This is a personal account, written by Megan Naylor, student at Appalachian State University and superstar volunteer for Appalachian Voices. She became motivated to help end mountaintop removal when she visited Larry Gibson at his home on Kayford Mountain in West Virginia to documented the process and effects of mountaintop removal. Larry Gibson is a hero in the movement to end mountaintop removal mining. He has been able to protect 50 acres of his land which is surrounded by a 7000 acre mountaintop removal mine, which he uses as a education center for visitors from all across the country. He has been a victim of violence on his property and we are raising funds for a security system to protect him and visitors to Kayford Mountain.

As Earth Day nears I can’t help but remember the first time I had the pleasure to meet Larry Gibson. This “Keeper of the Mountains” introduced me to the ugly truth regarding destruction of the Appalachian Mountains fueled by greed.

Two months after contacting Larry, I found myself driving up the steep dirt road leading to his cabin and wondered what to expect. I planned my trip based on only a few conversations with him over a bad phone connection.

When we first met he was in overalls, grinning from ear to ear as he welcomed me, shaking my hand midstride while simultaneously insisting I make myself at home.
In his terms that meant filling my plate high with samples from covered dishes fresh from the oven of family and friends gathering to hear him talk about the mountains.

Over the next two days in a humble but unwavering tone he shared not just his story but also his home and heart with me. Larry, with his dog Bear in tow, opened my eyes and inspired me to make a difference.

I’ll never forget him showing me where a spring once bubbled up from the earth behind his cabin and talking about how different things had became when one day the spring simply stopped.

He walked me between neat lines of headstones in the only family graveyard he had left on his land. Small American flags placed into the ground fluttered in the breeze as he pointed to a pile of rubble in the distance marking where his family’s other graveyard had once stood before it was blown up to access the coal seams beneath.

It made me realize how blessed I am and how precious life is. To me Larry is an image of solidarity in a sometimes uncertain world. He continues to inspire me as he has thousands of others.

He ask everyone he meets: “What do you hold so dear that you don’t have a price on it? For me it is these mountains, and we must fight for them.”

Larry does not ask people to help end mountaintop removal, he insists on it.

I hope everyone can join us on Earth Day to raise the funds Larry needed to get the security system needed to make him and Kayford Mountains safe. If you can’t join us, donate. You could win a Vespa scooter!

Dig deep and come party for a good cause. Hope to see you there.

After intense pressure from Ohio Citizen Action, and other constituents, Senator Sherrod Brown from the coal state of Ohio officially became the 11th cosponsor of SB 696, the Appalachia Restoration Act, which would help to end mountaintop removal mining. When Sherrod Brown was serving as the Representative in Ohio’s 13th district up till 2005, he a cosponsor of the Clean Water Protection Act, a somewhat similar bill in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Brown serves on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committee where he is the chair of the Hunger, Nutrition, and Family Farms subcommittee; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee where he is the chair of the Economic Policy subcommittee, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, Select Committee on Ethics, and the Veterans’ Affairs committee.

If you live in Ohio, call and thank him at (202)-224-4024. If your one of your Senators is not a cosponsor yet, please take action today and ask him or her to become one today.

Appalachian Voices would like to express our deepest sympathy for the families who have lost loved ones in the mining explosion at the Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, WV. These families, and indeed, the whole community will be changed forever. Long after the camera crews and the TV pundits have packed up and headed out on Highway 3, this Appalachian mourning will continue.

The courage of every coal miner is commendable not just in times of sorrow and death, but every day. It is easy to forget the sacrifice of coal miners, whose loss of life and limb happens with alarming frequency both at home and overseas. Our hope is that stronger safety laws are enacted and that current laws are enforced as a consequence of this tragedy. All people, including those working in dangerous professions like coal mining, should have the opportunity to work in a safe and healthy environment.

The communities who are living with this tragedy need our help today. We highly encourage you to send a donation to the West Virginia Council of Churches to help support these families as they work to rebuild their lives again.

