FREE AppalachianThe December 2015 / January 2016Voice

Developing Perspective The unfolding portrait of Appalachia in film and photography

Also Inside: Sumac, A Winter Spice | Powering a New Economy | New Books for Young Readers EXPORT

A note from the executive director ss TheAppalachianVOICE cro Appalachia The winds of change are blowing in Central Appalachia, carrying voices of people determined to see their A Environmental News From Around the Region A publication of communities thrive in a future where the coal industry no longer dominates. Since July, 24 local government AppalachianVoices entities have passed resolutions supporting major federal investment to invigorate the region’s economy in new ways. Most of the resolutions support a White House proposal called POWER+, a multi-billion dollar Mountain Music Trail Winds Through WV NC: 171 Grand Blvd., Boone, NC 28607 • 828-262-1500 State Environmental Departments Criticized plan to foster economic opportunities in coal-impacted communities. VA: 812 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 • 434-293-6373 By Eliza Laubach regulations passed by the state earlier By Elizabeth E. Payne also about preserving the music. It’s Early this year, we opened our new office in Norton, Va., at the heart of the coal-bearing region, Other Regional Offices: Knoxville, TN • Norton, VA • Raleigh, NC this fall. If discrepancies are found with about sharing the music of our region determined to advance sustainable economic solutions through citizen engagement and outreach to all levels North Carolina’s Department of Following U.S. Route 219 through AppalachianVoices.org | [email protected] federal requirements, the EPA could and our culture.” of government officials. We co-hosted several community forums in Southwest Virginia this fall, and people Environmental Quality’s regulatory Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Ran- withdraw their authorization of DEQ’s The trail also provides an opportu- Editor...... Jamie Goodman from all walks of life came to share their visions for a new economy (see page 20). control is in jeopardy, according to a dolph and Tucker counties in West permitting programs. nity to highlight local businesses along Managing Editor...... Molly Moore Progress on this front is one way we’ve continued our quest for a sustainable future that honors our letter sent to the state department’s sec- Virginia, the Mountain Music Trail Associate Editor...... Elizabeth E. Payne In Kentucky, a WFPL Louisville the route, including several microbrew- region’s unsurpassed natural heritage. As 2015 draws to a close, we’re celebrating highlights of the past retary from the U.S. Environmental highlights the old-time music of the Contributing Editor...... Brian Sewell Public Media investigation found that eries. The organizers have also part- Contributing Editor...... Eliza Laubach year’s work. Protection Agency in October. In the Mountain State. the state’s Department of Environ- nered with the Mountain Dance Trail, Distribution Manager...... Lauren Essick • We helped thousands of citizens weigh in on the Obama administration’s proposed Stream letter, the EPA expressed concern that Inspired by Virginia’s heritage Editorial Assistant...... W. Spencer King Protection Rule and are in close communication with agency officials to push for a strong final rule. mental Protection has become lax in a project celebrating West Virginia’s Editorial Assistant...... Chris Robey recent court cases limit citizen rights music trail, the Crooked Road, The regulatory enforcement over the past vibrant tradition of community square Graphic Designer...... Maggie Sherwood • We partnered with Google and SkyTruth to launch the interactive “Communities at Risk from to appeal DEQ permits beyond federal Mountain Music Trail connects musi- 20 years. Budget cuts, staff reductions dancing. Graphic Designer...... Haley Rogers Mountaintop Removal” tool, which uses satellite imagery to show that mining continues to standards. cians and musical venues along this Marketing Assistant...... Andrew Tarley and recent industry-friendly adminis- The West Virginia Division of Tour- encroach on communities. The DEQ’s response claimed they scenic highway. Participating musicians trations have contributed to decreasing ism and West Virginia Public Broadcast- • In North Carolina, we deepened our partnership with people living near coal ash ponds and were misunderstood and argued that include The Black Mountain Bluegrass DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Alison Auciello, Karen Austin-Clayton, Debbie potential fracking sites and helped these residents form a statewide coalition to compel Duke violations and enforcement pursued in ing’s Mountain Stage collaborated to Bahr, Heather Baker, Becky Barlow, Aaron Barr, Shawn Becker, Bob Belton, Blue state permitting rules give citizens Boys and Aurora Celtic, and venues Energy and the state to clean up coal ash. court. Legal proceedings over violations produce a virtual tour of the new music Ridge Mountain Sports, Blue Smoke Coffee, Charlie Bowles, Lynn Brammer, Ben greater input than the federal rules. range from the Pocahontas County Op- Bristoll, Steve Brooks, Teri Crawford Brown, Derek Burke, Sarah Smith Caskey, • We worked with residents and partners in Virginia to elevate clean energy as a priority for the currently average about 50 percent trail. The website provides videos of If the court verdicts are upheld, the era House in Marlinton to The Purple Charlie Chakales, Kim and Shay Clanton, Patty Clemens, Darlene Cunningham, McAuliffe administration to create jobs and reduce carbon pollution. less cases per year than 15 years ago, stops along the trail, streaming music Sister Beth Davies, Deborah Deatherage, Bill Elliott, Jakob Elliott, Nels Erickson, EPA could exercise its right to review Fiddle in Thomas. • Our Energy Savings for Appalachia program moved electric cooperatives in North Carolina and according to data reviewed by the in- of featured artists and an interactive Lara Foster, Frank Frey, Charles Garratt, Dave Gilliam, Scott Goebel, Amelia DEQ’s permitting programs, the letter “Economic development is one Golcheski, Lisa Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Gary Greer, Jed Grubbs, Bill Harris, Tennessee to commit to up-front financing for energy efficiency improvements vestigation, which also found that some map. It is an invitation to spend at least said, which would also encompass a of the primary reasons we wanted to Paul Hays, Susan Hazlewood, Sharon Helt, Tim Huntley, Pamela Johnston, Mary on customers’ homes. of Kentucky’s waterways are more a weekend exploring West Virginia. K., Denny Keeney, Allison Keith, Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Susan Lewis, We are grateful for the members and concerned citizens who help us make package of changes to environmental start this project,” Cara Rose, execu- Loy Lilley, Aaron Linas, Debra Locher, Joy Lourie, Diane Lucas, Gail Marney, polluted than they were a decade ago. For more information and to take in change and our supporters who make this work possible. tive director of the Pocahontas County Mast General Store, Pamela Maynard, Kathy McClory, Kim Greene McClure, Rich the sounds and sights of the virtual tour, Convention and Visitors Bureau, told McDonough, Mike McKinney, Steve Moeller, Nick Mullins, Catherine Murray, Don Here’s to another year of working together for Appalachia! visit mountainmusictrail.com. O’Dell, Rob Osborne, Eva Perkins, Patti Phelps, Rick Phelps, Bronwyn Reece, For the mountains, Algae Blooms, Water Quality Withers the Charleston Gazette-Mail. “But it’s Martin Richards, Carol Rollman, Kristin Rouse, Jenny Rytel, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe Scardo, Frank Schaller, Kathy Selvage, Brenda By W. Spencer King told the Courier Journal. According to Sigmon, Lucy Spencer, Jennifer Stertzer, Jim Stockwell, Robert Thompson, Tom Cormons, Executive Director Goodman, creating a plan to control Derrick Von Kundra, Bill Wasserman, Dean Whitworth, Amy Wickham, Graham Algae may not be the first pollutant Williams, Barbara Williamson, Diana Withen, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman that comes to mind, but in Kentucky, the pollutants that feed the algae is a blue-green algae in the Ohio River has very complex task, as the pollutants Warm up with our GET INVOLVED environmental & cultural events See more at appvoices.org/calendar become a concern for water quality and are often found in runoff from farms, human safety. The particular algae is a wastewater treatment plants, and com- Christmas in Old Appalachia Free Entrance to National Parks Cast Iron Cook Off Submit event information to cyanobacteria containing a toxin that is mercial fertilizers. spices and teas. Dec. 5-24: Join the Museum of Appalachia for Jan. 19: Celebrate Martin Luther King Day with Feb. 5-6: Teams of amateur cooks paired with the [email protected] by Jan. 25 Environmental organization Ken- a celebration of the holidays in modest pioneer fee free national park entrances. Visit: nps.gov/ region’s finest chefs compete to create innovative for listing in our February-March issue harmful to humans who come in direct fashion. Traditional trees and hand-made deco- findapark/feefreeparks.htm dishes using native ingredients and traditional contact with it. tucky Waterways Alliance believes rations transform the museum’s authentic log cast iron cookware. Local Appalachian dinner In April 2013, officials from the that the state should prioritize plans to buildings. Admission required. Norris, Tenn. Tennessee Heartwood Meeting and dancing to follow Saturday awards ceremony. Help the Audubon Society deal with the problem and educate the Jan. 23: Hear Greg Foster describe adventures Kentucky Division of Water pledged Call (865) 494-7680 or visit museumofappa- Hosted by the Collaborative for the 21st Century public on how waterway pollution is lachia.org/events/christmas-in-old-appalachia from his through-hike on the Appalachian Trail Appalachia. $40-150. Charleston, W. Va. Call Count Birds This Winter to draft a plan to mitigate these toxic causing the buildup of algae. and highlights of his hikes on the Pacific Coast (304) 610-3180 or visit castironcookoff.org 116th Annual Audubon algal blooms that were affecting the Swannanoa Valley Rim Hike Trail. Chattanooga, Tenn. Visit tennesseeheart- Christmas Bird Count waterways, but as of press time, no plan Although algal blooms are not Dec. 12: Hike the strenuous four-mile Swan- wood.org or call (423) 877-4616 Reelfoot Lake Eagle Festival Dec. 14 - Jan. 5: Join the nation’s longest- has been released. currently threatening municipal water nanoa Rim, explore its history and enjoy the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Feb. 5-7: Enjoy professional bird-of-prey running citizen science project as participants supplies, state officials have previously outdoors! Pre-registration required, $30-50. shows, bald eagle nest tours, storytelling, craft Kentucky officials have made Working Group Conference hike park trails to identify and count as many warned that direct contact with river Asheville, N.C. Call (828) 669-9566 or email vendors and more. Free. Tiptonville, Tenn. Call birds as possible. Gathered data will be sent headway on controlling nitrogen and Jan. 27-30: The 25th annual conference offers in- water when algal blooms are occurring [email protected] formative pre-conference courses and field trips, (731) 253-2007 or visit reelfoottourism.com/ to the Audubon Society for compilation, so phosphorus pollution, which could could result in skin, eye and respiratory practical conference sessions, networking, trade reelfootlake/attractions/eagles-waterfowl-tours help conservation efforts while enjoying the help control the algae, Peter Good- Tropical Spice First Day Hikes Hot Cocoa Mix show, Taste of Kentucky event and more. Lexing- beautiful outdoors. For more information, irritation as well as sickness. Jan. 1: More than 400 hikes nationwide. Find Appalachian Studies Conference man, director of the Division of Water, ton, Ky. Registration fees vary. Call (479) 251-8310 visit audubon.org/conservation/science/ First Day Hikes near you at your local state park Mar. 18-20: An annual conference to encourage or visit ssawg.org/january-2016-conference/ christmas-bird-count website or americanhiking.org/first-day-hikes dialogue, research, scholarship and creative About the Cover Herbs, Spices, Hand-Mixed Spice Blends The frozen road, barely visible in the photo, had just Blowing Rock Winterfest expression in the Appalachian region. The 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count Gourmet Sea Salts, Naturally-Flavored Sugars Trout Fishing Workshop reopened to travelers on the frigid February morning Jan. 28-31: Join residents of the N.C. High Coun- conference is themed: “Voices from the Misty Feb. 12-15: Join this annual birdwatching Jan. 16, 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.: This workshop will that photographer David Allen made his ascent to Exotic Teas, Gifts & Accessories try to celebrate the fun side of winter. Includes Mountains: Diversity and Unity, a New Appa- event at select National Parks, or in your guide you to the best streams, tactics and Morton’s Overlook to capture this majestic image. the popular Polar Plunge, ice carving demonstra- lachia” and focuses on the advocacy of local own backyard. Spend 15 minutes – or as ® flies to use when fly fishing in the Shenandoah The overlook is located in the Great Smoky tions, hayrides, a cross country ski and snow groups and educators. Organized by the Appala- long as you’d like – tallying bird numbers The Spice & Tea Exchange National Park. $20, registration required. Edin- Mountains National Park, on U.S. Highway 441, equipment exhibition and more. Prices vary by chian Studies Association. Registration fees vary. and species, then enter them into the burg, Va. Call (540) 984-4212 or visit murray- between Gatlinburg, Tenn., and Cherokee, N.C. 1087 Main Street | Blowing Rock, NC 28605 event. Blowing Rock, N.C. Call (828) 295-7851 Shepherdstown, W. Va. Call (304) 876-3119 or GBBC online checklists. Visit audubon.org/ sflyshop.com/fly-fishing-workshops-2 To view more of Allen’s work, visit daveallenphotography.com [email protected] | 828-372-7070 or visit blowingrockwinterfest.com visit appalachianstudies.org/annualconference content/about-great-backyard-bird-count

