FREE AppalachianThe Voice December 2014 / January 2015
Spectacular Sandhill Cranes
Measuring Breaking Mountaintop the Health of Boundaries in Removal: Appalachia Regional Art Here and Now The ss A AppalachianVOICE A Note from Our Executive Director ro ppalachia Ac Environmental News From Around the Region A publication of At first, I couldn’t believe what our Appalachian Water Watch team had discovered earlier this year: AppalachianVoices almost 28,000 violations of the Clean Water Act by a single coal company in eastern Kentucky. It appeared to be the most extensive incident of noncompliance in the law’s 42-year history. NC: 171 Grand Blvd., Boone, NC 28607 • 828-262-1500 Plans Map a Future for Appalachian Forests VA: 812 East High Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902 • 434-293-6373 Frasure Creek Mining had duplicated or otherwise falsified hundreds of the water pollution reports it DC: 122 C St NW, Ste 240, Washington, DC 20001 • 202-266-0479 is required to send to the state. And over the course of a full year and a half, state regulators apparently George Washington Forest Plan Unveiled Draft Plan for Nantahala and Pisgah failed to notice. AppalachianVoices.org | [email protected] It’s shocking — but alas, not a surprise. This level of callous disregard for the laws meant to protect By Kimber Ray development. The 1993 version of the National Forests Stirs Debate Editor...... Jamie Goodman our health, safety and natural heritage is all too common among Appalachia’s coal companies, regula- management plan allowed oil and gas Managing Editor...... Molly Moore After more than 50,000 public leasing on 995,000 acres. By Travis Hall outcroppings or near streams. Associate Editor...... Kimber Ray tors and often politicians. comments and seven years of debate Contributing Editor...... Brian Sewell Additional provisions in the plan Kelley also expressed concern This wasn’t the first time we caught Frasure Creek Mining falsifying pollution records and found the between citizens, government officials, The U.S. Forest Service drew criti- Contributing Editor...... Eliza Laubach state apparently asleep at the switch. In 2010, Appalachian Voices discovered 9,000 violations by the address the heightened risk of for- about the state of oil and gas regulations Distribution Manager...... Maeve Gould environmentalists and the energy indus- cism from many western North Caroli- est fires posed by climate change by in the two forests. Editorial Assistant...... Barbara Musumarra company over a two-year period. We and our allies in Kentucky took legal action, but the state proposed try, the U.S. Forest Service has released na conservationists in November when raphic esign ssistant atie ohnson “The gas boom facilitated by frack- G D A ...... K J settlement deals with the company amounting to little more than a slap on the wrist. a new management plan for the 1.1-mil- increasing the number of annual pre- it announced a draft plan that will guide Web Design Assistant...... Allison Cook ing has created a demand for more In light of the latest spate of violations, in November we and our partners served a new notice of our lion acre George Washington National scribed burns, while stream protection the future of the Pisgah and Nantahala energy pipelines, and national forests DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Jacqueline Andrusky, Alison Auciello, Karen intent to sue Frasure Creek. A week later, in a major victory, a Kentucky judge struck down the earlier Forest. The plan will guide management buffersare extended from 66 to 100 feet. National Forests for the next 15 years. Austin, Debbie Bahr, Heather Baker, Becky Barlow, Aaron Barr, Shawn Becker, are often easier and cheaper to deal with settlements, noting that the company’s systemic violations almost certainly caused “degradation of the in the forest, located primarily in Vir- The plan also increased the number of Environmentalists balked at a Bob Belton, Blue Smoke Coffee, Maria Bolton-Joubert, Charlie Bowles, Cindy acres deemed suitable for timber harvest than hundreds of small landowners,” he Bowles, Lynn Brammer, Steve Brooks, Teri Crawford Brown, Sarah Smith environment” and the state’s weak actions created a “regulatory climate in which the [state agency] sends ginia, for the next 10-15 years. proposal within the plan that would says. “The forest plan needs to include Caskey, Charlie Chakales, Kim and Shay Clanton, Patty Clemens, Darlene the message that cheating pays.” A majority of the comments called from 350,000 to 452,000, endanger- open nearly 700,000 acres — roughly 70 Cunningham, Sister Beth Davies, Deborah Deatherage, Finley Dula, David Dyer, protections against poorly planned and As coal companies continue to benefit from a widespread failure to enforce the law, the toll on the citi- for officials to prevent oil and natural ing what environmental group Wild percent of the contiguous 1 million acres Nels Erickson, Lauren Essick, Lara Foster, Frank Frey, Charles Garratt, Dave Virginia estimates to be 23,000 acres of cited energy development.” Gilliam, Scott Goebel, Lisa Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Gary Greer, Kelly Griffin, Bill zens and communities of Appalachia is clear — higher-than-average rates of