In November of 2009, North Carolina utility provider Progress Energy quietly decided not to renew its membership in the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE.) Though it was once one of ACCCE’s biggest contributors, paying $1 million in 2008, Progress officials decided that the group no longer fits into the utility’s agenda.

ACCCE has seen similar departures from energy giants Duke Energy and Alstrom. The coalition was no stranger to controversy in 2009. A paid contractor for the group was found to have forged 13 letters to members of Congress lobbying against a coal cap-and-trade bill. Shortly after, one of the group’s Vice Presidents allegedly lied under oath about ACCCE’s past position on the bill. Read more about this controversy.

Progress officials continue to move towards energy generated by natural gas instead of coal. They recently announced the closure of 11 coal-fired plants in 2010.

Just four of the forty-seven finalists in the 7th Annual Appalachian Mountains Photo Competition

The competition judges have made their decisions, now it’s time to cast YOUR vote in the 7th Annual Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in the Footsloggers People’s Choice Award. Cast your vote by visiting the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone, N.C., and viewing the entries in person or by clicking to appmtnphotocomp.org to view the exhibited images and vote for your favorite online.

Voting ends at 5:00 p.m. Friday, March 26.

The preliminary judging round for the competition selected 47 images from a total of 1,116 submissions. Categories included Landscape, Flora and Fauna, Culture, Adventure, Our Ecological Footprint, Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and Blue Ridge Parkway Share the Journey.

Appalachian Voices’ Communication Coordinator, Jamie Goodman, served as one of the judges in this year’s competition.

“The entries this year were phenomenal, it was difficult to wean 47 from the over 1000 images,” Goodman said. “Choosing a winner from the finalists will be extremely challenging, but the three judges also have very individualized tastes. I highly recommend that everyone participate in the People’s Choice voting to select the image they think should be the winner.”

The exhibition, which debuted at the Downtown Boone Art Crawl on March 5, will remain on display at the Turchin Center until June 5.

The final round of judging will be completed in conjunction with the Banff Mountain Film Festival on Saturday, March 27. First place photos will be named for each of the seven categories, and Best in Show will be awarded.

Appalachian Voices served as 2010 sponsor for the newly renamed environmental category, Our Ecological Footprint.

Duke Energy has been ordered to take greater measures to test groundwater near coal ash ponds. The order comes from the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ) in the wake of an October report that found 13 ash ponds owned by Duke and Progress Energy to be leaking toxic waste.

Appalachian Voices’ Riverkeeper Donna Lisenby analyzed Duke’s self-reported data and found 681 instances in which heavy metals had accumulated around the ponds in levels exceeding North Carolina groundwater standards. Currently, the state itself does not test any ash ponds. Duke, in an agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency, has the authority to self-monitor its ponds.

The new testing wells will be placed farther away from the ash ponds, hopeful providing more accurate information about the spread of the toxic materials.

A recent editorial from the Winston-Salem Journal said that if the new tests showed contamination, “the state should continue to order expanded testing to find just how wide a problem we have. And environmental groups are to be commended for paying to test surface waters on their own.”

The editorial continued, “The bottom line is that the state cannot blithely accept the word of the utilities on the potential danger here. The testing must be done, and the extent of the problem must be determined. Then the public will know better how to proceed with future coal-ash storage.”

The permits for four Duke Energy-owned ponds will expire this year. When they are renewed, NCDAQ will require new testing wells to be placed farther from the ash pond boundaries. These wells will allow the companies to see how far from the ponds groundwater is being contaminated.

Currently, the state issued permits for the ash ponds require testing within a 250-500 foot boundary of the pond. However, the permits set no limit for amounts of heavy metals found during these tests. The new wells will be placed closer to the edge of the testing boundary, hopeful providing more accurate information about the spread of the contaminants

Read the entire Winston-Salem Journal editorial here.

