{"article":{"id":127128,"heading":"For the Sake of the Kids: West Virginia Residents Confront Massey Energy","author":"Mountain Justice Summer","created":"2005-05-25 22:08:18","modified":"2013-11-11 00:33:20","last_modified":"Mon, 11 Nov 2013 07:33:20","article":"\r\n \r\n

Sundial, West Virginia <\/p>\r\n

May 24, 2005 <\/p>\r\n\r\n

While Massey Energy stockholders met at\r\nthe Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, parents, grandparents, and\r\nother residents of Coal River Valley, West Virginia rallied to oppose\r\nMassey's operations adjacent to Marsh Fork Elementary School. Massey\r\nowns Goals Coal Company, which operates a coal preparation plant,\r\nloading silo, and toxic waste storage facility beside the K-5 th grade\r\nschool. 25 residents of the Coal River Valley and 25 supporters from\r\nother regions currently being mined participated in the rally. After\r\nan opening prayer, speakers described the hazards of the operations\r\nand read a list of demands for Massey. Two grandmothers and a third\r\nresident of the valley attempted to deliver a list of demands. The\r\nresidents demanded that the coal preparation plant behind Marsh Fork\r\nElementary School be shut down, that Marsh Fork Elementary School be\r\ncleaned up or that a safe, new school be built in their community,\r\nthat Massey withdraw its application for the second coal loading silo\r\nbehind the school, that Massey stop blasting their homes because\r\nresidents have a right to be safe and secure, and that Massey shut\r\ndown its surface mine sites. The residents were met by the plant's\r\nhead of security who refused to allow them to present their demands.\r\nWhen the residents again attempted to present their demands, they were\r\narrested in a moving and dramatic act of civil conscience. <\/p>\r\n

\"Seems to me that every government\r\nofficial in this country has a responsibility to protect American\r\ncitizens everywhere. In fact, they've sworn to it. Yet, we, the\r\ncitizens of Coal River Valley, have been abandoned to fend for our\r\nchildren,\" said Bo Webb, one of the residents who was arrested. \"I\r\ncommend the West Virginia State Police Department for being courteous\r\nand calm and treating us with the utmost respect, which is something\r\nthat no politician or coal company has ever done for the residents of\r\nCoal River Valley.\" <\/p>\r\n

\"Our communities and children have been\r\nthe sacrificial lambs long enough to the coal companies. It's time for\r\nus as the parents, grandparents and the community to change that,\"\r\nsaid Debbie Jarrells, whose granddaughter attends Marsh Fork\r\nElementary. Ms. Jarrells was among the residents who attempted to\r\ndeliver the demands to Massey, but was not arrested. <\/p>\r\n

\"I have to commend the residents of Coal\r\nRiver. I'm very proud of them for standing up to Massey Coal. We\r\nembrace and we welcome all our brothers and sisters all over America\r\nin this fight to stop the rape of Appalachia. I think this is a\r\nperfect way to announce that we are Mountain Justice Summer. I think\r\nthat it's a crime that the people of Appalachia have to beg the\r\ngovernment to protect them from violent coal companies like Massey\r\nEnergy,\" said Judy Bonds, the 2003 Winner of the Goldman Prize and a\r\ngrandmother and resident of the Coal River Valley. Ms. Bonds was also\r\narrested. <\/p>\r\n

The West Virginia Department of\r\nEnvironmental Protection (DEP) is considering Massey's application to\r\nconstruct a second loading silo next to the first, which sits 150 feet\r\nfrom school grounds. The DEP is holding a hearing Thursday, May 26, at\r\n6:00 p.m. at the school in Sundial. At the hearing, residents can\r\nvoice their concerns over the silo and also over the renewal of\r\nMassey's permit to operate the waste facility, a 2.8 billion-gallon\r\nearthen dam whose base is 400 yards from school grounds. In spite of\r\nresidents' protests, in 2004 the DEP approved Massey's permit to\r\noperate a 1,849 acre mountaintop removal site around the waste\r\nfacility above the school. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"We've appealed to every government agency\r\nand elected representative we can think of,\" said Bo Webb of Coal\r\nRiver Valley, who was arrested. \"They all pass the buck or just ignore\r\nus. No one seems to care about these kids. No child in America, or\r\nanywhere for that matter, should be forced to attend a school\r\nsurrounded by these monstrosities.\" <\/p>\r\n

