Coal River Mountain Watch

Winter 2011 Coal River Mountain Watch Messenger www.crmw.net Volume 5, Issue 1 “You are the ones you’ve New, safe Marsh Fork Elementary to open in been waiting for!” 2012 In inspired, loving memory of Judy Bonds By Debbie Jarrell In school year 2012 I’ll be watching as By Vernon Haltom my two young grandsons begin the school year at the new MFE school. Not only will there be laughter in the classrooms and It is with great sorrow that we mourn the “thousand hillbilly march” in Washington, hallways but also in each home and hol- passing on Jan. 3 of Julia “Judy” Bonds, DC (see story, p. 3). In 2010, that dream low that has children attend this school. Executive Director of Coal River Moun- became a reality as thousands marched A veil of dread and doubt will be lifted as tain Watch. Judy on the I realize that these children no longer will was more than a White be attending a school underneath a sludge co-worker, friend, House for impoundment, or downwind of a chemical and mentor: she Appala- laden processing plant. became fam- chia Ris- ily. She inspired ing. The little ones will be going to a school thousands in the that is not only physically better for movement to end Judy them, but mentally as well. I can only mountaintop re- endured moval and was much per- MARSH FORK cont’d on p. 2 a driving force in sonal suf- making it what fering for it has become. her leader- In the words of ship. While Inside this issue... CRMW co-director people Appalachia Rises.............................3 “You are the ones you’ve been waiting for!” -- a favor- Vernon Haltom, of lesser Welcome New Staff!........................3 ite quote of Judy’s (photo by Johnny Kilroy) courage Sludge Safety Slurry Ban Bill...........4 I can’t count the would can- Sustainable Energy..........................6 number of times someone told me they got dy-coat their words or simply shut up and Land Ownership Challenges............6 involved because they heard Judy speak, sit down, Judy called it as she saw it. She Defending Blair Mountain.................7 either at their university, at a rally, or in a endured physical assault, verbal abuse, DEP Subverts Regulatory Process..7 documentary. Years ago she envisioned a and death threats because she stood up A Bird’s Eye View of the for justice for her community. I never met a Coal River Valley..............................8 MISSION more courageous person, one who faced Remembering the Past, The mission of Coal her own death and spoke about it with the Working for the Future...................10 River Mountain Watch is same voice as if it were a scheduled trip. to stop the destruction EPA Vetoes Spruce Mine...............12 of our communities and Aurora Lights Mapping Project......13 environment by moun- Ultimately, Judy did all any one person Supporting WV Youth.....................14 taintop removal mining, to impove the quality of life in Mark Your Calendars!....................15 our area and to help rebuild sustainable communities. JUDY cont’d on p. 2 (from JUDY, p. 1) gy’s airborne toxic dust and led to the can- the name of justice and love for our fel- could conceivably do to stop mountaintop cer that wasted no time in taking its toll. low human beings. When we prevail, as removal. One of Judy’s last acts was to we must, we will remember Judy as one go on a speaking trip, even though she Judy will be missed by all in this move- of the great heroes of our movement. We was not feeling well, shortly before her ment, as an icon, a leader, an inspiration, will always remember her for her passion, diagnosis. I believe, as others do, that and a friend. No words can ever express conviction, tenacity, and courage, as well Judy’s years in Marfork holler, where she what she has meant, and what she will as her love of family and friends and her remained in her ancestral home as long as always mean. We will tell stories about compassion for her fellow human beings. she could, subjected her to Massey Ener- her, around fires, in meeting rooms, and While we grieve, let’s remember what she any place where people are gathered in said, “Fight harder.” Left to right: Judy in front of the CRMW office, inspring Kathy Mattea, standing up for people over profit. “Do not let her passing be in vain. Let her be an example for you to stand and speak out and say, ‘Enough is Enough.’ The price we pay in the Appalachian Coalfields, as you can see by the passing of this young lady, Judy Bonds, the price is far far too high. And so when you’re wondering what you can do, take a stand; give her her voice back. Don’t let her voice die, you be the voice she had.” -- Larry Gibson, Keeper of the Mountains Foundation For the rest of the year, we will print photos and stories of Judy Bonds in each newsletter. You can find and share more memories of Judy Bonds at www.judybondsmemorial.com. (from MARSH FORK, p. 1) seed, we can move mountains. Manchin and other state officials to present their concerns and evidence. The Gov. imagine the thrill that will ring in our com- It is with that faith that I will be standing pledged to create a team to investigate. munity once those doors open wide. and watching as my grandsons begin their July 5: Ed Wiley, whose granddaughter own journey of history in our new Marsh attends Marsh Fork Elementary School, It has been a very tumultuous journey for Fork Elementary staged a sit-in on the steps of the Capitol the community, six years of anguish over Building in Charleston. After five hours the what to do when you realize the very thing Governor agreed to meet with Wiley and in you want for your children (a good edu- The Long Road to a press conference following their meeting, cation) could be the very thing that hurts the Gov. scheduled a tour of the school them the most. I can recall the days when Victory: In 2005, CRMW began to and meeting with citizens. I attended Mt.View Elementary and how approach and alert a number of govern- July 7: Governor’s representatives and secure I felt there . I wish my grandsons ment agencies to address parents’ con- heads of DEP and DHHR met with mem- to have the same good memories of a time cerns. For a detailed timeline of the 2005- bers of CRMW. The Gov.’s staff repeat- when the only thing you had to worry about 2006 campaign, visit http://www.crmw.net/ edly expressed the Gov.’s concern for the was who was going to lead the ‘Pledge of crmw/marshforkelementary. Here is an children and promised a multi-agency in- Allegiance’ or who got in line first once the excerpt of the dedicated organizing over vestigation regarding the health and safety bell rang. less than 2 months in 2005: of Marsh Fork Elementary children. May 24: Two Coal River Valley residents July 7: Dept. of Education conducted first Pennies of Promise was started as a were arrested while attempting to deliver “air quality investigation” at MFE with no pathway to a brighter future for our children a list of demands to the superintendent of concerned community members present. in 2006. We started out walking into the Goals Coal during a rally at the gates of the They did not test for coal dust or airborne hallways of our state’s leaders and ended Goals processing plant. chemicals; particulate count gave no units walking to one of our greatest leaders of May 26: Over 50 people spoke out against or reference. our time in Washington DC. Honorable the permit for the second silo planned for July 15: DEP suspended the permit for Sen. Robert C. Byrd gave us the courage the Goals plant at a DEP hearing. the second coal silo due to boundary dis- to keep going and let us know ...the Bible June 22: CRMW members met with Gov. crepancies on the permit. teaches that if we have faith of a mustard 2 “Thousand Hillbilly March”: Appalachia Rising Elevates the Movement to End Mountaintop Removal By Andrew Munn and others were among the speakers and zens demanded that Ken Salazar and the workshop leaders in DC. Office of Surface Mining put their money In September, thousands of people from where their mouth is and honor Salazar’s across the country piled into vans, a bus statement, “Every American deserves a and carpools, heading to Washington, healthy environment in which they can live, D.C. for Appalachia Rising – a conference learn and play.” Thirteen people were re- and mass mobilization against mountain- moved from the building after a sit in. This top removal. group was organized in part by Climate Ground Zero and Mountain Justice and “We went to D.C. because our families’ was largely composed of youth. health, our communities’ survival and our heritage are at stake,” said retired deep At PNC Bank, “Appalachia-louia!” rang miner Chuck Nelson of Glen Daniel. through the halls and four were taken away by police, while protesting PNC’s financing We joined thousands of Appalachians the coal industry’s pillage of Appalachia. and folks from across the nation converg- Since then, PNC has made a policy to ing in our nation’s capital for Appalachia phase out funding to mountaintop removal Rising, which was organized over a pe- operations.

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