The first time I met Ben Sollee when he came to perform for us during our training in Washington DC at our Annual End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington. There were close to 150 concerned citizens from California to the Carolinas, and many who were directly impacted by mountaintop removal. Armed only with his cello and soulful voice, Ben made many of us in the room cry with his awe-inspiring rendition of “A Change is Gonna Come”. It was definitely the highlight of the day.

So I am extremely excited to announce that Ben Sollee along with fellow Kentuckian, Daniel Martin Moore, will be donating their artist proceeds from their new album, Dear Companion, to Appalachian Voices in support our national campaign to end mountaintop removal mining. Ben Sollee says that “Appalachian Voices is doing all they can to catalyze the national conversation about mountaintop removal coal mining and we’re awfully proud to help contribute to their efforts.”

The album is a collaboration between Ben, Daniel, and producer/recording artist Yim Yames. Recorded in the first half of 2009 in Kentucky, the album explores the Appalachian home they love and aims to draw attention to the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining and its impact on the people and heritage of Central Appalachia.

Here is a review from the music blog, Consequence of Sound:

The album is folky and light, but it’s also got their shared spirit of altruism and activism thread throughout the record, specifically the impact of the Mountaintop Removal coal mining and its impact on the people and culture of Appalachia. The title track best represents the spirit of the album… While Martin’s voice, which is haunting and engaging as it moves through the beat as steady as a knife and as thin as a vapor, dominates the track, Sollee’s musicianship punctuates the track, creating much of the feel of the song and moving it along in a frantic pace unlike any other mountain jam you’ve ever heard without losing the emotional connection.

Appalachian Voices staff will be on hand for much of the tour to educate the audiences about mountaintop removal. We want to take this opportunity to thank Ben, Daniel, Yim and Sub Pop records for using the power of music to raise awareness about the threat that mountaintop removal poses to America’s beloved Appalachian mountains.

Listen online: Something, Somewhere, Sometime

Buy it: Your local music store, Amazon.com, or donate to Appalachian Voices to receive a free copy!

See Them Live: Tour Dates

About the Artists

Kentucky-native Ben Sollee performs a unique synthesis of folk, soul, jazz and bluegrass, choosing a cello rather than a guitar as his instrument. Sollee received critical praise for his 2008 debut album, Learning to Bend, and was chosen as one of NPR’s “Top 10 Unknown Artists of the Year.” Ben has been known to strap his cello on his back and ride his bike from one gig to the next, and has collaborated with numerous luminary musicians such as Otis Taylor and Bela Fleck.

Daniel Martin Moore is a singer and songwriter from Kentucky known for his deceptively simple, soft playing style which has been compared to Nick Drake and M. Ward. His first album, Stray Age, was released at the end of 2008 by Sub Pop Records and was produced by Joe Chiccarelli (The White Stripes, U2, The Shins).

Producer Yim Yames is a renowned guitarist/singer/songwriter from Monsters of Folk and My Morning Jacket.

Today, Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) released a historic statement representing a complete turnaround from the Senator’s prior defense of the horrific practice of mountaintop removal. Senator Byrd recognizes that mountaintop removal has reduced jobs in the coalfields and chastised the industry for causing unrest in the coalfields over the increased oversight that mountaintop removal is receiving by federal regulatory agencies. Most importantly Senator Byrd recognized that most Americans and members of Congress are opposed to mountaintop removal and made reference to the bipartisan support of the Clean Water Protection Act and the Appalachia Restoration Act, which would stop the most egregious forms of mountaintop removal. This statement creates an even more favorable environment for Congress to pass legislation that will provide relief and protection from mountaintop removal for the citizens of Appalachia. Senator Byrd is the longest serving Senator in Unites States history, and remains one of the most powerful politicians in Congress. His recognition that mountaintop removal is having negative impacts on Appalachian citizens and that the coal industry is going to have to change the status quo is a powerful testament to the work of citizens from across West Virginia, across Appalachia, and across America who are fighting for justice. Because of our shared work for progress, change is coming.