Page 2 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 3 cross Appalachia A Environmental News From Around the Region Public Input Invited for Pisgah and Nantahala Forest Planning Water Rights a Hot Topic in North Carolina, West Virginia By Molly Moore is required for official designation. By W. Spencer King and Molly Moore concerned that at any time it could be At two public meetings in Novem- taken away from them.” Drafting a plan to guide manage- A recent N.C. Court of Appeals ber and via online forms, the U.S. For- In West Virginia, a movement to ment of the Pisgah and Nantahala decision has drawn attention to a years- est Service provided information and transfer ownership of West Virginia National Forests for the next 15 years long legal battle over ownership of the solicited feedback. The agency stated American Water Company to public is a complex process, one that began in City of Asheville’s water system. that public input would be most useful hands continues. The privately owned spring 2014 and will continue through Legislation passed by the N.C. by Dec. 15. company is requesting a 28 percent rate fall 2017. General Assembly in 2013 required These and other opportunities for increase from the state’s Public Service Currently, the U.S. Forest Service the city to transfer its water system to public involvement were added after an Commission. Advocates for A Safe is working to determine which areas the Metropolitan Sewerage District of early draft of the plan, released in late Water System, a grassroots organiza- of these two western North Carolina Buncombe County. The transfer was 2014, led to concern in the conservation tion formed in the wake of the MCHM national forests could be recommended delayed while the city sued to block the community that the plan might increase chemical spill in January 2014 and is for official wilderness designation or action. In June 2014, a trial court judge logging and strip some places of their concerned that the company is not inclusion in the National Wild and ruled in favor of the city. Wilderness Study Area status. prioritizing water safety and reliability. Scenic Rivers System. Wilderness areas The state appealed, and in October According to the agency website, “What we’ve learned in the rate and Wild and Scenic rivers receive the 2015, the N.C. Court of Appeals upheld the USFS will seek public input as case emphasizes the need for a public highest level of federal protections. the state law that requires the city to it develops its Draft Environmental water system,” Karan Ireland, Charles- Although the USFS can recommend transfer its water system to the regional Impact Statement in early 2016, with a ton city council member and steering areas for protection, an act of Congress authority. formal public comment period to follow committee member of Advocates for “The decision sets a precedent that in spring. a Safe Water System, said in a press Renovations Reveal Link local governments can have water sys- To learn more about the process statement. “The water company says tems and not necessarily own them,” to Thomas Jefferson and provide input, visit http://1.usa. they won’t make the investments we says Katie Hicks of Clean Water North During recent renovations, a chemistry gov/11qVQ9I need without higher profits. We need Carolina. “[It would] make it harder lab with links to Thomas Jefferson was dis- a public water system so that safe and covered behind a wall in the University of for local governments to invest in their reliable water can be the top priority.” Virginia’s Rotunda. Ohio Woman Wins $1.6 water infrastructure because they’re According to a university press release, Million in Pollution Damages Jefferson — the third U.S. president and Legal Action Sought Against Chemical Company founder of UVA — collaborated with Professor Carla Bartlett of Guysville won a three- John Emmet in the 1820s to design a space week-long trial against chemical company Tennessee Riverkeeper, an environ- high cholesterol, high blood pressure and where Emmet’s students could conduct their DuPont in early October. Bartlett alleged mental conservation group, intends to sue ulcerative colitis. The group also claims own research. The hearth at the center of the that she developed kidney cancer follow- chemical manufacturing company 3M for its that conventional wastewater treatment lab had two heat sources and was equipped ing exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid, disposal of toxic chemicals in and around procedures do not sufficiently filter out the with flues to remove smoke and fumes. Stu- a chemical the company used and then the city of Decatur, Ala., as well as directly chemicals. dents worked at five adjacent countertops. dumped into the Ohio River at their Wash- into the Tennessee River and its tributaries. Tennessee Riverkeeper has requested “This may be the oldest intact example ington Works plant in Parkersburg, W. Va. According to the group, these chemi- that 3M increase their efforts to clean of early chemical education in this country,” Bartlett is among approximately 3,500 cals, perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluo- up groundwater contamination caused campus preservationist Brian Hogg said in people who claim illness related to the rooctane sulfonate, can make their way into by chemical disposal and leachate from the release. chemical plant, some of whom won a human diets through the consumption of fish landfills. Following the renovations to the Ro- class-action lawsuit against DuPont in 2001. that are exposed to high concentrations of However, 3M claims that the chemicals tunda, the newly discovered lab will remain DuPont plans to appeal the recent decision. the pollutants in the water. Additionally, the are not harmful, provided they do not exceed on display. — Elizabeth E. Payne — Eliza Laubach chemicals can potentially cause cancers, accepted levels. — W. Spencer King EPA May Take Over Cleanup of Asheville Superfund Site Civic action may influence the cleanup an expansion of the single acre CTS initially of a Superfund site that has been contami- included in its cleanup plan. Craig Zeller, nating groundwater with toxic waste in south EPA project manager of the site, said that the Asheville for decades. agency is weighing whether to accept the From 1959 to 1986, the electronic plan or to manage the cleanup themselves, manufacturing plant CTS of Asheville buried which would triple the corporation’s bill significant amounts of trichloroethylene. The and may delay the cleanup, the Asheville U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed Citizen-Times reported. At CTS’s request, the area Superfund in 2012, and in the years the EPA gave the corporation another month since CTS Corporation has unsuccessfully to revise its cleanup plan. A decision about challenged personal injury claims from in- how the EPA will proceed is expected in dividuals living nearby. January, according to the Citizen-Times. At a public meeting in mid-October, the — Eliza Laubach EPA supported public comments calling for

Page 4 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 Naturalist’s Notebook As a native trout Sumac: A Winter Spice A Dash of Sumac fisherman, I admire and By Chris Robey “ Until the Romans introduced respect Appalachian Keep an eye to the roadside on lemons to Europe, sumac was used your winter travels and you’ll likely as a spice for thousands of years to Voices’ determination, glimpse a flash of red among the muted impart foods with a lemony tang as woods and snowy fields. The distinctive well as a lovely burst of color. perseverance and wise, According to the cooking blog “spikes” of sumac berries are a common The Kitchn, sumac remains a key thoughtful action to sight in winter, persisting long after ingredient in many Turkish, Iranian, other trees and shrubs have fallen bare. Syrian and Lebanese dishes. The protect our mountains Tipping the sumac’s branches like ground-up drupes can be used for red candle flames, the berries, called rubs, marinades and dressings as and waterways. drupes, ripen in autumn and gradually well as for seasoning grilled meats and vegetables. Read more and pick turn dark red as winter sets in. When up a few easy recipes with sumac at ~ Bob Belton, forage becomes scarce, these berries http://bit.ly/1IbwKtS. Supporter & Volunteer are an important food source for winter ” wildlife, including fox squirrels, cotton- Tangles of sumac, above, color the winter landscape with a splash of red. tail rabbits, white­tailed deer and more Photo by Chumlee10. Seen up close, staghorn sumac is identifiable by the bristly hairs covering its drupes and branches. Photo by Gregorio Perez First brought to North Amer- than 300 species of birds. ica by European colonists, who in Their attractiveness also plays a chemistry at the University of Charles- things,” says Linger, and just as people turn acquired the plant from the key reproductive role: animal diges- ton and certified West Virginia natural- may mistakenly blame goldenrod for Middle East, where it originated, sumac tion helps the seeds germinate, while ist, who is currently writing a book on hay fever, sumac often takes the heat has a long history of use as a spice. The freer­oaming wildlife help disperse the edible and medicinal plants in Appala- for other skin allergies. Besides poison concentrated juice of the drupes also seeds through their scat. chia. Both poisonous and nonpoisonous sumac, there are four nontoxic species: makes a good marinade, imparting Given the right conditions — sumac types are classified within the staghorn, smooth, fragrant and shining meats with a lemony tartness. American namely dry, well­-drained soils — sumac same family of plants, Anacardiaceae, or winged. Smooth and fragrant sumac Indians utilized sumac for a host of me- thrives easily, and is often among the along with poison ivy, cashews, pis- are by far the most wide-ranging, found dicinal uses, depending on the variety. first plants to reinhabit­ disturbed areas tachios and mangoes. That sumac is throughout the eastern United States. Teas made from the drupes or leaves of The loyalty of our members is the backbone of our shared success. Thanks to their support, we accomplished like roadsides, burns and mine sites. Shining, or winged, sumac is also fairly related to the cashew, whose husk is fragrant sumac were used to treat bron- this and so much more in 2015: Sumac’s preference for poor, disturbed as toxic as its nut is nourishing, speaks common. Classified as shrubs or small chitis, while the bark of winged sumac soils, as well as its habit of dropping further to people’s ambivalence toward trees, their heights range according to was used as a nursing aid for mothers. root suckers wherever it dies, lends this curious plant. type: Staghorn sumac plants are the tall- Leaves from the winged sumac, rich MOUNTAINTOP REMOVAL | Added staff to our Central ENERGY SAVINGS FOR APPALACHIA | Stepped to its reputation as a pesky invasive While deserving of its toxic repu- est, reaching up to 35 feet while fragrant in tannins, were also used for treating Appalachian team to increase our effectiveness and remain vigi- up our efforts to reduce our region’s carbon footprint and bring SOLUTIONS species. tation for the painful rash it causes, sumacs are the shortest at 2 to 7 feet. toothaches, diarrhea, dysentery and lant in defending impacted residents and the environment from affordable energy efficiency to rural mountain communities in And that’s not the only reason poison sumac is relatively uncommon Linger says another variety, stag- other stomach ailments. These tannins the ongoing devastation caused by mountaintop removal coal North Carolina and Tennessee. sumac gets a bad rap. “Most people, in the mountains. Distinguished by its horn sumac, is nearly ubiquitous in are also useful in making dyes and tan- mining in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. when they hear the word ‘sumac,’ pallid white drupes, it tends to prefer West Virginia and further north. It is ning leather; in the Middle East tanners CLEAN ENERGY | Remained committed to pushing state think poison sumac,” says Becky swampy lowland soils. “People have distinguished by its delicately curved used a solution made with dried sumac COAL ASH | Fought for people living near coal-fired power leaders and utilities to expand solar, wind and energy efficiency Linger, associate professor of medical contact dermatitis against a lot of panicles as well as the fine, stiff hairs leaves to achieve a soft, pliable leather plants who are speaking up for safe drinking water and an end to in their plans. that cover its drupes and branches and and then dyed it a deep Moroccan red. coal ash pollution. resemble buck velvet. This particular A NEW ECONOMY FOR APPALACHIA | Opened an The uses of sumac are as varied as PIPELINES AND FRACKING | In North Carolina and office in Norton, Va., and started an Economic Diversification pro-

variety is well-known for its use in IMPACTS its long, multicultural history. So when Virginia, we challenged the rush to expand fracking and pipeline gram to help communities struggling with the steep decline of making qualla, a tart, antioxidant-­rich those bright red panicles next catch drink made by steeping the drupes in infrastructure that would lock the Southeast into decades of over- the coal industry find new opportunities to build resilience and your eye, take a moment to pause and reliance on natural gas. establish a sustainable economic future. cold water. consider the richness bundled within. w From the Archives - Witch Hazel Another plant that may catch your eye this winter is witch hazel — its scraggly yellow blooms stand out brilliantly against bare Connect with us to build a better future for Appalachia. free wireless internet Locally roasted Fair Trade forests. Once, farmers used its branches for making divining rods frappes & fruit smoothies they believed would lead them to freshwater. Today, its extract is homemade pastries & desserts Coffee & Espresso common in many skincare products. Read more from our spring 2007 issue at appvoices.org/archives/witch-hazel. AppVoices.org/donate 221 w. state street black mountain, nc 828.669.0999 www.dripolator.com AppalachianVoices

Page 6 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 A Bridge Over Troubled Water Hiking the Highlands Faced with Threats to Nolichucky River, Residents Unite Trek to the Top of Mt. Cammerer By Lorelei Goff and lawsuits over right- of-ways, trespassing and By Peter Barr Winding southwestward from Mt. Cammerer via Cosby Campground open meetings violations. the North Toe River in Avery County, “I have never wanted to leave These controversies and N.C., the Nolichucky River transitions the top of a mountain,” wrote Difficulty: Strenuous concerns about the river between a wide, placid ribbon, a narrow Harvey Broome, a prominent ad- Details: 11.2 miles roundtrip, elevation — ranging from the fate torrent of whitewater and a shallow, vocate for the creation of the Great gain of approx. 2,800 feet of the endangered Ap- dancing shoal during its 115-mile course Smoky Mountains National Park, Directions: From the intersection of palachian elktoe mussel, US Highway 321 and TN Highway 32 in into East Tennessee. Its waters have after an inspiring 1956 hike to Mt. air and water quality, and Cosby, Tenn., drive TN 32 south 1.2 miles long been troubled by sediment and Cammerer. to the Great Smoky Mountains NP en- the lack of an environmen- runoff from poor agricultural practices, You, too, will long to stay when trance. Turn right into the park and drive tal impact study — are radioactive waste from the Nuclear Fu- you trek to this dramatic summit 2.3 miles to the Cosby Campground. bridging social and cul- els Systems plant in Erwin, Tenn., and situated on the state line between Hiker parking is on the left prior to the tural gaps between pre- campground information cabin. pollution from other human impacts Tennessee and North Carolina on Mt. Cammerer firetower. Photo by Thomas Gaines, tgainesphotography.blogspot.com dominantly liberal environmentalists, Contact: Great Smoky Mountains that have threatened its beauty, diverse the rugged crest of the Smokies. conservative landowners and apolitical National Park, (865) 436-1200, restoration of the tower was under- highlands of western North Carolina ecosystems, recreational opportunities Reaching the peak won’t come easy residents. hikinginthesmokys.com/cammerer.htm taken. The project was the first initiative to the east. and use as a public water source. — it requires a long, determined April Bryant, founding director of of a dedicated group of park supporters The return route to your vehicle is A new threat was proposed along hike — but once on the precipice, At mile 5, veer left off the AT onto the Save the Nolichucky group, orga- that ultimately became the Friends of (mostly) downhill from here. Follow its banks in 2011. Industrial explosives you’ll be awed by its sweeping vistas the Mt. Cammerer Trail, and allow your nized a mock funeral on the Conway the Smokies. your steps the way you came to com- manufacturer U.S. Nitrogen eyed the and captivated by its fascinating history. anticipation to grow. After one last half Bridge to protest the pipeline. “I get A stroll around the catwalk of plete your hike. site of the historic Conway Bridge, The hike begins on the Low Gap mile of easy hiking, arrive at your long- emotional because the Conway Bridge the lookout tower reveals breathtak- That is, if you can bring yourself to which joins Greene and Cocke counties Trail at the Cosby Campground, lo- awaited reward. is my family history,” she says. “My ing views in all directions. The Great leave the top of the mountain. in Tennessee, for a 12-mile dual pipe- cated in the northeastern corner of the Mt. Cammerer is crowned with a great-grandfather’s great-grandfather Smoky Mountains stand tall to the Peter Barr is the Trails & Outreach line. The pipeline will pump up to 1.9 national park in Tennessee. Follow this historic fire lookout tower. The quaint was Joseph Conway, who fought in the west, the Tennessee Valley stretches Coordinator at Carolina Mountain Land million gallons of water from the river trail as it skirts the campground, staying stone structure resembles a turret on Revolutionary War.” to the horizon in the north, and suc- Conservancy and the author of “Hiking to the company’s ammonium nitrate Jack Renner, above, sits in his tractor as workers with U.S. Nitrogen start digging to straight at all junctions to remain on the a medieval castle. It sits atop a rock According to Bryant, she sees the cessive mountain ridges make up the North Carolina’s Lookout Towers.” w plant and return 500,000 gallons of ef- install the pipeline on his land against his will. Ann Calfee of Save the Nolichucky Low Gap Trail. outcropping at the edge of a cliff that fight for the river as a “fight against tyr- fluent daily. The subsidiary of the Aus- measures the pH of the river below a U.S. Nitrogen work site in December 2014. Photos The trail climbs moderately as it drops precipitously to the Pigeon anny” and hopes her ancestor would be tin Powder Company, which supplies by April Bryant, aprilbryant.com parallels picturesque Cosby Creek. Af- River Gorge some 3,000 feet below. proud of the group for defending it. But Constructed by the Civilian Con- explosives for mining operations, plans advocacy group that works for clean “Our main concerns are what will ter a mile of hiking, the grade intensifies she says it’s the environmental concerns servation Corps between 1937 and to operate two ammonia plants, a nitric water and other social justice issues happen to the aquatic life, the vegeta- as the climb begins in earnest. At 1.3 that are bringing folks together. 1939, the tower was used to detect acid plant and an ammonium nitrate so- in the region. The group partners with tion and the wells,” she says. miles, you will reach the first of a series “Our well is less than 300 yards from smoke among the surrounding slopes lution plant at the site. A calcium nitrate the nonprofit environmental research CWEET’s director, Deborah Bahr, of trail switchbacks. Be grateful for them where the pipeline goes into the river,” and valleys. Tower lookouts would plant operated by Yara International laboratory Environmental Quality Insti- sees the local efforts as part of a larger — it’s better than going straight up! she says. “There are limestone caves and relay the location of suspected blazes and a carbon dioxide recycling plant to tute to conduct chemical and biological grassroots movement to preserve the area Rock-hop across what remains of sinkholes ... so I’m sure that water from to firefighters below who would be be operated by an unnamed company water monitoring on the Nolichucky. and demand high-quality jobs that don’t Cosby Creek, now just a small branch the river works its way all around under sent to the scene. By identifying them are planned at the same location. The groups have completed two rounds harm the community. One local teacher trickling down the mountainside, at the ground to our wells. My kids drink early, the small fires could more eas- Controversies marked the construc- of testing to gather baseline data before created an Advanced Placement class 2.4 miles. A lung-busting half mile out of that. Who’s going to check it?” ily be managed and prevented from tion of the pipeline, including alleged operations at the plant begin and will that will give students an opportunity to later, take a well-deserved rest at Low CWEET, or Clean Water Expected growing into raging forest fires. conflicts of interest by local officials continue sampling on a quarterly basis take part in water testing. Bahr says she Gap. You have now reached the crest in East Tennessee, is an environmental The men and women who staffed with the help of volunteers. hopes CWEET will become a water test- of the Smokies on the North Carolina- the Mt. Cammerer lookout lived inside Ann Calfee is a director of Save the ing resource for other communities that Tennessee state line. the tower itself — its interior hosted a Nolichucky and a plaintiff in a pending have concerns about their waterways. At the gap, a trail sign denotes a bed, cook stove and basic necessities lawsuit against the Tennessee Depart- Though the troubled waters flow- junction with the storied Appalachian for a rustic residence atop the remote • Delicious Deli-Style Sandwiches ment of Transportation, U.S. Nitrogen ing under the Conway Bridge are still at Trail, a footpath that spans more than peak. One tower operator once inhab- and the Greene County Industrial De- risk, the impact on community engage- 2,000 miles between Georgia and Maine. • Homemade Soups ited the lookout for 18 straight days velopment Board. The suit questions ment in environmental and social jus- Turn left and follow the AT and its white before a break in duty. • Vegetarian Fare the legality of permits that allowed the tice issues in the area has been positive. rectangular blazes — you guessed it — The tower was decommissioned in pipeline to be installed in state highway “It’s been this really weird mix of uphill. • And Much More! the 1960s in favor of aerial fire detec- right-of-ways reserved for utilities that people who have come together with all Don’t despair; the arduous as- tion. Abandoned, the structure fell into serve the public. Calfee says residents these different views and all these dif- cent persists only a half-mile fur- disrepair during the next three decades are volunteering with CWEET because ferent beliefs,” says Bryant. “But we just ther. At 3.5 miles into your hike, the and was considered for demolition by 240 Shadowline Drive, Boone, North Carolina of concerns about how the plant’s oper- want to save the river. We’ve all come trail levels to a few ups and downs the National Park Service in the 1980s. (828) 262-1250 • www.Peppers-Restaurant.com ations will impact the health of the river. together with that purpose.” w that barely register compared to the climbing now behind you. Fortunately, in 1995, a full-scale

