it’s too late — tell WVDEP to deny the proposed Collins Fork permit revisions.

Your voice is important and appreciated.

About Willie Dodson

A Virginia native who now splits his time between Johnson City, Tenn., and Wise County, Va., Willie has organized with environmental and social justice campaigns in the region for more than a decade. He is Appalachian Voices' Central Appalachian Field Coordinator.