Here is Senator Byrd’s complete statement:

COAL MUST EMBRACE THE FUTURE

Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.)

For more than 100 years, coal has been the backbone of the Appalachian economy. Even today, the economies of more than 20 states depend to some degree on the mining of coal. About half of all the electricity generated in America and about one quarter of all the energy consumed globally is generated by coal.

Change is no stranger to the coal industry. Think of the huge changes which came with the onset of the Machine Age in the late 1800’s. Mechanization has increased coal production and revenues, but also has eliminated jobs, hurting the economies of coal communities. In 1979, there were 62,500 coal miners in the Mountain State. Today there are about 22,000. In recent years, West Virginia has seen record high coal production and record low coal employment.

And change is undeniably upon the coal industry again. The increased use of mountaintop removal mining means that fewer miners are needed to meet company production goals. Meanwhile the Central Appalachian coal seams that remain to be mined are becoming thinner and more costly to mine. Mountaintop removal mining, a declining national demand for energy, rising mining costs and erratic spot market prices all add up to fewer jobs in the coal fields.

These are real problems. They affect real people. And West Virginia’s elected officials are rightly concerned about jobs and the economic impact on local communities. I share those concerns. But the time has come to have an open and honest dialogue about coal’s future in West Virginia.

Let’s speak the truth. The most important factor in maintaining coal-related jobs is demand for coal. Scapegoating and stoking fear among workers over the permitting process is counter-productive.

Coal companies want a large stockpile of permits in their back pockets because that implies stability to potential investors. But when coal industry representatives stir up public anger toward federal regulatory agencies, it can damage the state’s ability to work with those agencies to West Virginia’s benefit. This, in turn, may create the perception of ineffectiveness within the industry, which can drive potential investors away.

Let’s speak a little more truth here. No deliberate effort to do away with the coal industry could ever succeed in Washington because there is no available alternative energy supply that could immediately supplant the use of coal for base load power generation in America. That is a stubborn fact that vexes some in the environmental community, but it is reality.

It is also a reality that the practice of mountaintop removal mining has a diminishing constituency in Washington. It is not a widespread method of mining, with its use confined to only three states. Most members of Congress, like most Americans, oppose the practice, and we may not yet fully understand the effects of mountaintop removal mining on the health of our citizens. West Virginians may demonstrate anger toward the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over mountaintop removal mining, but we risk the very probable consequence of shouting ourselves out of any productive dialogue with EPA and our adversaries in the Congress.

Some have even suggested that coal state representatives in Washington should block any advancement of national health care reform legislation until the coal industry’s demands are met by the EPA. I believe that the notion of holding the health care of over 300 million Americans hostage in exchange for a handful of coal permits is beyond foolish; it is morally indefensible. It is a non-starter, and puts the entire state of West Virginia and the coal industry in a terrible light.

To be part of any solution, one must first acknowledge a problem. To deny the mounting science of climate change is to stick our heads in the sand and say “deal me out.” West Virginia would be much smarter to stay at the table.

The 20 coal-producing states together hold some powerful political cards. We can have a part in shaping energy policy, but we must be honest brokers if we have any prayer of influencing coal policy on looming issues important to the future of coal like hazardous air pollutants, climate change, and federal dollars for investments in clean coal technology.

Most people understand that America cannot meet its current energy needs without coal, but there is strong bi-partisan opposition in Congress to the mountaintop removal method of mining it. We have our work cut out for us in finding a prudent and profitable middle ground – but we will not reach it by using fear mongering, grandstanding and outrage as a strategy. As your United States Senator, I must represent the opinions and the best interests of the entire Mountain State, not just those of coal operators and southern coalfield residents who may be strident supporters of mountaintop removal mining.