Page 8 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 9 Developing Perspective Beyond the Big Screen: ste·reo·type: to believe unfairly that all people or things with a particular characteristic are the same - Merriam-Webster Dictionary

For decades, residents of Appalachia have contend- ages of mountain people in popular culture, but ed with the weight of stereotypes. Whether posi- today numerous contemporary photographers and tive or negative, these generalizations oversimplify documentary filmmakers — such as the sample we the diverse perspectives and people of the region. look at on the following pages — are portraying By Samantha Eubanks and Wales, building collective wisdom Often, these clichés have come from one-sided im- the region’s stories with greater depth. about how to survive dramatic job loss Appalachia has long been misrep- and supporting a just economic transi- resented in media. As a result, many tion in the coalfields. filmmakers working in the region have Filmmaker Tom Hansell and camera person Suzanne Clouseau interview Geraint Lewis According to Hansell, participa- near Abercraf, Wales. The company Lewis started, Call of the Wild, has repurposed an made a push to ensure accurate por- tory exchange is one way to empower old farm and created a leadership development center. Photo by Mair Francis Documenting Appalachia trayals of community members. One communities to control their own waste, retraining miners and develop- able to assist community members in way the filmmakers are doing this is Filmmakers Discuss Their Work in the Region destiny. His participatory approach to ing renewable energy. the search for varied and sustainable by including the input and feedback of documentary filmmaking involves the At the same time, he collaborated industry “after coal.” By Elizabeth E. Payne Mountain," co-directed with Jordan documentary participants. input and feedback of the community with community groups to support an “After Coal” has a 56 minute run It has been almost forty years Freeman, seeks these answers with In “Hollow,” a 2013 Peabody award members being represented. This type exchange between former miners, musi- time. The final film will be released since "Harlan County, USA" (1976) what Evans describes as “a 150-year au- winning interactive documentary, of filmmaking gives power to the sub- cians, activists and policymakers from in 2016. For more information, visit brought attention to the miners’ strike topsy of the state of West Virginia.” The Elaine McMillion Sheldon documents jects — they determine if the portrayal both Appalachia and Wales. Recordings aftercoal.com w at the Brookside Mine in southeast film tells the history of West Virginia’s the realities of life in McDowell County, is accurate, and it becomes the film- from these discussions were used for a Kentucky. Since then, dozens of films, environmental and labor movements, Billy Redden, who played the banjo boy in “Deliverance,” is interviewed in “Hillbilly: W.Va., by placing cameras into the Appalachia in television and film.” Movie still provided by Sally Rubin and Ashley York maker’s responsibility to interpret this radio series broadcast on WMMT-FM Appalachia including “Justice in the Coalfields” from the state’s creation during the hands of residents. The method she feedback for the audience. in eastern Kentucky and BBC Wales in (1995), “Sludge” (2005) and “The Last Civil War until the current day, focusing stories of the people she documents. people that you don’t view as equal.” used allows local people to play an ac- at the Movies “My experience in Appalachia the U.K. Mountain” (2011), have explored the on the steady pattern of resource and She has been motivated by a concern “What I hope the take-away [of this tive role in the storytelling. showed that when a film was perceived Hansell learned these methods at By Elizabeth E. Payne challenges facing Appalachia. wealth extraction by outside corpora- that, “If I didn’t capture these stories, film] is, is to see that all of us that live in The documentary “After Coal” the Appalshop media arts center, one Hollywood films such as the iconic Three new films continue this long tions and efforts by the labor movement if I didn’t do this work as a documen- as offering a skewed vision of a com- the region, all of us that work in the re- is another example of a participatory 1972 thriller “Deliverance” have often to protect the health and livelihoods of munity, then people dismiss the issues of the region’s premier media mak- tradition. “Blood on the Mountain” and tary filmmaker, ... no one would ever gion, we have common ground,” Evans documentary project. “After Coal” film- represented Appalachia through negative in the film,” Hansell says. “I don’t ing organizations. While living in the “Overburden” take different approach- workers. know who we were and no one would says. “We’re human beings. And this maker Tom Hansell profiled inspiring stereotypes. But a recent wide-release film want the grassroots groups who are coalfields of eastern Kentucky, he lis- es to investigating the grip that coal The film depicts how events such remember us.” is our story, and this is our struggle.” individuals who are building a new is breaking new ground by presenting a doing the real work of revitalizing the tened to the concerns of miners about has on West Virginia. And “Hillbilly: as the labor uprising in 1921, known Throughout her career, Evans has “Blood on the Mountain” is cur- future in the coalfields of central Ap- more nuanced and authentic view of the Appalachian region, or South Wales, to adjusting to an economy that no longer region. Appalachia in film and television” ex- as the Battle of Blair Mountain, were fought against stereotypical portrayals rently screening at film festivals, palachia and south Wales in the United discount this film. I want ‘After Coal’ to needed coal. plores the role that Hollywood played systematically omitted from the tradi- of her native state. She undertook her with broader distribution expected in Kingdom, two regions developed “Big Stone Gap” — starring Ashley Judd be of use to the communities where it For Hansell, “After Coal” is an and Whoopi Goldberg — is a 2014 movie in creating the “hillbilly” stereotype tional history of West Virginia in favor first documentary, "The Appalachians," spring 2016. Runtime 91 minutes. Visit around the extraction of coal. Between based on a novel by Adriana Trigiani. and contrasts this stereotype with real of presenting an image more hospitable was filmed.” attempt to explore what keeps com- a three-part television miniseries that bloodonthemountain.com. 1980 and 1990, Wales lost 20,000 coal Trigiani, who also directed the film, grew up Hansell showed rough-cut screen- munities alive after their main industry men and women from the region. to industry. According to Evans, who is first aired in 2005, in part because "I Hillbilly: Appalachia in film and jobs, and central Appalachia lost an in Big Stone Gap, the small Virginia town ings in coalfield communities across has moved on. He stresses that making The directors of these documenta- from West Virginia, “Our history has thought, someone needs to make a television (expected 2016) identical number of coal jobs between that gave this fictional portrayal its name. always been censored to us.” both regions to encourage a discussion a documentary goes beyond simply ries discussed their films and how they documentary about who we really "Hillbilly," a documentary still in 1994 and 2014. “After Coal” shares sto- Set in 1978, “Big Stone Gap” centers of issues such as cleaning up mine entertaining the audience — it is about approached representing the region Evans makes it clear that as a docu- are because I am so sick and tired of production and directed by Sally Ru- ries between residents of Appalachia on Ave Maria Mulligan, an unmarried asking questions and seeking truth. and its people authentically. mentary filmmaker and an activist, people asking me if my grandfather bin and Ashley York, aims to contrast pharmacist whose life changes forever And through building relationships and Blood on the Mountain (2014) she hopes to not only educate people made moonshine and I was married the traditional Hollywood “hillbilly” when she learns a family secret. This asking thoughtful questions, Hansell is romantic comedy is as much a love story On April 5, 2010, while Mari-Lynn through her films but also to motivate to my brother.” stereotype with portraits of individual of this small town as it is of the characters Evans was promoting her film "Coal them to work for change. “What’s hap- To Evans, the origins and motives artists, writers, activists and others. themselves. Country," an explosion in the Upper pened to the people of West Virginia of these stereotypes are linked to cor- According to Rubin, the film will il- “People all over the world think they Big Branch Mine in Raleigh County, and to Appalachia has been a great porate interests that have historically lustrate “what Appalachia is and what know something about Appalachia, W. Va., killed 29 miners. Evans quickly injustice,” Evans says. “And justice is been eager to “dehumanize” the region. because they’ve seen ‘Deliverance,’” returned to filmmaking hoping to an- what the people in our film, and the “It’s easier to take the land and lives of continued on p. 12 wrote Silas House, award-winning novelist swer her own questions about what led people of the region, are fighting for.” and former Appalachian Voices board to this tragedy. According to Evans, she feels a member, in an October article published by Salon magazine. He adds, “Movies have Her latest film, "Blood on the responsibility to capture and tell the taught us that all rural people are racist, homophobic and misogynistic.” From the Archives - Harlan County, USA “Big Stone Gap” defies these stereotypes by portraying characters who are diverse, In February 2005, “The Appalachian Voice” published an accepting and well-read. “These may seem interview with Barbara Kopple, the director of the Academy At right, a panel discusses strategies for regenerating coalfield like small victories,” wrote House, who is Award winning 1976 film “Harlan County, USA.” To read communities in Appalachia and Wales at a 2014 community also NEH Chair of Appalachian Literature Kopple’s reflections on the film three decades after its release, forum held at the Appalshop building in Whitesburg, Ky. From left to right: Mair Francis, founder of DOVE Workshop, Hywel Francis, at Berea College, “but for Appalachian visit appvoices.org/archives/harlancounty then a member of Parliament, Robin Gabbard of the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, and Evan Smith of the Appalachian Citizens people, this portrayal is revolutionary.” Movie still from “Blood on the Mountain” provided by Mari-Lynn Evans. Law Center. Photo by Angela Wiley. Above, the Kentucky Mine Supply Building in downtown Harlan, Ky. Photo by Tom Hansell

