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Announcement :: Civil & Human Rights : Environment : Labor |
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Help Stop Big Coal from Destroying our Mountains |
Current rating: 0 |
by Sandra Diaz
Email: sandra.diaz (nospam) earthlink.net (unverified!)
Phone: 407.739.6465 |
07 Aug 2006
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Appalachian Voices is an organization that works closely with the coalfield residents of Appalachia to stop a very destructive form of coal mining called mountaintop removal (MTR).
Mountaintop removal literally involves blasting off up to several hundred feet from the top of a mountain. The remains of the mountains are shoved into the valley, choking off streams. To learn more about our organization and MTR, please visit www.appvoices.org.
Not only does this mining literally destroy thousand years old mountains, it devastates the communities that live near the coalfields through increased torrential flooding and coal dust.
We are currently scheduling multi-media presentations about MTR in Illinois & Missouri from Sept 25th- Oct 7th. We are looking for groups interested in hosting or co-hosting a community-wide event so we can spread the word about what is happening in one of the poorest areas of the country, please Most likely, there will be a coalfield resident joining us to share their personal experience with mountaintop removal coal mining.
We would like our host(s) to help us with a space to hold the presentation and get the word out to the local community. We are here to work with them on this as well. If interested, call me at the number below or email me for more details. Below you will find a brief description of MTR and our tour.
Sandra Diaz
Appalachian Voices
407.739.6465
sandra.diaz (at) earthlink.net
www.appvoices.org
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*What is Mountain Top Removal Coal Mining?*
Mountain Top Removal (MTR) coal mining is a relatively new type of strip mining that involves blasting up to 1000 feet of mountain top into rubble, then dumping the debris into nearby valleys & streams. This practice has already turned at least a million acres of forested mountains into barren moonscape across the Appalachian coalfields and buried over 1,200 miles of streams. Mountaintop removal coal mining presently occurs in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee.
Families and communities near these mines contend with appalling conditions, including destruction of water supplies, continual daily dynamite blasting that damages homes & wells and creates choking dust, and the fear of fatal, catastrophic floods with every rainfall.
There are other ways of mining coal that are safer for surrounding communities, provide exponentially more jobs, and do not destroy the beauty of the Appalachian mountains.
You can view images of mountaintop removal at: http://www.appalachianvoices.org/mtr/gallery.asp
*What is the Appalachian Treasures Project?*
Since the 1990s, Appalachian Voices has worked with coalfield residents to end mountain top removal. Over the course of those years, we realized that mountaintop removal will only continue if the American people remain unaware that such an unjust, destructive, and short-sighted enterprise is happening on our soil. The goal of Appalachian Treasures is to educate the public and decision makers about MTR and about efforts to stop the practice.
Most coalfield communities are rural and isolated. In states where big coal companies hold overwhelming political power, the opposition of coalfield citizens alone is not enough to stop mountain top removal.
That's why we need you.
The Appalachian Treasures outreach tours are focused on educating people in districts of federal Congressional Representatives in key positions to help pass the Clean Water Protection Act (HR 2719). The CWPA is a bill in Congress that will outlaw filling streams with the rock & dirt from these enormous coal mines & sharply curtail mountain top removal mining.
The presentation is nonpartisan & nonpolitical. The goal of Appalachian Treasures is to bring information about MTR to the American public and to share the stories of our neighbors in the coalfields living in shadow of MTR mines.
At the heart of this special presentation is the stunning Appalachian Treasures slideshow, featuring photos of Appalachia and mining sites, voice recordings from coalfield residents, and traditional Appalachian music. |
This work is in the public domain |