I have spent the past six months working with a group of coal state Democrats in the Senate, led by West Virginia native Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), drafting provisions to assist the coal industry in more easily transitioning to a lower-carbon economy. These include increasing funding for clean coal projects and easing emission standards and timelines, setting aside billions of dollars for coal plants that install new technology and continue using coal. These are among the achievable ways coal can continue its major role in our national energy portfolio. It is the best way to step up to the challenge and help lead change.

The truth is that some form of climate legislation will likely become public policy because most American voters want a healthier environment. Major coal-fired power plants and coal operators operating in West Virginia have wisely already embraced this reality, and are making significant investments to prepare.

The future of coal and indeed of our total energy picture lies in change and innovation. In fact, the future of American industrial power and our economic ability to compete globally depends on our ability to advance energy technology.

The greatest threats to the future of coal do not come from possible constraints on mountaintop removal mining or other environmental regulations, but rather from rigid mindsets, depleting coal reserves, and the declining demand for coal as more power plants begin shifting to biomass and natural gas as a way to reduce emissions.

Fortunately, West Virginia has a running head-start as an innovator. Low-carbon and renewable energy projects are already under development in West Virginia, including: America’s first integrated carbon capture and sequestration project on a conventional coal-fired power plant in Mason County; the largest wind power facility in the eastern United States; a bio-fuel refinery in Nitro; three large wood pellet plants in Fayette, Randolph, and Gilmer Counties; and major dams capable of generating substantial electricity.

Change has been a constant throughout the history of our coal industry. West Virginians can choose to anticipate change and adapt to it, or resist and be overrun by it. One thing is clear. The time has arrived for the people of the Mountain State to think long and hard about which course they want to choose.

Thank you so much to Ohio Citizen Action, who have been great allies on the fight to end mountaintop removal. They have been a great part of the reasons we were able to get several member of the Ohio delegation on board HR1310, the Clean Water Protection Act. They are working hard to get Senator Sherrod Brown on board with the Senate version of the bill. When Sen Brown was a House Rep, he was a cosponsor of the HR 1310. So what’s the problem now? As Ohio Citizen Action put it,

“In the seven months since S. 696 was introduced to ban the practice, 13,411 people have sent letters, messages, and children’s illustrations from all over Ohio to Brown, urging him to co-sponsor it.”

See Senator Brown’s reaction when pressed on the issue:

Write your Senator asking him or her to end mountaintop removal today!

Please welcome two new Congressmen who realize the importance of protecting our water and stopping mountaintop removal coal mining!

Congressman Steve Driehaus is from the 1st District of Ohio and signed on as a cosponsor on October 1, 2009. Mary Rita Cooper and Robert Nienbar from Cincinnati went to visit the Congressman himself during the August recess and asked him to cosponsor the HR 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act. And the people prevailed! Good job, Mary Rita and Bob! He is our 6th cosponsor from Ohio.

Congressman Steve Kagen Wisconsin’s 8th District and signed on as a cosponsor to the Clean Water Protection Act on September 30th. Mr. Kagen serves on the Agriculture, and the Transportation & Infrastructure committee. Rep. Kagen is the 16th cosponsor in the Water and Environmental Resources subcommittee, and the 25th member of the Transportation & Infrastructure committee to cosponsor the Clean Water Protection Act.

Write your member of Congress today and ask them to cosponsor HR 131o, the Clean Water Protection Act, or thank them if they already are!

Appalachian Voices, along with the Stop Cliffside Coalition, continues to fight the construction of Duke Energy’s coal-fired power plant in Rutherford County, NC. Duke Energy wants customers to pay more dirty energy that emits global warming gases and other air pollution, destroy the Appalachian mountains, and produces toxic coal ash ponds.