Page 10 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 11 Documentary films Virginia Tech professor Barbara Ellen in the explosion. Doris Ulmann, “Maggie Lewis and Smith summarizes how the stereotypes As a filmmaker continued from p. 10 Out of Frame Wilma Creech, Pine Mountain, KY,” Appalachia isn’t, simultaneously, in the about the region have benefited those striving to tell this 1934, Photograph on paper, Bequest same film.” who extract the region’s resources. story as authentically Addressing Regional of Doris Ulmann, Berea College Art Collection 150.140.2022, With Permis- Both directors have strong ties to According to Smith, because popular as possible, Stevens Stereotypes in Photography sion of the Doris Ulmann Foundation Appalachia. York is from eastern Ken- culture sees Appalachia as “a region emphasizes how im- tucky. And Rubin, whose previous work of people who are depraved, not part portant it is to let the Muriel Early Sheppard’s 1935 book, on its hillsides, or a chance to preserve includes "Deep Down: A story from the of the American dream, [and] don’t people in his film have By Lou Murrey Cabins in the Laurel, present the the last remnant of “Pioneer America.” heart of coal country," which she co- really deserve the kind of resources their own voice and Earlier this year, a photo essay pub- Appalachian people as ignorant and Child-labor advocate Thomas Rob- directed with Jen Gilomen, has family and wealth that lie beneath the land of avoid imposing his lished by Vice Magazine titled “Two Days unindustrialized. Wootten’s portraits inson Dawley selected photographs of from the mountains of Tennessee. Yet Appalachia, particularly coal, [then] of own preconceived nar- in Appalachia” provoked controversy and Sheppard’s writing omit any families in western North Carolina and both Rubin and York now live in Los course we can dispossess them of their rative onto the film. over the portrayal of the region in the evidence that industrialization or East Tennessee in his 1912 unofficial gov- Angeles, which provides them with a land.” “Ultimately, it’s about media. The images were made in the pho- broader American culture had ever ernment-report-turned-book, The Child simultaneous closeness to and distance Rubin has found that outside the re- respect,” he says. “Re- tographer Bruce Gilden’s signature style, reached Southern Appalachia, when that Toileth Not, to highlight the igno- from their topic. gion, many have questioned why there specting where they’re using a harsh flash and zooming in on his in fact the railroads had been run- rance, lawlessness and immorality of “We talk about that a lot in the film, is a need to investigate representations coming from and then subject to an almost-uncomfortable and ning lines through the region since of Appalachia. “There’s a reason that [having an] openness Protesters at the March on Blair Mountain in 2011. Movie still the mountain people as a justification for how leaving the region affects your from “Blood on the Mountain” provided by Mari-Lynn Evans. unflattering degree. The piece solicited the 1850s. Appalachian State Univer- industrialization. Northern missionaries view of it, what it’s like to be someone the hillbilly stereotype is so prevalent, to that.” a strong online debate, with some com- sity history professor Ralph E. Lentz and I would even say so popular, in Stevens’ respect for the two main and educators flooded into Appalachia, who’s from the region and then leaves menters objecting that the photographs wrote that while Cabins in the Laurel clothes and into their old-time linsey- popular culture and media,” she says. women in his film is evident. Documentary Digest determined to preserve and enhance and then comes back,” says Rubin. Such perpetuated a derogatory stereotype and was well-received by critics outside of woolsey clothing to look the part of the “We’re trying to overturn something In describing his years-long col- the lifestyle of the hard-working, hand- issues of regionalism and identity will Several other recent and forthcoming doc- narrow view of the region, and others de- western North Carolina, the subjects “Appalachian mountaineer.” that people, in many ways, don’t want laboration with Scarbro while making hewn and independent mountain people be interwoven with their discussion umentary projects are listed here. More are fending the artistic merits of the work. To of the book were less than pleased to It is worth noting that with the arriv- overturned.” the film, Stevens notes that as early as available through Appalshop, a nonprofit who still spoke in Elizabethan tongue. of media portrayals of Appalachian understand why Gilden’s photographs be presented as “backward, illiterate, al of the railroad came the Sears Roebuck “Hillbilly: Appalachia in film and 2008 she was using the term “mono- Kentucky-based cultural organization fo- Simultaneously, colorful stories ap- stereotypes. caused such an outcry from some people drunken hicks.” & Co. Catalogue; so even though people television” is in production, with re- economy” to describe the lack of op- cused on documenting Appalachia. peared in the well-established Atlantic Rubin is excited by the level of living in the region, it is important to On the other end of the spectrum, in the mountains were unable to afford all lease expected in late 2016. Runtime portunities residents in her area had Coal Ash Chronicles Monthly magazine that characterized support the project is receiving within have an understanding of the history of Appalachian photography is also the amenities of modern life, many were approximately 90 minutes. Visit hillbil- outside of the coal industry. In a book and series of short documenta- the people in Appalachia as uneducated Appalachia, noting that the film was ries films, this project collects stories from Appalachian imagery. commonly associated with the image aware of and able to follow the fashion lymovie.com. "I look back at that and see how in- moonshiners and hillbillies, designed to recently awarded a grant from the people across the country, speaking with The late 19th century and early 20th of the dignified and wise but simple of the day. But in Ulmann’s images of the Overburden (2015) sightful she really was at that time, and entertain urban readers. West Virginia Humanities Council. those impacted by, and working to solves century saw the re-discovery of culture mountaineer, who is the last of his Appalachian people, bonneted and bare- Driven by a desire to help stop I didn’t even get it then. I didn’t get that problems created by, coal ash waste. This era of re-discovery resulted Individuals supporting the film either and resources in the Appalachian Moun- kind. Photographer Doris Ulmann’s foot women spin wool and churn butter mountaintop removal coal mining, until later in the process,” Stevens says. In production. in two polarizing and anglo-centric as advisors or as interviewees include tains by the rest of the country. Mission- beautiful and nostalgic portraits for the and old men wield handmade tools. Chad A. Stevens began work on his new He was also deeply affected by A transmedia project by Rhiannon stereotypes that have continued to rep- such well-known Appalachian per- Fionn-Bowman. Official website: coalash- aries, industrialists, scholars, writers, 1937 book Handicrafts of the Southern “Ulmann consciously sought those film "Overburden" in 2006. His story his interactions with Harrah. While resent Appalachia: that of the wizened sonalities as Silas House, Chad Berry chronicles.com. photographers and the like perceived Highlands echo this sentiment. When people who fit the Appalachian stereo- begins by following two environmental he remains opposed to mountaintop but simple mountaineer on the verge of and bell hooks. these wild and untouched mountains as Ulmann arrived in western North type because she believed they were a activists — Lorelei Scarbro and Rory removal, he says he now has a more nu- Hollow extinction, and his brother, the poor, igno- According to Rubin, she and York The residents of McDowell County, W.Va., America’s last frontier, to be used for the Carolina in 1932, she would ask her disappearing species in modern, 20th McIlmoil — as they work to save Coal anced view of the situation. Despite her rant and sometimes dangerous hillbilly. value these collaborations and are have faced many challenges including coal beneath the ground and the lumber subjects to change out of their normal century America,” Lentz writes. River Mountain, W. Va., from mining efforts to increase miner safety, Stevens Bayard Wootten’s photographs for proud that the film will be “produced population and job loss. Through photos, continued on p. 15 all, totally, within the region, with the by pushing instead for a wind-power says that Harrah remains “ultimately videos and music clips, this interactive online documentary tells the stories of partnership and support of people who project. The film takes a dramatic turn pro-coal." when the April 2010 Upper Big Branch "I think it’s because it’s the only 30 inspiring individuals who call this live there.” county home. Mine disaster leads to an unlikely al- option she can see for families like hers In one of the film’s interviews, Directed and produced by Elaine Mc- liance between Scarbro and Betty to survive there," he says. "And I can un- Million Sheldon. Official website: hol- Harrah, a pro-coal advocate who derstand that now, having worked with lowdocumentary.com, best viewed with begins fighting for greater miner her over time. So, she really changed my Google Chrome web browser safety after her brother was killed thinking in a pretty big way.” In the Hills and Hollows Stevens sees Scarbro and Harrah, The individuals documented in this film face not the environmental and social jus- an uncertain future. In rural West Virginia, tice themes, as the emotional heart of where the coal industry has had an impact for over a century, many residents are now the film. “The most important thing to also affected by the extraction and transport me is that these two women are really of natural gas. In production. on opposite sides of the struggle. And Produced and filmed by Keely Kernan. they find this common ground,” he Official website: inthehillsandhollows.com. says. “And I think that that’s hopefully Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage inspiring and a model that can be used The great talent and DIY spirit of master Photo by George Etheredge luthier and renowned musician Herb by others.” Photo by Clayton Spangler Key comes through in this short docu- Zhada Johnson holds a chicken at Gardens United’s Pisgah View Peace Garden, “Overburden” is currently screen- Ed Shepard has owned a gas station in the town of Welch, W.Va. for over sixty years. mentary film. a community growing space that raises awareness of healthy eating and cre- ates jobs for a public housing neighborhood in West Asheville, N.C. Etheredge A prominent local figure, Shepard is depicted in the mural behind him. Spangler ing at film festivals, with broader distri- Directed by Rebecca Branson Jones and consciously tries not to perpetuate visual stereotypes of the region. “I don’t think says, “He was telling me what was in place in the county when it was a boomtown Betty Harrah (left) and Lorelei Scarbro (right) find common ground in their fight to bution expected in early 2016. Runtime Jim Lloyd. For more information, email that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to portray something, but you must have a when he was a young man. He was telling me the stories of his town and he was increase miner safety in “Overburden.” Movie stills provided by Chad A. Stevens 65 minutes. Visit thecoalwar.com. w [email protected] moral compass.“ Learn more at georgeetheredge.com/splash so proud of it.” Visit claytonspangler.com, Instagram @ClaytonSpangler

Page 12 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 13 CMYK

Out of Frame Continued from page 13

Wide-Angle The photographer’s desire to collect and preserve the traditional Appalachian mountaineer, while well- Contemporary photographers intentioned, produced a popular assumption that to be considered Appalachian you had to be isolated and of broaden our view of Appalachia Scotch-Irish or English descent. Even the magnificent land- scape photographs made by George Masa to advocate for Compiled by Melanie Harsha, Lou Murrey and Molly Moore the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the 1920s tell the story of a geography so remote there was nary a sign of human life in the mountains. In reality, hundreds of people were displaced from their homes in order to build the national park. These narratives depict Appalachia, for better and for worse, as an isolated land of poverty, backwardness, fierce religiosity and tradition. This singular view became the stan- dard for representation of the region in the canon of popular culture. While the images are certainly rooted in elements Photo by Pat Jarrett of truth, they often fail to represent residents of Appalachia Youth Night is one of the most anticipated events at the Galax Old Fiddlers’ as people from differing racial, ethnic, and economic back- Convention. ”It’s important for me to be part of the community,” says Jarrett, grounds with a full spectrum of emotions and experiences. who works for the Virginia Folklife Program, a cultural heritage organiza- Additionally, photographs that continue to just show tion that showcases images of the region. “I would happily sacrifice a great photograph for a great relationship in a community.” Learn more at patjarret. one view of the region, like the ones that appeared in “Two com, Instagram @patjarrett Days in Appalachia” piece, suggest the culture in Appala- Aunt Rita in Red Jacket, West Virginia. Photo by Roger May. Visit rogermay- chia does not differ from hill to holler to city. This kind of photography.com, Instagram @walkyourcamera homogenization of an entire region establishes a rigid set In 1964 President Lyndon Johnson declared a war on poverty in the United of criteria for what it looks like to be Appalachian, deny- States and images of Appalachia became its poster child. Fifty years later in ing many people their sense of belonging to the area. As 2014, Roger May, a photographer with roots in Kentucky and West Virginia, Affrilachian poet and social media activist Crystal Good started a web-based project in which he asked photographers to submit images that explore the diversity of the region and expand the visual narra- Greene County, Tenn., police officers, part of “Hispanic Appalachia” by Megan King implored on her Facebook page in response to the photo tive. The project takes place on an annual basis, and photos must be taken “My goal is to present the people I was photographing without a political rhetoric,” essay, “Ain’t I Appalachian too?” within one of the 420 counties designated as Appalachia by the Appalachian King states, “just to present these people as they are and to strip away all these There have been photographers both before and since Regional Commission. May makes an effort to say that he is “making” rather ideas that people put on them just to show that they are ordinary people just like the the discovery of Appalachia who have made meaningful, than “taking” photographs, because making a photograph invites the subject “Gossip Girls” by Suzi Phillips rest of us living here in Appalachia just doing their thing.” The day after this picture to be a part of the creation of the image. “Whether it was coal, mineral rights, authentic work that represents the complexities of the was taken a person called the police station to report that two “Mexicans” were seen or images, the people in Appalachia have already had enough taken from This image of two clogging dancers at Plott Fest in Haywood impersonating officers and stealing the cop car, King says. “It just reiterates the region. These photographs, until recently, lacked the sen- them.” Visit LookingAtAppalachia.org, Instagram @LookingAtAppalachia County, N.C., was a Culture Finalist in the 10th Annual Ap- palachian Mountain Photography Competition. The competi- point of my project.” Learn more at www.megangking.com, Instagram @mgking_ sationalism to make it into the media. tion, now in its 13th year, recognizes images of “the unique The advent of social media has provided an opportunity character, people, places, and pursuits that distinguish the to look at Appalachia through a wide-angle lens. Increased Southern Appalachians.” “It’s real people and real land- scapes,” competition coordinator Rich Campbell says. “I access to the internet and websites like Instagram and Face- really feel like it’s important to try to create a collection that book have broadened the diversity of images and stories is authentic.” Vist appmthphotocomp.org coming from the region. Contemporary movements include the “Affrilachian Artists Project,” which aims to build community among artists of color living in and inspired by the mountains, the Stay Together Appalachian Youth Project’s Appalachian Love Story campaign which encourages individuals to share their own photographs and stories using the hashtag #appalachianlovestory, or the “Looking at Appalachia Fifty Years After the War on Poverty” project created by Roger Stormy, near Nitro, West Virginia by Kate Fowler May. All around Appalachia there are photographers en- “Nitro,” a project originally about the company Monsanto, focuses on a gaged in a dialogue to change and expand perception of the small West Virginia town. “After spending time in the town and meeting with residents and activists,” Fowler states, “I began to realize that at its heart it’s region, allowing folks to declare ‘hey, I’m Appalachian too.’ a story about Appalachia.” Referring to this photograph of Stormy walking Lou Murrey is a photographer from western North Carolina. home from school, Fowler says, “For me, this image was an important re- Her work has appeared in The Sun Magazine, the North Carolina Left photo by Tynaijha Habersham, right photo courtesy Know How minder of the cultural shift that’s taking place in the region as the economy Folklore Journal, and the Looking at Appalachia Project. She was begins to diversify away from coal and chemical manufacturing.” Learn In fall 2014, students at Vine Middle School in Knoxville, Tenn., created a book documenting the community history Pulling Leaves/Stripping by Sarah Hoskins more at www.kateelizabethfowler.com, Instagram @kateelizabethfowler the photographer and co-creator of The Blue Ridge Farm Book with of their school. The youth took photos of their current experiences, drew maps highlighting their neighborhoods’ Fifteen years ago, Chicago-based photographer Sarah Hoskins began to document African Blue Ridge Women and Agriculture. Lou Murrey’s work can be strengths and interviewed community members. The project was facilitated by the grassroots organization Know- American communities near Lexington, Ky., in a project titled “The Homeplace.” “They are How, which supports leadership development and community engagement among young people through youth-led positive images and we see way too many negative images of African Americans,” Hoskins found at www.loumurrey.com and on instagram at lnmurrey. programs in the arts and media. Learn more at knoxknow.wordpress.com. states. “I’m in love with the area, I’m in love with the people.” Learn more at sarahhoskins.com EX- Land through the Lens Peter Givens Photographs of Appalachia’s wild wonders have shaped our relationship with the mountains Countering Stereotypes in the tory, Givens tries to ensure since the early 20th century, and witnessing Classroom and on the Parkway that his students under- the destruction of the region’s land and waters stand the complexity of has long stirred residents to defend our natural the story and help them By Dan Radmacher tion occurred after the 1960 presidential heritage. - Compiled by Molly Moore understand that many election. It was the first presidential Peter Givens has made a career out Appalachian stereotypes campaign that America really watched of dispelling Appalachian myths and really depict rural life Image of Great Smoky Mountains National on television and John F. Kennedy fo- Park, left, presumed to be by George Masa, stereotypes, first as a ranger for the across America, not just cused an incredible amount of attention and postcard of Mt. Mitchell, above, made National Park Service and now as a fac- in this region. from George Masa photograph. Photos on the region. ulty member in Virginia Western Com- “There is a preponder- courtesy North Carolina Collection, Pack “You can make a case that many munity College’s history department. ance of iconic images that Memorial Public Library, Asheville, N.C. Americans sat in their homes during The driver behind it all? A deep America associates with George Masa’s stunning landscape that campaign and saw and abiding love for the Appalachia that really are images from the 1920s and ‘30s are cred- Appalachia for the first region. just rural things,” he says. ited with raising awareness of the natural “I just want time, on television,” he “We live in such an “I tell my students that beauty of the area that became the Great says. “And they were Smoky Mountains National Park. His black and white incredibly special place people to know, in people in Kansas made interested, intrigued, Photo by Carole Givens. pictures were often hand-colored to create postcards in the world,” says Giv- whatever sphere quilts and played banjos enamored — even hor- promoting the area (above). A Japanese immigrant, ens. “You can take any and lived in log cabins.” gion that they just don’t want to let go Masa arrived in the United States in the early 1900s of influence I rified, maybe — by aspect of what Appala- Appalachia isn’t a static entity, of,” he says. “There are so many stories and moved to Asheville in 1915. He was close friends what they saw on their chia is — whether it’s have, how special either, Givens stresses. “Appalachia is of people who have left the region for with naturalist Horace Kephart, another prominent ad- television screens.” vocate for the creation of the Smoky Mountains park, the natural history, the changing, and it has always been chang- big cities and factory jobs and they just this place is.” That new inter- and the two explored and documented the natural fea- biodiversity, the recre- ing,” he says. keep coming back, and they won’t let Photos of mountaintop removal coal mining and est was reflected in a the New River by Carl Galie tures of the region in great detail. Masa also charted ational value that’s just But one thing does seem constant: go of the homeplace.” the path of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. slew of new television inherent in the moun- The deep sense of place developed by That sense of place seems to really ”Lost on the Road to Oblivion, The Vanishing Beauty of shows — Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat tains and what I think is a very, very those raised here. “There seems to be motivate Givens. “I just want people to Coal Country” is a photography project by Carl Galie, a West Junction, Green Acres, Hee Haw — that Virginia native and current North Carolinian. Galie’s artist state- deep and rich culture — and it just hurts something very precious and personal know, in whatever sphere of influence I all consisted of one-sided portrayals of ment describes the images as both “an attempt to expose the devastating me when it’s not treated right.” for people who’ve grown up in this re- have, how special this place is.” w mining practice of mountaintop removal that has only one purpose, maximizing profits” According to Givens, the Park Appalachia. That went on for 10 or 15 and “to focus on the beauty of coal country rather than just devastation.” Service, where he started in 1977, was years, or longer, Givens says. The aerial image above was captured during a flight with Southwings, a nonprofit avia- sometimes guilty of perpetuating Ap- “Dukes of Hazard is right out of tion organization that provides flights to decision-makers and members of the media to help Li’l Abner,” he says. “You can take illustrate the impact of environmental issues ranging from coal ash contamination to coastal palachian stereotypes at its facilities. Daisy Mae from Li’l Abner and you erosion. The organization’s flights also assist scientists with remote monitoring efforts. “In the 1930s, when the Blue Ridge DOES YOUR BUSINESS The exhibit is accompanied by poems from North Carolina poet laureate Joseph Parkway was built and the signs were can put Ellie Mae Clampett from the Bathanti, and will be on display at the Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center in Portsmouth, put up and they were deciding what Beverly Hillbillies or Daisy Duke in Va., in spring 2016. Visit carlgaliephotography.com to interpret and what not to, you can there and not tell the difference. It’s the SUPPORT tell they thought, ‘Let’s make it quaint; same sort of image.” CLEAN WATER? vel & outdoors issue Images that lack a broader per- t he trA let’s make it what people expect to spective still predominate — even see,’” Givens says. “You know, let’s CHATTANOOGA, TN | BLOWING ROCK,NC | HARPER’S FERRY,COUNTRY WV | ROANOKE, VA