\"Anyone who thinks Massey is doing the\r\nright thing with energy needs to take a good look at this sludge dam\r\nand prep plant, \" said Patty Sebok of Coal River Valley. \"Massey\r\nEnergy's disregard for Appalachian people is what is truly extreme.\r\nJust look at this silo, right next to the school. Decent people do not\r\nallow this kind of atrocity.\" <\/p>\r\n

Jackie Browning, a Coal River Valley\r\nresident who participated in building the sludge dam, said, \"This dam\r\nis not compacted correctly. It's not as strong as it should be and\r\nposes a threat to these kids.\" Recent inspection reports from the U.S.\r\nMine Safety and Health Administration show seepage from widespread\r\nareas of the toe area and from the downstream foundation area. <\/p>\r\n

Ed Wiley, a Coal River Valley resident\r\nwhose granddaughter attends Marsh Fork Elementary, said, \"What Massey\r\nEnergy is doing to these children and this community is nothing short\r\nof terrorism. The kids live in fear, but we shouldn't let Massey drive\r\nus out of our homeland. We should have the same rights as any other\r\nAmerican citizen.\" <\/p>\r\n

\"We don't just have a right to be here; we\r\nhave a duty to these kids to be here. Everyone who cares about our\r\nchildren should be here with us,\" added Webb. <\/p>\r\n\r\n

Debbie Jarrells, a Coal River resident whose granddaughter\r\nattends Marsh Fork Elementary, said, \"This coal company and this state\r\nare using our children as sacrificial lambs. We're here to take their\r\nplace. All parents need to stand up for their children.\"<\/p>\r\n
\r\n To let them know how you feel,\r\ncontact:
Massey\r\n Energy<\/strong>
\r\n\r\n (destroyer of mountains, waterways and communities in WV and KY;\r\n also viciously anti-union)
\r\n 4 North 4th Street, Richmond, VA 23219
\r\n\r\n Phone: 888.424.2417, 804.788.1824
\r\n Some of Massey's top managers:<\/strong>\r\n\t\t\t katherine.kenny@masseyenergyco.com,john.parker@masseyenergyco.com,
michael.allen@masseyenergyco.com,steve.sears@masseyenergyco.com,
gary.smith@masseyenergyco.com,gary.temple@masseyenergyco.com,
\r\ntom.kielty@masseyenergyco.com,thomas.dougherty@masseyenergyco.com

<\/p>\r\n

West\r\n Virginia Coal Association<\/strong>
\r\n P.O. Box 3923, Charleston, WV 25339
\r\n\r\n Phone: 304.342.4153 Fax: 304.342.7651
\r\n\r\n President - Bill Raney (braney@wvcoal.com),\r\n Senior VP – Chris Hamilton (chamilton@wvcoal.com),\r\n VP – Dan Miller (dmiller@wvcoal.com),\r\n Regulatory Affairs - Jason Bostic (jbostic@wvcoal.com),\r\n Administrative Assistant - Sandi Davison (sdavison@wvcoal.com)<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Friends\r\n of Coal <\/strong>
\r\n\r\n P.O. Box 3923 Charleston, WV 25339
\r\n 1.866.982.2625<\/p> <\/td>\r\n

\r\n \r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n

\r\n Ed Wiley, a concerned citizen whose\r\ngrand daughter goes to Marsh Fork Elementary School\r\n<\/span><\/span><\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n
<\/td>\r\n\r\n <\/tr>\r\n

\r\n Bo Webb confronts Massey Security<\/span><\/td>\r\n <\/tr>\r\n

\r\n Goldman Prize Winner Judy Bonds of Coal\r\nRiver Mountain Watch being arrested<\/span> <\/td>\r\n\r\n <\/tr>\r\n


\r\n Larry Gibson\r\n(left) mountain resident whose mountains have been so mined that his\r\nhollow has become a peak.
\r\n Photographs\r\nby Chris Mayda<\/span><\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/table><\/td><\/tr><\/table>\n","contact":"mountainjusticesummer@gmail.com","link":"www.mountainjusticesummer.org","address":"","phone":"304 854-2324","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"

<\/td>\r\n While Massey Energy stockholders met at the Waldorf Astoria\r\nHotel in New York City, parents, grandparents, and other residents of\r\nCoal River Valley, West Virginia rallied to oppose Massey's operations\r\nadjacent to Marsh Fork Elementary School. Two grandmothers and a third\r\nresident of the valley attempted to deliver a list of demands. The\r\nresidents were met by the plant's head of security who refused to\r\nallow them to present their demands. When the residents again\r\nattempted to present their demands, they were arrested in a moving and\r\ndramatic act of civil conscience. <\/td>\r\n <\/tr>","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2005\/05\/127128.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}