To this end, Appalachian Voices has been working on getting citizens to speak out at public hearings about the proposed rate hikes. Due to grassroots pressure, the Commission is now allowing testimony regarding that portion of the hike attributable to Cliffside plant, which is an astonishing 25 to 50%. In Marion last week, over 60 citizens came in opposition of the rates hikes. Scott Gollwitzer, in-house counsel for Appalachian Voices, gave reasons to hold off on the rate hike until a final decision on Cliffiside’s air permits were finalized.

Our message on Cliffside is getting out to the media and key decision-makers. We recently had an Opinion-Editorial in the Asheville Citizen-Times published about why coal, and especially the Cliffside plant is a bad deal for North Carolina, both environmentally and economically. Our sentiments are reaching Jim Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, who in an interview with Washington Independent expressed major concerns about the viability of cleaner coal technology and the future of coal in general. The pressure we have been applying is working, as this incredibly revealing quote from Jim Rogers suggests:

“I’m under incredible pressure on mountaintop mining,” said Rogers. “Most of the coal we use in the southern part of the country is from mountaintop mining. I’m doing the math now and looking to determine my contracts and posing the question to my team, what if we made a policy decision that we’re not going to buy coal as a consequence of mountaintop mining.”

He also suggests that an energy future without coal could be reached by 2050.

Then why build more dirty coal-fired plants, Mr. Rogers? If you want to learn more about our efforts to stop Cliffside, including actions you can take, sign up here.

Appalachian Voices, as part of the Alliance for Appalachia, has been organizing monthly mini-lobby weeks to Washington, DC since our last big lobby week in March. These mini-lobby weeks have become an integral part of our work, as they increase our power on Capitol Hill, empower citizens from the Appalachian coalfields and beyond, and sends a message to the coal industry that we are not going away any time soon. These mini-lobby weeks are one of the main reasons the Clean Water Protection Act in the House has a record 156 cosponsors and the Appalachia Restoration Act was introduced in the Senate earlier this year. This lobby week was a little bigger than usual, as we had some citizens from key Congressional districts from as far away as California & Oregon join us.

An exciting part of this lobby week was the unveiling of the new Appalachian Voices’ DC office as a headquarters for the lobby week. This office, located in the Eastern Market neighborhood will be allow to be even more effective on the Hill.

Another highlight of the week was a briefing that Appalachian Voices organized for congressional staff to talk about why the time is now to end mountaintop removal coal mining through passage of the Clean Water Protection Act.

Featured speakers were Dr. Matt Wasson, Program Director for Appalachian Voices and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth member Mickey McCoy. Mickey McCoy lives in Martin County, KY, where a huge toxic coal sludge spill destroyed aquatic life for miles in 2000. At the time, the EPA considered it “one of the largest environmental disasters east of the Mississippi”. Mickey talked about growing up in Martin County and his personal view on why mountaintop removal needs to end. His basic message: “Mountaintop removal is an assault on the Appalachian Mountains, its people, their environment, and generations to come. It is not right for our government to allow the dismantlement of an entire culture for the sake of the greed of the coal corporations.”

Matt followed up with a presentation of how crucial it is for the Congress to take action now to protect future mountains and communities from being destroyed by mountaintop removal mining. Administrative advances on reining in mountaintop removal is highly needed, but only serves as short-term solution, and ultimately can be overturned by a future administration. Despite encouraging news from the Obama administration on how they are currently dealing with the issue, the only truly permanent solution is going to literally take an act of Congress.

Matt’s presentation made the case that state regulators have failed communities, requiring strong action on the federal level, and refuted the coal industry’s claim that mountaintop removal is good for the region. He also demonstrated how coal’s relevancy is slipping both in terms of supply and demand. Coal is providing an all time low, percentage-wise, of the nation’s electricity needs and in fact how most of the easily recoverable coal is left to mine in the Appalachian coalfields. His main point was, “Without strong congressional action through passage of the Clean Water Protection Act, the coal industry will continue to use our mountain streams as dumping grounds for their mining waste.”
Watch a video excerpt of Mickey McCoy’s statement at the congressional briefing here.