arolina within Appalachia. Givens points to a | INSIDE THE KEITH-ALBEE tear down the two-story white frame mountain living in western north c mountain living in western north carolina SNOWMOBILING | winter 14 LIVING IN CLARKSBURG mural set in the sidewalk around the Advertise in The Appalachian BlueRidgeExploring the Mountains of the South farmhouse and find a log cabin some- where and put it there instead. They renovated Market Square Building in Voice and support our work

ARE YOU Photo by E.S. Shipp, courtesy U.S. Forest Service and U.S. National Archives and Roanoke, Va., which depicts a young, Gaining A REAL were creating what they felt like the to protect clean water while WEST VIRGINIAN? Records Administration see pg. 104 barefoot banjo player in threadbare Ground heroes of local land public wanted to see.” conservation and their quest reaching readers who care 11 to protect our wild places MUST-DO clothing sitting with a hound dog. 7 LEAF TREKS A note archived with this 1923 image of Pisgah National Forest in western North Givens, who worked on a number and FESTIVALS about Appalachia’s future. The Secrets EVENTS of 2,000-Year-Old 51 AUTUMN Carolina states, “Here fire swept through repeatedly after destructive logging with the Several recent novels more ac- Italian Recipes of visitor centers and exhibits during Family Farm + result that today … this peak is a distressing sight.” Images of logging in the southern curately reflect the actual richness of juLY 2012 100 Years of wncmagazine.com his 35 years with the Park Service, tried Asheville’s top pAtio bArs, An AlliAnce of Thriving Success Plus! ble lAndscApe Easy Views outdoor geAr builders, pAr 3 golf courses, A roAd trip Snow Appalachians helped spur the movement to establish the Great Smoky Mountains to Knoxville, And recipes from A drinKA via Amtrak Appalachia, Givens says, pointing es- October 2015 Charlottesville to Charleston National Park. to rectify as much of that as he could. Email: [email protected] Days pecially to novels by Adriana Trigiani BlueRidgeCountry.com Celebrate the simple pleasures and scenic “In the facilities that I worked on treasures of winter in West Virginia. Call: (828) 262-1500 and some of the wayside exhibits, we and Ron Rash. Trigiani’s “Big Stone appvoices.org/ads From the Archives - Paul Corbit Brown just feel like we were telling a much Gap” was recently adapted as a movie Photographs of Appalachia’s natural beauty still beckon visitors to the area, and that Givens recommends (see page 12). In our December 2011 issue, we profiled West Virginia truer, richer, honest sort of story than invite locals to explore and relish their surroundings. photographer and environmental activist Paul Corbit Brown, “The depiction of Appalachia in WNC Magazine chose a photograph of sunrise on Roan Bald in the Roan High- maybe the parkway did in the begin- whose powerful photographs of the people and places that popular culture is getting better and lands, by Kevin Adams, to grace the cover of their May/June 2014 special Travel & ning,” he says. have suffered due to the coal industry continue to invite Outdoors Issue. Blue Ridge Country Magazine’s September/October 2015 cover Though Appalachia is featured in better,” he says. “But we’re not there yet. the viewer to fight against injustice. Read about his work at featured a fall image by Michele Sons, and WV Living Magazine selected a frosty im- films dating back to the late ’30s, Givens We still see lots of stereotypes.” appvoices.org/archives/paulcorbitbrown age of Paw Paw Creek by graphic designer Carla Witt Ford for their Winter 2014 issue. says the real explosion of cultural atten- In his classes on Appalachian his-

Page 16 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 17 EXPORT FINAL

Wind Dance Farm and Earth Edu- cation Center in Morgan County, West Virginia Communities An appalachian W.Va. The children were taking supplementary courses in history, Still at Risk Despite Idled Mines writing and science at Wind Dance By Tarence Ray or serious damage to [buildings and Farm when they wrote the book. roads].” A report by the Office of Surface As of the end of November, Alpha “The book really stems from Mining and Reclamation found that if Natural Resources will have idled two Bookshelf the dearth of information on the the Shumate impoundment were to fail, Two New Children’s Books Share of its coal mines near the community issue of mountaintop coal removal it would release a wall of sludge more of Naoma, W.Va, citing “adverse mar- aimed at young students,” says than 20 feet high. Within five minutes, Tales of the Outdoors and Activism ket conditions” as their reason in both publisher Gary Stewart. “So, main- the sludge would reach the community American history, when over 10,000 instances. In early October, 92 miners Fostering Stewardship ly out of frustration, Leslie and four of Edwight a half-­mile downstream. A still image from an aerial drone video of mining operations near the community of Naoma, miners banded together in an attempt influences the physical characteristics received notice of the impending lay- Through Stories of the kids at Wind Dance Farm decided Mine Safety and Health Administra- W.Va., shows the Edwight Source Mine and Shumate coal sludge impoundment in fall 2015. to unionize. Along the way, the chil- of species, and that all species have a offs. The decision follows Alpha’s filing View the video from Coal River Mountain Watch at crmw.net to create their own take on the subject, tion officials have also cited the dam for "Saving Annie’s Mountain" is a new dren learn about the harm that moun- niche,” says Leslie Milbourne. “I think for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August. hoping that it would be of help to others safety violations on multiple occasions. children's book that follows four school taintop removal coal mining brings to it’s crucial that kids learn about the One of the mines, the Edwight idling its Edwight mine and recently Sundial. “You see For Sale signs on a in the same predicament.” In April of this year, Appalachian children to a mountaintop removal the area and the positive impact that complex interactions and interrelation- Source mountaintop removal mine, filed for bankruptcy, it is still applying number of houses,” he says. “There’s The book is beautifully illustrated Voices published a study of 50 com- coal mining protest at Blair Mountain, speaking up about an issue can have. ships between living and nonliving has affected several nearby commu- for permits in the area, including a new houses been for sale for five or six years by O’Ryan, a local illustrator and activ- munities in central Appalachia that are W.Va., where they meet an elderly A group of four homeschooled components of our Earth so they can be nities in addition to Naoma, such as mountaintop removal mine one mile at least. So there’s nobody rushing in ist, with images of scenic landscapes similarly “at risk” of the worst impacts woman named Annie who tells them children, Lillie Gill-Newton (age 9), better stewards than we were.” Sundial, Pettry Bottom and Edwight. upstream from Sundial. to buy it up. But people shouldn’t have starkly contrasted with the ugly images of mountaintop removal coal mining. about her childhood experiences in Maryam Keeley (age 11), Samantha Saving Annie’s Mountain is pub- The 2.8 billion gallon Shumate coal “Bankruptcy doesn’t mean that you to leave. You shouldn’t have to be a of coal mining. These impacts include, but are the area and its history. She recalls her Stewart (age 11) and Nicholas Mokhiber lished by Cold Run Books, Hard cover, sludge impoundment is located 400 feet go out of business,” Haltom says. “It refugee.” “I think everyone knows, at some not limited to, increased blasting, di- memories about the 1921 Battle of Blair (age 13) wrote the book with the guid- $18.99, coldrunbooks.com w above the now­-abandoned Marsh Fork means you get some special financial “It’s one thing to go someplace level at least, that the environment minished water quality, and negative Mountain, the largest labor dispute in ance of Leslie Milbourne, an educator at — Review by W. Spencer King Elementary School in Sundial. treatment, a loan from Citibank. Yeah else to find work,” Haltom says. “It’s health, wealth and population trends. The Shumate coal sludge pond, you shut down, you lay some people another thing to leave because you can’t Sundial is Number 25 on this list of off. But they don’t just immediately shut live there because it’s toxic.” a tale of trails and time inspired him to write children’s books. to change attitudes about what it means which holds roughly twenty times the “Communities at Risk.” down and go away.” To view maps and information about “I learned about eight weeks into my AT to be outside. “The whole premise is amount of coal sludge that was released In “The Adventures of Bubba Jones: According to Vernon Haltom, ex- According to Haltom, the back other communities at risk from the health adventure, after my schedule of domes- they’re not [just] hiking, they’re explor- in the fatal Buffalo Creek flood of 1972, Time Traveling Through the Great ecutive director of Naoma-based­ Coal and forth between idling mines and and environmental impacts of mountain- tic society [had] left my mind, that [the ing,” he says. “It’s an adventure.” is fed by Alpha’s Goals prep plant. It Smoky Mountains,” readers follow River Mountain Watch, these risks do re­applying for permits has had depress- top removal, visit: ilovemountains.org/ woods are] the most awesome thinking Alt also aims to highlight how each remains to be seen whether Alpha will young Bubba Jones, his sister Hug-a- not often get reported in local, or even ing effects on local communities like communities­at­risk w room on Earth,” he says. individual’s actions have an influence idle operations at this prep plant. Bug and their grandfather Papa Lewis national, media. Haltom references Alt’s exciting, inquisitive and en- on the planet. “We’re realizing now The impoundment is listed by on an adventure through trails and time. a recent New York Times article that gaging writing style reflects his sense that we’re in the day and age of climate the West Virginia Department of En- “The Appalachians have something claims “mountaintop removal...has all of adventure. change, and it’s becoming a national se- vironmental Protection as a Class C that feels old,” says author Jeff Alt. “I’ve but ground to a halt.” “I wish somebody “Nature is so profound, so simple to curity threat,” he says. “Each and every dam — the type of dam “located where “Dear Babette, hiked out West and various other places would tell Alpha that,” Haltom says. access, but more complicated than any one of us, by preserving your local park failure may cause a loss of human life around the world, and my heart still He points out that, although Alpha is You and your staff of or monitoring a fragile species, you are brings me back to the Appalachians.” computer that we could ever design,” writers continue to amaze. he says. “It’s mentally and physically [playing] a role in not only preserving Alt set the first book in the Bubba In my view, the quality healing to walk in the woods. It gives your park, but you’re serving your Jones adventure series in the Smoky of articles in Carolina your mind time to just decompress.” country.” Mountains because of their status as the Mountain Life have elevated The book emphasizes the impor- “The Adventures of Bubba Jones” most visited park in the country. your publication to #1. tance of experiential learning, as Bubba is published by Beaufort Books. Ages Alt’s own experiences with Congratulations on a sterling Jones learns many things simply by 8-14. Paperback, $9.99. Official web- through-hiking the Appalachian Trail literary contribution to the going out into nature. By getting kids site: bubbajones.com” w and overall interest in the outdoors High Country!” excited about the outdoors, Alt hopes — Review by W. Spencer King CML — Barry M. Buxton, Ph.D. Do you love The Appalachian Voice? President, Lees-McRae College Want to share it with your friends and neighbors? ¼ VOTED BEST BBQ IN THE REGION Join our team of nearly 100 by Appalachian Voices’ staff of tasters!

FREE AppalachianThe volunteers and help distribute the OPEN FOR LUNCHCLOSED AND MONDAYS. DINNER. December 2013/January 2014VOICE publication in your community! “What a great magazine!”

