Hear an interview with Appalachian Voices' Matt Wasson dispelling the myths of coal on Sea Change radio.

A few weeks ago, listeners of Sea Change Radio, a syndicated show and podcast covering the shift to sustainability, were treated to an impromptu debate and discussion between Appalachian Voices’ Matt Wasson and host Alex Wise.

We know full well the ecological devastation and economic inequites caused by mountaintop removal coal mining, and it seems Wise does too. But you’ll likely enjoy hearing him challenge Matt with an assortment of industry talking points, most of which have been parroted by Congress and the media over the last several months.

“Do you cringe when you hear the term clean coal?,” Wise asks at the beginning of the show. But it’s not just the concept that coal is clean Matt takes on. Another is Central Appalachian coal’s “abundance.” As recent as a few years ago, coal produced around half of America’s electricity. But as mining conditions continue to deteriorate and the most accessible coal seams are mined out. For each of the past 15 years, the Energy Information Administration has dramatically over-projected Appalachian coal production.

Central Appalachian coal reserves are declining, and that should surprise no one. Still, West Virginia Coal Association President Bill Raney has gotten a lot of press recently for simply saying “we mined the low-hanging fruit a long time ago.” (more…)

A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ruled today against groups working to return Blair Mountain to the National Register of Historic Places to prevent future surface mining operations from encroaching on the historic site of the Battle of Blair Mountain. Here is what Charleston Gazette reporter Ken Ward Jr. posted about the ruling:

I’ve posted a copy of the ruling by U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton here, but in short, the judge ruled that the citizen groups could not meet one of the requirements to show “standing” to bring the case, that of “redressability,” or that a favorable ruling from the court would redress their injury. The judge explained:

It is likely, therefore, that surface mining would be permitted on the Blair Mountain Battlefield as a result of permits that were acquired prior to the historic district’s inclusion on the National Register. An order from this Court restoring the Blair Mountain Battlefield to the National Register, therefore, will not prevent mining from occurring should the coal mining companies who own existing permits choose to exercise their rights afforded by the permits. The Court having only a limited ability to redress the plaintiffs’ asserted injuries, the plaintiffs have failed to meet their burden under the final prong of the standing inquiry.

Appalachian Voices’ Director of Programs Matt Wasson had this to say about the ruling:

The real story is the relentless campaign by coal companies to undermine the national significance of Blair Mountain so they can blow it up to retrieve the coal. It’s simply stunning that they would even consider demolishing the site of the largest battle on American soil since the Civil War and one of the most important historical landmarks for organized labor in the world. Can you imagine if a company sought to turn the Gettysburg battlefield into a massive landfill? Is nothing sacred to these big coal companies beyond next quarter’s profits?

Today’s court decision was based on a technicality and is not the last word on the fate of Blair Mountain. We call on the Obama Administration to use its full power to ensure that this national treasure is protected. Furthermore, we call on Alpha Natural Resources and Arch Coal to respect our cultural heritage and the memory of those who gave their lives to improve the conditions of working people by abandoning this outrageous effort to conduct mountaintop removal coal mining operations on Blair Mountain.