Hwy 321 Bypass Artists Scientists Homeowners Writers Students Blowing Rock,N.C. Educators Leaders Activists 828-737-0771 • PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646 Collaborators Business Owners Ecologists 27 (828) 295-3651 Concerned Citizens CreatingVisionaries the Change They Want To See At stores & businesses almost everywhere in the High Country www.woodlandsbbq.com Contact Lauren Essick at [email protected] ... and online at CMLmagazine.com ALSO INSIDE: A Nutty Acorn Year • Carbon Rule Controversy • Appalachian Trailbuilding or call (828) 262-1500 Map layer courtesy West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, design by Haley Rogers [email protected]

Page 18 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 19 EXPORTCMYK

Powering Up • Almost $550,000 for a local food sup- Powering Up Continued from previous page ply project in Elizabethtown, Ky.; • $1.2 million for a substance abuse Efforts to diversify central critical and important now.” treatment program in Ashcamp, Ky., To nurture this survival instinct, the a coalfield community struggling Appalachia’s economy gain steam region needs help establishing what he with rampant drug use; and calls an “entrepreneurial ecosystem” • $350,000 to support efforts in south- that includes capital funding, broad- By Cat McCue it, has to, or will be, slowing west Virginia to develop outdoor band internet and technical support for down. It’s an exhaustive recreation and tourism, and provide Last July, in far southwest Virginia, marketing and export. resource at the end of the training for entrepreneurs. Wise County made national news when The POWER+ Plan would be a day,” says Zafar Kahn, who it hosted the first federally approved strong step in that direction, and Gohl Not waiting around also attended the community commercial drone delivery in the commends the local governments that While Congress squabbles and coal forum in Wise. United States. The scene was a rural support it. “From the commission’s point companies seek to shelter their profits in More than 60 percent of medical clinic tucked deep among the of view, we are very excited to work with bankruptcy courts, the people of Cen- central Appalachian coal- Appalachian mountains, and the pack- them, and hopeful to how far we can tral Appalachia are not standing idly producing counties are cur- age delivered by the small buzzing air- move the needle,” he says. by. Over the last decade in particular, rently classified as “eco- craft contained much-needed supplies. The resolutions show the growing dozens of public and private initiatives nomically distressed” by “They were calling it our Kitty consensus among citizens and local and enterprises have taken root to grow the Appalachian Regional Hawk moment,” says Andrianah leaders around the dire need for eco- the regional economy. Common themes that emerged from all eight forums were supporting advanced manufacturing Commission. Those coun- and ecotourism, enhancing relationships between local colleges and the community, expanding Kilgore, a Wise County native who was nomic diversification in the coalfields. There are the big-vision projects. ties saw population declines Local residents and members of Kentuckians For The Commonwealth stand with the Benham City Council in broadband infrastructure, and ensuring that younger people have a voice in helping shape the involved in the project and whose ex- But for POWER+ to work, Congress In southwest Virginia, the idea for a eastern Kentucky after a unanimous vote to pass a resolution supporting the Power-Plus Plan in August. Photo region’s future. Photo by Alistair Burke citement for the possibilities it signified of 9 percent between 1980 tourist-oriented, auto-centric “museum” courtesy Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center must approve the funding, and so far, and 2010, compared to a 36 Fields has been working for the city for independence and a strong attachment for the future of her community hasn’t there hasn’t been strong public leader- showcasing the area’s musical heritage percent increase nationwide, emerged in 2003. Today, the Crooked several years to design and build a top- to community. “In Appalachia, it’s hard waned since. bring in more industry and business. one have passed unanimously. ship from congressional representatives and these days, the average Road is a 330-mile route that includes notch mountain biking trail system on to find someone who’s not running a “Despite some misconceptions The pervasive belief, however, was that The POWER+ Plan would advance to usher the bill through the legislative per-capita income is just 59 percent of 19 counties and more than 55 towns nearby High Knob Mountain. The way business out of the back of a truck,” from the rest of the world, this area the coal industry would always be there, a new way of thinking about abandoned process (see page 22). the national average. and cities and has been written up in he sees it, there’s a double advantage in he says. “They don’t see themselves as could really be a leader in technology,” so those efforts never truly pulled the coal mines, which continue to pose a Simultaneous with proposing Kahn, an associate professor of the New York Times and Lonely Planet. developing outdoor recreation facilities entrepreneurs, but they are.” she says. local communities out from under domi- safety and health threat and pollute POWER+, President Obama announced economics at the University of Virginia The total economic impact as a result of — attracting more affluent visitors to Andrianah Kilgore, the young Kilgore, 25, was among more than nance of coal, says Adam Wells, a fifth local waterways. In Virginia, West Vir- a “down payment” on the plan of $14.5 at Wise, has an academic interest in the the Crooked Road was estimated to be frequent restaurants, hotels and shops, woman at the Wise community forum, 130 people who attended one of eight generation Wise County resident and ginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, it would million in existing funding for coal com- region’s challenges, but also a personal almost $23 million for 2008 (the most and enticing local folks outdoors. embodies that attachment. She was born community forums in September called the economic diversification campaign deliver $340 million over five years to munities this year — no congressional stake in the community where he has recent data available), with 445 full-time “Like many other depressed areas, and raised here, her parents, too, and “Southwest Virginia’s New Economy Fo- coordinator for Appalachian Voices. clean up sites that have potential for approval needed. As of October, that lived for the past nine years. equivalent jobs. you don’t see a lot of people here who are she doesn’t see herself living anywhere rums.” The forums, hosted by Appalachian This time, though, it’s different. long-lasting economic activity, such money is on the ground in 12 coal states “I’m very concerned about the eco- There are the small business start- very active. You need to try to get people else. Not if she can help it. Voices, which publishes this newspaper, “We’re in a watershed moment, a as developing a solar installation or and tribal territories. nomic development of the local area,” ups. In Pikeville, Ky., Bit Source trains off the couch, outside and engaged in “I feel a very huge sense of, I and Virginia Organizing, provided a place tipping point,” Wells says. “There have mountain bike park. Awarded through four federal he says. “You can’t be just dependent laid-off coal miners and other industry anything,” Fields says. “The tech indus- guess, debt to my community," she for ordinary citizens from across southwest never been as many people working “In the past, federal funds were agencies, the funds are fueling a wide on that one industry. So you must di- workers in software coding and pairs try won’t come unless they have a happy, says. "They gave a lot to me growing Virginia to share their ideas and vision for in a coordinated way on economic di- used just to clean up the worst messes, variety of projects, including retraining versify.” them with markets well beyond the educated work force and they get happy up. I absolutely feel like I should be a stabilizing and growing the region’s econo- versification, or even using that term, but this funding would be specifically former coal-plant workers from Wash- city limits. Its website proclaims: “The by doing the outside things.” driving force, and hopefully bring the my. The area has been pummeled in recent A tipping point ‘diversification.’ There’s a collective for economic development,” Wells says. ington state and the Navajo Nation, business concept and plan is to transi- So, what will pull the region through group of peers that I have along with years by layoffs and business closings as the The coalfields of Virginia, and understanding that coal is on its way The region would also get some developing a strategic business plan tion a workforce from one that exported in the years ahead? Gohl, with the Ap- me, to help the community continue to coal industry continues to decline. across central Appalachia, have hit hard out, for real this time.” portion of $153 million to support in southern Pennsylvania, diversifying coal from the region to one that exports palachian Regional Commission, says be successful.” w “The coal industry, like it or dislike times before, each resulting in efforts to Over the last several months, worker retraining, tourism, agriculture, the coal region of the San Juan Basin in CODE (#exportCode).” Started in Oc- it comes down to the endemic sense of a groundswell of support has been energy efficiency and other economic the desert southwest and many others. tober 2014, Bit Source received 900 spreading across central Appalachia development initiatives. The plan Central Appalachia by far received applications in its first month and Offers a diverse mix of music & informative programming for the heart of Appalachia. for the “POWER+ Plan,” announced in would also refurbish the United Mine most of the funding, including: now employs 13 local people, most February as part of President Obama’s Workers’ health and pension funds, • More than $3 million to expand of whom were coal industry work- 2016 proposed budget. The Partner- which distribute $570 million annually broadband internet in Kentucky; ers themselves. Its success drew U.S. usi the ountains ships for Opportunity and Workforce to the four states. • $826,400 to extend water to an indus- M c from M Labor Secretary Thomas Perez for a and Economic Revitalization plan calls “Appalachia is the next great in- try near Union, W.Va.; visit in early 2015. for billions in federal funding to help vestment opportunity in America,” says And then there are the local pub- coal­-impacted areas nationwide, includ- Earl Gohl, the commission’s federal co- lic projects. In Norton, Va., Shayne ing Central Appalachia. chair. For decades, “people have spent As of press time in late November, 24 their lives underground, in the dark, local government entities in the coalfields making a living. There’s no doubt in Learn more about efforts to diversify of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky and my mind those skills they had to use central Appalachia’s economy at Tennessee have passed resolutions sup- to support their families and develop appvoices.org/new-economy porting the plan, or generally supporting communities are the same skills that are Forum participants broke into small groups to discuss what kinds of economic growth they envision federal action to aid the region. All but for their community. Photo by Alistair Burke continued on next page LISTENER -SUPPORTED RADIO WWW.WMMTFM.ORG

Page 20 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 21 EDIT- EXPORT

Appalachia’s Political Landscape This GREEN House Budget vs. Appropriations:How Congress Controls Regional Spending Knoxville Homes Get an Energy Makeover By Maureen Robbs of Energy, the average value of weath- is available to renters with their land- By Thom Kay ments, or “policy riders,” that can tell the EPA from enforc- erization improvements is 2.2 times lord’s permission. OSMRE they are not allowed to spend a ing the Clean Power Cracks around your windows, Before leaving Congress, House greater than the cost. The KEEM project Jason Estes, director of Knoxville- single dollar on a specific action. Plan to reduce car- drooping or nonexistent crawl space Speaker John Boehner worked with the targets at minimum a 25 percent reduc- Knox County Community Action bon dioxide emissions insulation, and inefficient appliances Senate and the White House to reach a OSMRE is currently working on com- tion in energy spending for each home. Committee Housing & Energy Ser- from power plants. could be contributing to your high util- federal budget deal. While few members pleting the Stream Protection Rule, which The allotted upgrade costs are based on vices, confirms that ap- The chances that such ity bills. If you are cranking up the heat of Congress are happy with all of the spe- is intended to limit the impacts of surface the square footage of the home. proximately 430 homes amendments will pass to stay warm this winter, it may be time cifics of that deal, the fact that the country coal mining on streams. Coal industry have already qualified and remains unclear. to do an energy audit. A Custom Fit isn’t facing another government shut- advocates in Congress are trying to pass 23 audits were completed A coalition of community groups “It is a custom experience for each down is widely accepted as a good thing. the STREAM Act, H.R. 1644, which would Aside from telling by the end of October. take away the agency’s legal authority in Knoxville, Tenn., is taking energy house,” says Jennifer Alldredge, an Passing a budget and passing an agencies what they to complete the rule. If that tactic fails, efficiency initiatives to new heights, education team program manager at the Energy Education appropriations bill, however, are not the can’t do, legislators however, Congress could instead attach setting a goal to weatherize 1,278 homes Alliance to Save Energy. “The auditors Participants must pass same thing. A budget sets a total spend- also have opportuni- a policy rider to the appropriations bill ties to fund new proj- by September 2017. thoroughly examine each home and a pre-audit and attend a free ing limit and allocates a specific amount The $15 million Knoxville Extreme that would prohibit OSMRE from using ects like the POWER+ every home receives services specific educational weatherization Top: Energy auditor evaluates a home. to mandatory and discretionary spend- Polluted water flows from a reclaimed surface mine in Kentucky. The their funds to complete the rule. Plan, an economic revi- Energy Makeover project, initiated in to that home.” workshop, but “attendees don’t have to Left: Mayor Rogero and Dorothy Ware on ing. Mandatory spending includes congressional appropriations process could affect whether regulators In other words, the OSMRE could talization package pro- August, is funded by the Tennessee Weatherization practices are energy be eligible for KEEM, anyone who is in- KEEM opening day. Images courtesy of City benefits like Social Security, Medicare, can finalize a new rule designed to protect waterways from some of Valley Authority and led by a project efficiency measures intended to help terested can attend the workshops to learn of Knoxville Office of Sustainability and and food assistance programs, while still have the legal authority and the posed by the Obama the damage caused by coal mining. Photo by Matt Wasson total money necessary to complete the administration that team comprised of the Knoxville-Knox low and middle-income residents im- tips and habits for energy efficiency,” says Knoxville-Knox County Community Action discretionary comprises nearly every- County Community Action Committee, Committee Housing & Energy Stream Protection Rule, but Congress is aimed at assisting represents, so both he and Sen. McCo- prove their homes, reducing long-term Alldredge, who has run 42 workshops in thing else, including spending alloca- the City of Knoxville, Knoxville Utilities can take away their ability to use their regions affected by coal’s decline (see nnell have an interest in making sure energy costs and immediately enhanc- the first two months of the program. tions for the military, education, and Board and the Alliance to Save Energy. “Our strategy is built for creating funds to complete the rule. The effect, page 20 for details). Through this plan, Kentucky gets that money. On the en- ing in-home comfort. The KEEM project’s ultimate goal federal regulatory agencies like the U.S. TVA made the funding available as opportunities for small contractors, who at least in the short term, would be the Congress can focus existing funds to vironmental side, the Stream Protection To calculate the projected electricity is to benefit local families through edu- Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation, part of a 2011 settlement with the U.S. may have already been doing weather- same as passing a standalone bill like projects that would create jobs in Ap- Rule would alter regulation of the coal savings of each home, the KEEM project cation, increased energy efficiency and and Enforcement. Environmental Protection Agency for the ization projects and can now make this a the STREAM Act that blocks the rule. palachia by reclaiming abandoned min- industry in Kentucky, and, along with coordinators use a TVA-provided data monthly utility cost reductions. The appropriations bill decides utility’s violations of the Clean Air Act. core component of their business,” says The appropriations process is ing sites, retraining former miners and the coal industry, Rep. Rogers and Sen. entry tool. With the homeowner’s or “The project empowers people how much money is allotted to each “We have some pretty aggres- Gill. “They can participate in the green meant to allocate money, not act as legis- coordinating economic transition work McConnell oppose the new regulations. renter’s permission, the KEEM team through education,” says Chris Woud- individual agency, even down to the sive goals for climate mitigation: a 20 economy in a very real way.” lation. However, Congress has frequent- throughout the region — all without in- As of press time in late November, collects electric bills from participating stra, project coordinator for the KEEM separate departments within the agen- percent reduction in greenhouse gases To learn more about the KEEM ly used it as a tool to counter actions creasing overall government spending. the future of the appropriations bill was households so that TVA may measure project at the City of Knoxville Office cies. As such, the appropriations bill has by 2020,” says Erin Gill, sustainability project, visit KEEMTeam.com. If you from the executive branch, especially Appalachian representatives will cloudy, and answers about how the final and verify how projected savings com- of Sustainability. “I saw a house get enormous implications for agencies like director for the City of Knoxville. “The are interested in conducting your own when Congress and the White House have major influence over the final bill will affect the environmental and pare to actual savings over time. weatherized this weekend, and it put the OSMRE. Congress can cut the agen- KEEM project stems from Smarter Cit- personal energy audit, visit Energy. are held by different parties as they are appropriations bill. Congressman Hal economic programs in Appalachia are Eligible participants must reside in into perspective how small actions can w cy’s budget by allocating the money to ies Partnership, which was founded gov/EnergySaver. now. Political analysts on both sides of Rogers (R-Ky.) is the chairman of the still unknown. While much of the de- a single-family home or duplex at least have a big impact.” a different agency, and can also include September 2013 and recognizes the the aisle are expecting to see dozens of House Appropriations Committee, bate happens publicly, real negotiations 20 years old within the Knoxville city The initiative also provides jobs Improve the Efficiency of Your Home amendments to limit OSMRE’s actions. persistent challenge of more than 10,000 anti-environmental amendments of- and Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) usually happen behind closed doors. In limits and earn a household income at for qualified local contractors, who are Jan. 20, 2-4 p.m.: Learn more about For instance, Congress will likely give families who struggle with high utility fered that would, among other things, is the Senate Majority Leader. The both instances, the people of Appalachia or below 80 percent of the area median. installing the upgrades once the KEEM energy efficiency and how you can save the agency approximately $130 million. bills, which are often driven up by ag- money while reducing your carbon foot- prohibit the OSMRE from completing POWER+ Plan would direct money to have an opportunity to speak out and The home must also have electric heat auditors approve a participant’s home. But legislators can also add amend- print. A panel of experts will answer your the Stream Protection Rule and prohibit eastern Kentucky, which Rep. Rogers w ing housing infrastructure.” and a water heater. The KEEM program Based on TVA’s projections, Gill noted ensure that their voices are reflected. questions in this live webinar. Free. According to the U.S. Department that the KEEM project will help create TH Kentucky Tennessee North Carolina Virginia West Virginia Visit appvoices.org/webinars 114 CONGRESS: Below are recent congressional bills and amendments on envi- approximately 120 jobs. ronmental issues and how central and southern Appalachian representatives voted. To see other recent votes, or for congressional representatives outside of the five-state area, Building Better Sponsored by visit congress.gov. =pro-environment vote✗ =anti-environment voteO =no vote In a word, super-efficient heat pumps perform at 100% efficiency down to much

P. McHenreyP. Modern High-Efficiency Heat M. Griffith unny ay T. Massie H. Rogers A. Barr RoeP. J. Duncan Fleischman S. Desjarlais V. Foxx M. Meadows R. Hurt B. Goodlatte D. McKinley A. Mooney E. Jenkins HOUSE (R) KY-04 (R) TN-01 (R) TN-04 (R) NC-10 (R) VA-09 (R) KY-05 (R) KY-06 (R) TN-02 (R) TN-03 (R) NC-05 (R) NC-11 (R) VA-05 (R) VA-06 (R) WV-01 (R) WV-02 (R) WV-03 S HomesD Inc. ROCK in the mountains where the weather colder temperatures. A mini split is one such H.R. 538, the Native American Energy Act, would loosen regulations for energy develop- Pumps Deliver “Free Heat” can be so variable from one day to the type of efficient heat pump system. Some next. An average heat pump is able to get models of the Mitsubishi Mini Splits are 100% ment on tribal lands. Among other provisions, it would prohibit the general public from • Reduce the load by tightening the home’s The biggest user of energy in most about two and a half times more heat from efficient down to -13˚F. A mini-split system commenting on environmental reviews that affect tribal land and makes it more difficult ✗✗✗✗ ✗✗ ✗ ✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗ thermal envelope for any Department of Interior rules governing hydraulic fracturing to affect these areas. homes is the heating and cooling system. a kilowatt-hour of electricity than a con- can also be set up with multiple zones, which • Obtain energy from clean and renewable 254 AYES 173 NOES 7 NV PASSED There are three basic ways to reduce the ventional heat source, such as an electric means that if you have an in-law suite, for sources energy consumed by your heating and cool- baseboard. For example, a home that uses instance, you can set that area to a different H.R. 702 would amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to repeal the ban on In this article we will focus on the first ing system. 10 kilowatt hours of electricity on heat will setting than the rest of your home. crude oil exports and repeal the authority to restrict export of coal, petroleum products, ✗ ✗✗✗ ✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗ item, specifically how a heat pump can help natural gas or petrochemical feedstocks. 261 AYES 159 NOES 14 NV PASSED • Produce the heating and cooling more get 34,120 BTUs of heat with an electric Because heat pumps are 2.5 times heat and cool a home more efficiently. efficiently baseboard system, but would get 85,300 more efficient than electric baseboards, you SENATE Note: Senate legislation needs 60 votes to pass M. McConnell (R) R. Paul (R) L. Alexander (R) B. Corker (R) R. Burr (R) T. Tillis (R) T. Kaine (D) M. Warner (D) J. Manchin (D) S. M. Capito (R) BTUs from a heat pump. will be paying much less money for what you S.J. Res. 22 expresses the joint view of the Senate and House to disapprove a recent About Sunny Day Homes: Sunny Day homes is a small, family-owned general contracting firm In the past, one concern with heat actually get. And getting more heat from the rule by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S Environmental Protection ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ that has been incorporated since 1997. They built the first certified green home in North Carolina’s High pumps was that they required supplemen- same amount of electricity equals fewer car- Agency that clarifies which waters fall under jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act. Country in 2008 and have been advocating for non-toxic, environmentally responsible and energy-efficient tal heat during very cold weather. Modern, bon emissions, which is great for the planet! 53 AYES, 44 NAYS, 3 NV FAILED building ever since. Call/text (828) 964-3419 or visit sunnydayhomesinc.com super-efficient heat pumps, however, can

Page 22 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 23 EXPORT

the ENERGY REPORT the ENERGY REPORT Environmental Groups Challenge How Pipeline Impacts are Assessed States Hold Strong on Clean Power Plan Positions By Elizabeth E. Payne are the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the Project in April, the Atlantic Coast Pipe- Piedmont Natural Gas — a natural gas By Brian Sewell Morrisey that includes 20 other states. the kind of shot in the arm that we need the [legal] challenge and the EPA denies Mountain Valley Pipeline, the Appa- line in September and the Mountain distribution company serving North Attorneys general and agency of- to grow a real, vibrant clean-energy A coalition of conservation groups The legal assault on the U.S. Envi- DEQ’s plan, it can impose a federal plan lachian Connector and the WB XPress Valley Pipeline in October. Approval Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee ficials fighting the EPA, however, may economy here in Virginia.” is asking the Federal Energy Regulatory ronmental Protection Agency’s Clean it is developing without the states,” Jonas Project, each of which would carry of these projects is pending. An appli- — for approximately $4.9 billion. Both not have the public on their side. A poll The fight over the Clean Power Commission to consider the collective Power Plan began long before Oct. 23, Monast of Duke University’s Nicholas natural gas from the Marcellus Shale cation for the proposed Appalachian companies are significant stakeholders released in November by the Yale Proj- Plan’s future is expected to last years, impact of four natural gas pipeline proj- when it was published in the Federal Institute for Environmental Policy Solu- formation in West Virginia east into Vir- Connector has not yet been filed. in the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline. ect on Climate Change Communication especially if the case reaches the U.S. ects proposed for West Virginia, rather Register. But that day, states and indus- tions told the Charlotte Business Journal. ginia, with the Atlantic Coast Pipeline “The only way to unravel these In national news, federal officials found that a majority of residents in Supreme Court. In the meantime, than evaluating each project individu- try groups were able to officially chal- Kentucky could also be assigned continuing into eastern North Carolina. interrelated proposals and ensure a are seeking stricter safety regulations every state except West Virginia, North states are carefully considering their ally as applications are received. lenge the rules, which are aimed at lim- a federal plan if incoming Gov. Matt This degree of overlap has led careful and deliberate decision that is governing natural gas pipelines follow- Dakota and Montana believe there approaches to compliance. In a Sept. 22 press release, the iting carbon pollution from coal plants Bevin keeps his campaign promise to environmental groups — including protective of the environment and local ing a series of disasters in recent years. should be strict limits on carbon dioxide The N.C. Department of Environ- Southern Environmental Law Center and boosting cleaner energy sources. rebuke the EPA. Due to Bevin’s refusal Appalachian Voices, the publisher of communities is with a comprehensive, The U.S. Department of Transportation emissions from coal plants. mental Quality quickly crafted a plan called on FERC “to undertake a compre- Within a day, more than 15 separate to even develop a compliance plan, the this paper — to challenge the need for region-wide [Environmental Impact is proposing expanded inspections in Virginia and Maryland are among focused entirely on improving power hensive regional Environmental Impact cases were filed, making the Clean Pow- group Kentuckians For The Common- all four projects. Statement],” wrote the SELC in their rural areas and following floods and a group of 18 states intervening in the plant efficiency — the only component Statement to study pipeline capacity, the er Plan the most litigated environmental wealth has pledged to create its own. Official applications to begin con- statement. hurricanes, as well as increased analysis case to defend the Clean Power Plan. of the Clean Power Plan the state agency need for new pipelines, and their effects regulation in history, according to E&E “They are turning their backs, again, struction on three of the pipelines were In an Oct. 26 press release, Duke and reporting of inspection results. Describing his reasons for support- considers to be legal. Experts say that on communities and the environment.” Publishing. Appalachian states includ- on our opportunity and Kentucky’s filed with FERC in 2015: the WB XPress Energy announced its intent to purchase ing the EPA, Virginia Attorney Gen- approach could easily backfire, leaving The four pipeline projects at issue ing Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky future,” the group wrote on the website eral Mark Herring told reporters that North Carolina with less control over its and Ohio signed onto a lawsuit led by for the project, Empower Kentucky. “If policies to address climate change and carbon-reduction efforts. Blankenship Verdict Awaits Jury’s Decision N.C. Communities Take Steps to Block Fracking West Virginia Attorney General Patrick the politicians won’t do it, it’s up to us.” invest in renewable energy are “exactly “If the EPA successfully defends By Elizabeth E. Payne Branch mine by misrepresenting where By Elizabeth E. Payne County passed a three-year moratorium the samples were collected. On Nov. 10, the commissioners of on fracking, the N.C. General Assembly Coal Ash Management Continues to Challenge Region As this paper went to press on approved a bill that makes such ordi- Blankenship is the highest-ranking Walnut Cove, N.C., passed a three-year ate cleanup at four of these sites, each of Nov. 30, the jury in the trial of Donald nances more difficult to enforce. The mea- By Elizabeth E. Payne pare its recommendations for the state’s coal executive to be indicted for safety moratorium on fracking, another action which has documented contamination L. Blankenship had concluded its sixth sure also temporarily halted efforts by Conservation groups in North Caro- coal ash impoundment by Dec. 31. The violations in Appalachia. If convicted, in a lengthy tug-of-war between state outside Duke’s property lines. full day of deliberation without reach- local governments to pass new measures lina, including Appalachian Voices, the N.C. Coal Ash Management Commission he could face up to 31 years in prison. and local officials over who has power Also in North Carolina, a U.S. Dis- ing a verdict. blocking fracking in their communities. publisher of this paper, are challenging was set up to advise this process, yet as Blankenship ran Massey Energy for to regulate the expansion of fracking trict Court judge sided with environmen- Blankenship, former CEO of Despite the new law, in November a settlement between Duke Energy and of late November the commission is un- nearly two decades. When he resigned into the state. tal groups in dismissing Duke Energy’s Massey Energy Co., was indicted in the town of Walnut Cove and Rocking- the N.C. Department of Environmental able to reach a quorum due to a challenge in December 2010, the company was Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is challenge to their lawsuit over water November 2014 on charges related to ham County each passed multi-year Quality that significantly reduces the to the constitutionality of six of its nine mining approximately 40 million tons a method of drilling to extract natural pollution and safety violations at Duke’s the fatal explosion at the Upper Big moratoriums. Lee County took a similar $25.1 million fine levied against the com- members. Until the challenge to its mem- of coal each year from its mines in gas that causes significant impact to the retired Buck Power Plant near Salisbury. Branch mine in Montcoal, W.Va., that vote, but without unanimous support pany for pollution violations at its Sutton bership is resolved, the commission will Virginia, West Virginia and Kentucky. environment. Since 2012, the legislature In her ruling, Judge Loretta C. Biggs killed 29 miners on April 5, 2010. He is a second vote will be taken on Dec. 7. Lake power plant near Wilmington, N.C. be unable to contribute to the assessment. But critics and federal prosecutors al- has steadily worked to ease restrictions also raised concerns about the DEQ, charged with “[conspiracy] to commit Anti-fracking measures have also The settlement requires the com- In Tennessee, residential wells near lege that such productivity came at the to fracking in North Carolina, while formerly known as the Department of Used, and cause routine violations of manda- passed in the towns of Creedmoor and pany to pay a much smaller fine of $7 the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Galla- expense of miner safety. community members have pushed to Environment and Natural Resources. tory federal mine safety standards at Bakersville, and in Anson and Chatham million and, according to a statement is- tin Fossil Plant in Sumner County have Rare & Out Prosecution witnesses testified to a block this access. “The court is unable to find that [the [the mine],” as well as impeding fed- Counties. sued by Duke Energy, the arrangement tested positive for elevated levels of pattern of safety violations at the Upper On Sept. 30, just days after Stokes of Print Books eral mine safety standards and making “resolves former, current and future agency] was trying diligently or that its hexavalent chromium, a known carcino- Big Branch mine and a belief that this a St. Louis bankruptcy court, where its Specializing in false and misleading statements after New Ozone Regulations groundwater issues at all 14 North Car- state enforcement action was calculated, gen. According to The Tennessean, local the accident. focus on profits over safety stemmed subsidiary Patriot is filing for its second in good faith, to require compliance residents learned this information in Books about Black from Blankenship’s heavy-handed Have Limitations bankruptcy in three years, claiming that olina coal facilities, including the retired Mountain College The conspiracy charges against On Oct. 1, the U.S. Environmental with the Clean Water Act,” she wrote. letters from the Tennessee Department if its subsidiary Patriot is not responsible Sutton plant.” In addition to the fine, the leadership style, but none testified that Protection Agency revised its air quality Finally, the DEQ is required to pre- Blankenship were expanded in March for paying retired miners’ benefits, the settlement also requires Duke to acceler- of Environment and Conservation. they had been ordered to break the law. standards to limit ground-level ozone to 70 2015 to include falsification of dust parent company should not have to be Lawyers representing Blankenship parts per billion. Gina McCarthy, the admin- samples collected at the Upper Big either. According to Law360, Patriot joined Competition in Solar Power Challenges Utilities istrator for the EPA, stood by her decision. Orga did not call any witnesses. the United Mine Workers Association to Y ni But public health organizations insist that A nonprofit’s solar project on a church in called for the organization to be fined $1,000 U c file an objection to the lawsuit in federal B adverse health effects, such as asthma and Greensboro, N.C., is testing the state’s utility per day, which NC WARN Executive Director Coal Company Accused of Intimidating Whistleblowers bankruptcy court in Virginia. premature death, are a risk above 60 parts regulations, and Duke Energy has called for Jim Warren says could exceed $120,000. In 2014, Murray Energy Corpora- Federal regulators recently issued per billion, according to E&E Publishing. Coal’s Decline Here to steep fines. The project “begins to wrestle In Virginia, the State Corporation Com- and engage with the monopolistic nature of mission rejected a proposal by Dominion tion CEO Bob Murray held mandatory approximately 70 safety citations at Ozone, a gaseous air pollutant, can be harmful when inhaled. Stay, Utility Leader Says Duke Energy,” said Rev. Nelson Johnson. Virginia Power to build a 20-megawatt solar all-staff meetings at five underground the five mines, spurred by anony- In an unexpected admission, Charles NC WARN, an environmental justice farm stating the utility did not convince regu- mines in West Virginia where he mous worker complaints. In response Bankruptcy jeopardizes Patton, president of the utility company group, funded the solar panels in June and lators that allowing it to develop the project emphasized the vulnerability of the to Murray’s mandates, the U.S. De- health care for 12,000 Appalachian Power, told the West Virginia began selling the electricity to the Faith Com- — instead of hiring a third party — was the Energy Summit in October that the nation’s munity Church at a reduced rate, contesting best deal for ratepayers. Regulators sided Powered miners’ jobs. During his speeches, partment of Labor ordered Murray Jean & Carl Franklin by (PV) retired miners, families dependence on coal was waning, regard- a state law declaring that only utilities can sell with solar advocates who argued that tap- B 103 Cherry Street Solar Cells he announced that workers who file Energy to rescind the management less of what happens with the Obama Ad- U E A dispute between a mining company renewable energy. The group submitted their ping into the competition of the market could Y D Black Mountain, NC 28711 anonymous safety complaints with the order and pay $120,000 in civil penal- ministration’s Clean Power Plan. While many a and its subsidiary has put $145 million in case to the North Carolina Utilities Commis- lower the cost customers pay for renewable Fair Tr government about the company must ties. — Eliza Laubach still argue this point, Patton said, “the debate (828) 669-8149 retired miners’ health benefits at risk. In sion for review. In November, Duke Energy power. — By Eliza Laubach [email protected] largely, at this point in time, has been lost.” BlueSmokeCoffee.com also alert the mine management. October, Peabody Coal filed a lawsuit in Page 24 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2015 / January 2016 December 2015 / January 2016 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 25 EXPORT

INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work Appalachian Voices is committed to Community Networking for Coal Ash Cleanup in N.C. protecting the land, air and water of Dean Whitworth the central and southern Appalachian Our North Carolina team Coal Ash Cleanup grow in strength We will also be watching the region. Our mission is to empower continues to work directly with and numbers. The group is cur- N.C. Department of Environmental By Chris Robey people to defend our region’s rich natural and cultural heritage by those most impacted by coal ash. rently working on a community- Quality to make sure that no coal ash Member Spotlight providing them with tools and strategies Don’t let the easy gree is in chemical engineering, In November, we helped organize led health survey and a county site is deemed “low-priority” and for successful grassroots campaigns. handshake and crinkle-eyed smile the second statewide gathering of resolution advocating for the safe, given an inadequate cleanup plan. Dean’s real passion is acting. fool you; long-time forest defender ACT (Alliance of Carolinians To- permanent cleanup of the ash in And we’ve joined the Southern En- He’s appeared in nearly 40 Organizational Staff Dean Whitworth is full of surprises. gether) Against Coal Ash, a pow- their backyards. We plan to work vironmental Law Center and other films, including Tony Minghel- Many at Appalachian Voices Executive Director ...... Tom Cormons erful grassroots group of residents through the new year to ensure that state organizations in challenging la’s film adaptation of Charles know Dean as our biggest volun- living near current or proposed Duke Energy continues supplying the deal between Duke Energy and Frazier’s Cold Mountain. OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT teer distributor of The Appalachian Director of Development...... Jonathan Harvey coal ash dumps. bottled water to residents with DEQ that lets the utility giant pay “Your best chance of seeing Voice. Starting in 1998 with an me is when the credits roll,” he Controller ...... Maya Viknius In Stokes Co., outside of contaminated wells and ultimately just $7 million to settle water pol- Operations Manager ...... Shay Boyd initial run of fifty copies, he’s since laughs. Look close and you’ll Duke’s Belews Creek Power Plant, pays for a permanent source of safe lution problems at all 14 of its coal- Director of Leadership Gifts ...... Kayti Wingfield gone on to distribute anywhere we’ve been helping Residents for water for them. fired power plants (see page 25). A Fondest Farewell catch him in the scene where Operations and Outreach Associate ...... Lauren Essick from 5,000 to 7,500 copies of each Inman gets a shave before his Development Coordinator ...... Leigh Kirchner It is with much fondness and appreciation that issue. Lauren Essick, our distribu- homeward journey. The barber we bid farewell to one of the longest-running staff see,” returning with the sheriff and PROGRAMS tion manager, recalls how “he’ll who shaves him? That’d be Dean. Organizing Around the Clean Power Plan members at Appalachian Voices. Susan Congelosi a lawyer the next day. Director of Programs...... Matt Wasson push down the seats in his car and How, then, did Dean take on Campaign Director ...... Kate Rooth The U.S. Environmental Pro- In North Carolina, the Clean ing an on-the-ground campaign to (nickname: The Uzi) joined the organization in 2000, Dean won the ensuing law- cram copies into every little space his current role as seasoned advo- Energy Policy Director ...... Rory McIlmoil tection Agency finalized the first Power Plan has met resistance educate Volunteer State residents becoming only the second staff member in the fledg- suit—as the current landowner, he he can,” before setting off on his Legislative Associate ...... Thom Kay cate? “Well, it started in my back- had the right of way—but knew limits on carbon dioxide emissions from government environmental about the plan and encourage state ling nonprofit’s history. Over the past 15 years, as North Carolina Campaign Coordinator ...... Amy Adams circuit, encompassing five locations yard,” he says. His cabin is situated from power plants earlier this year. officials. Our team’s focus is on officials to include clean energy in our Controller Susan was responsible for oversee- his victory was only temporary. “I Virginia Campaign Coordinator ...... Hannah Wiegard around Mountain City, Tenn., with on 16.5 acres right on the Cherokee Known as the Clean Power Plan, generating citizen input at the their power mix. ing the financial operations of the organization and knew they’d keep trying,” he said. Central Appalachian Campaign Coordinator ...... Erin Savage a sixth to be added this year. But National Forest boundary near the rules give states a wide degree state’s December public hearings And in Virginia, we are call- guided us through three different main offices and And so Dean added the advocate’s Central Appalachian Field Coordinator ...... Tarence Ray Dean has worn many hats, and Mountain City. Two hundred feet of Central Appalachian Field Coordinator ...... Willie Dodson of flexibility to determine how to to demand a true clean energy ing for a state plan that will meet numerous satellite offices as our staff grew nearly 12 hat to his repertoire; for him, it’s distributing the Voice is just a part old access road passes through his North Carolina Field Coordinator ...... Sarah Kellogg reduce their carbon emissions. plan. In preparation for the hear- and exceed the 38% pollution times in size. She also helped launch our employee since become far more than just of what this retired chemical engi- land, leading up to a grove of na- Economic Diversification Coordinator ...... Adam Wells Our teams are hard at work in ings, we are drafting public and reduction target, supporting retirement program, stayed on top of health insur- another role to play. Tennessee Energy Savings Coordinator ...... Amy Kelly neer has done. tional forest standing just beyond ance, and maintained our financial fluency in the “The first rule of good tin- AmeriCorps Outreach Associate ...... Ridge Graham the Appalachian states to ensure technical comments and partner- a citizen movement to press Having served variously as nonprofit realm. his property line. kering is never throw away the that energy efficiency and renewable ing with environmental justice decision-makers to address car- campaign organizer for the Sierra Communications & Technology “Well, one day I came out to pieces,” he says, taking a line from energy are priorities and our depen- groups, faith organizations and bon pollution in a significant, A passionate and active defender of the en- Director of Communications ...... Cat McCue Club, member of the Appalachian find a man had showed up and dence on fossil fuels is replaced with health groups. long-term way through emissions vironment, Susan is also an accomplished artist, conservationist Aldo Leopold. Senior Communications Coordinator ...... Jamie Goodman Voices Board of Directors and trea- was standing out there looking up earning a B.F.A. from the California College of the “And I’m there to make sure we Programs Communications Coordinator...... Brian Sewell sustainable energy choices. In Tennessee, we are launch- trading with other states. surer for Cherokee Forest Voices, at that stand of trees,” he says. The ditorial ommunications oordinator olly oore Arts and running her own glassblowing studio have all the pieces.” There’s that E C C ...... M M Dean’s environmental credentials man said he was a logger plan AmeriCorps Communications Associate...... Elizabeth E. Payne when she first moved to Boone in 1976. She worked - smile again, with a wicked flash in are impressive. It may then come IT Consultant...... Jeff Deal Southwest Virginia’s New Economy Forums in accounting and real estate for many years before ning on using Dean’s access road the eye. Rest assured, Dean Whit- as a surprise when he mentions the to move his crew and equipment In October, Appalachian Voices conversation. In the coming months, for a New Economy.” Local govern- joining Appalachian Voices. worth will keep on doing what he INTERNS movies he still does occasionally, “if in to cut the grove for timber. “I North Carolina Outreach Assistant...... Maggie Simmons partnered with Virginia Organizing we will publish an outline of the ments and other planning officials “Through all the growth and change Susan’s does best: protecting the Cherokee the story is compelling.” don’t think so,” said Dean. The North Carolina Outreach Assistant...... Rebecca Bauer to host eight community forums in suggestions gathered so far and host can use to this help secure federal helped with at Appalachian Voices over 15 years, National Forest, no matter which That’s right. Though his de- logger nodded and said “We’ll Virginia Grassroots Assistant...... Scot Bellavia the coalfield counties of southwest an online, wiki-style crowdsourcing and state funding for job training, one constant has been her infectious love for the hat he wears. Editorial Assistant...... Chris Robey Virginia. project that will broaden the reach of infrastructure and other projects work we do,” says Executive Director Tom Cormons. Editorial Assistant ...... W. Spencer King More than 130 residents par- this initiative and get more specific that can help grow the economy of Susan plans to use this time to focus on personal Welcome Maya and Leigh! Marketing Outreach...... Andrew Tarley ticipated in the forums, sharing feedback about how to proceed with this region. endeavors and spend time in her peaceful home on Join us in welcoming two new members to the Maya Viknius, Controller Graphics Assistant...... Haley Rogers their ideas about how to move the the ideas being generated. For more information, visit: ap- beautiful Watauga Lake. We will definitely miss her Appalachian Voices team! Maya was born and raised economy of their communities for- Ultimately, we will combine all pvoices.org/new-economy/forums keen wit, intelligence and skill with numbers, and in Kiev, Ukraine, and spent her Board of Directors Leigh Kirchner, summers in a rural country village ward (read more on page 20). of this community-generated infor- most of all her warm smile. We wish her all the best! Development Coordinator Chair ...... Kim Gilliam where the residents were mostly Vice-Chair ...... Dot Griffith We are excited to continue this mation into a “Citizens’ Roadmap Leigh grew up in beautiful Rock- self-sustainable. She moved to the Secretary ...... Tracey Wright bridge County in the heart of Virginia’s To join our Rallying Against Climate Change United States at the age of 21, liv- Treasurer ...... Kathy Selvage To join our Shenandoah Valley, where her roots ing in the Midwest and on the West Business League, In October, we worked with our community AppalachianVoices Business go back many generations to a Mona- Coast before settling in the moun- Members-At-Large visit partners to organize a rally in downtown Charlot- League, visit can Indian on one side and German tains of North Carolina in 2011. She Clara Bingham Bunk Spann AppVoices.org tesville, Va. This demonstration was part of the AppVoices.org settlers on the other. A first-generation earned a minor in economics from Pat Holmes Lauren Waterworth or call 877-APP- National Day of Action in advance of the United college student, she earned a B.A. in Rick Phelps Tom Cormons (Ex-officio) Business League or call 877-APP- Kiev’s University of Economics, a Nations Climate Change Conference schedule to English at Virginia Commonwealth Pallavi Podapati New & Renewing Members October - November 2015 VOICE B.S., in business administration/accounting from Southern VOICE take place in Paris in December. More than 150 University and an M.A. in Appalachian Oregon University, and completing the CPA examination in Advisory Council residents gathered to ask their representatives to Studies at Appalachian State University. While in graduate Advisory Council 2013. She currently lives with her husband Brian and two Jonathan C. Allen Christina Howe stop the proposed pipeline projects in Virginia and school, she developed an interest in protecting the Appala- sons, Nicholas and Souren, near the beautiful Watauga River Jonathanessica Bar C.ba A Bllenrown Van JJones Fusion Films Lost Province Brewing Co. address the challenges of climate change. Photo courtesy Wild Virginia chian region from exploitation. She will be working with our in Sugar Grove, N.C. JAessilfredca BGarloverba Brown J.L andraHaskell Lewis Murray Pleasant Garden, NC | fusionfilms.org Boone, NC |lostprovince.com development team to manage development projects and Maya will serve as our controller overseeing the financial ARandylfred HGayeslover BJ. rendaHaskell Sigm Monurray Stay informed! Sign up for news and action alerts at appvoices.org/stay-in-touch andy ayes unk pann bolster our membership program. operations of the organization. RSilas H House Brenda S Sigmon Christina Howe Non-Profit The Appalachian Voice Organization 171 Grand Boulevard US Postage Paid Boone, NC 28607 Permit No. 294 www.appalachianvoices.org Boone, NC

Located on the North Fork of the Blackwater River in West Virginia, the Kennedy Falls are a beautiful destination for a rugged hike in any season. North Carolina photographer Sharon Canter took this picture on the last day of a holiday vacation to the area and ushered in the New Year in this winter wonderland. You can find more of Canter’s work on Flickr by searching for “Sharon C2010.”

Help us build a better future for Appalachia. JOIN NOW! Name ______Address ______City ______State ______Zip ______Phone ______Email ______

❑ Please mail each issue of The Appalachian Voice (minimum $25 donation) ❑ Maximize my donation! Do not send The Appalachian Voice / I prefer to read it online.

❍ $35 ❍ $250 ❍ $50 ❍ $500 Appalachian Voices has never been better positioned to usher in a cleaner and ❍ $100 ❍ Other $______healthier future — through our work with residents in impacted communities, ❍ Make me a Mountain Protector monthly donor tracking down polluters, and expanding our focus on solutions for the region. at $______/month ($10 minimum) Membership Level

But to do this, we need your support. Help us continue to make strides toward a MC/VISA # ______positive future for Appalachia by donating today. ______Expiration date ______Security Code______Signature ______

Name______❑ Make this a gift Mail this completed form to: membership for: City ______State ______Zip ______171 Grand Blvd, Boone, NC 28607 Email ______Or visit: AppVoices.org/donate