cancer gas drilling in the forest, which contains that make up the Pisgah and Nantahala The current plan does not anticipate Harris, Susan Hazlewood, Sandy Heim, Sharon Helt, Paige Higginson-Rollins, and birth defects, persistent poverty, poisoned streams and a deep-rooted sense the southern portion of the Marcellus potential habitat for the endangered National Forests — to large-scale timber Cary and Karen Huffman, Tim Huntley, Pamela Johnston, Mary K., Denny fracking or natural gas pipelines, but of place rocked by the blasts of explosives that flatten mountain after mountain. Shale formation. Officials responded by Indiana Bat. A recommendation in harvesting operations. Keeney, Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Susan Lewis, Loy Lilley, Debra Locher, the plan to increase wilderness areas the revision process will include a new Joy Lourie, Diane Lucas, Gail Marney, Mast General Store, Kathy McClory, Kim The Kentucky ruling is a victory for the waters and communities of Appala- banning new drilling leases, but lacked “There are many places of sig- survey of the forests for oil and gas. Greene McClure, Rich McDonough, Mike McKinney, Ed and Pam McNally, Steve chia, but as our latest revelations indicate, there is more work to be done. The authority on about 167,000 acres where from 40,000 to 70,000 acres and create nificant value that go unrecognized in Moeller, Nick Mullins, Catherine Murray, Don O’Dell, Bob Partida, Dave Patrick, All national forests have governing fight for justice continues. landowners maintain private mineral a 90,000-acre National Scenic Area on the current plan,” says Josh Kelley, a JW Randolph, Bronwyn Reece, Martin Richards, Carol Rollman, Kristin Rouse, Shenandoah Mountain must gain fur- plans that are updated periodically. Jenny Rytel, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe Scardo, For the waters, rights, and on another 10,000 acres that field biologist with the Western North Nantahala and Pisgah are among the Frank Schaller, Kathy Selvage, Brian Shults, Brenda Sigmon, Rachel Simon, were previously leased for drilling ther federal approval. Carolina Alliance. “Areas that contain Lucy Spencer, Jennifer Stertzer, Zach Swick, Robert Thompson, Mike Wade, first national forests to conduct their old-growth forests, rare species habitat, Bill Wasserman, Dean Whitworth, Amy Wickham, Graham Williams, Barbara planning process under a new policy Williamson, Diana Withen, Zach Witt, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman Tom Cormons, Executive Director and have high recreational value are be- Stars Twinkle in Calhoun County that was established in 2012. The Forest ing lumped into the same categories as Printed on 100% recycled newsprint, cover 40% recycled paper, all soy-based inks Service hopes to complete the plan in By Barbara Musumarra starpark site in late September to evalu- areas that do not have those qualities.” ate the potential of upgrading the park 2016. A comment period on potential In West Virginia’s rural Calhoun Stevin Westcott, a public affairs of- See more at appvoices.org/calendar to meet requirements for the Inter- wilderness areas runs through the environmental & cultural events County, which boasts some of the darkest ficer with the U.S. Forest Service, says GET INVOLVED middle of December, and several plan national Dark Sky Association’s gold that “scientific forestry” will always Wandering Storytellers at Doris Ulmann Gallery, Berea College, Berea, 25th Annual Wilderness garden pests by attracting beneficial insects, skies across the eastern United States, a rating. Planned improvements include alternatives will be released for review Dec. 29, 7-8:45 p.m.: Appalachian storyteller Ky. Call (859) 985-3530 or visit berea.edu/art/ Wildlife Week and build an artful insect hotel to take home. proposed starpark will allow profession- be the basis for any permitted timber installing restrooms and electric power, in June 2015. Octavia Sexton. Open-mic opportunities. $5 doris-ulmann-galleries Jan. 24-31, 8 a.m-7:30 p.m.: Celebrate the $30/member, $40/non-member. University of al and amateur astronomers to study the harvests. He points out that, while the which is necessary for professional, To offer input, contact the Forest donation. Farish Theater, Lexington Public Li- Old Christmas at Natural Tunnel Great Smoky Mountains National Park with ex- Tennessee Gardens, Knoxville, Tenn. Call (865) night sky with minimal light pollution. overall acreage available for timber har- brary, Lexington, Ky. Call (502) 223-4523 or visit hibits, workshops, music and nature walks. Free. 974-7151 or visit utgardens.wildapricot.org/ high-powered telescopes. Service at [email protected], Jan. 10, 5-7 p.m.: Rediscover traditional Appala- Although locals have long appreci- vest has increased in the current draft kystory.org/progs-and-activs/wandering.shtml LeConte Center, Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Call (865) UTGardensEvents or mail comments to National Forests chian Christmas celebrations with period dressed “Job creation is a goal of the project,” plan, harvesting is down by 35 percent 453-8574 or visit mypigeonforge.com/events ated the unobstructed views provided First Day Hikes re-enactors, snacks and caroling. Free. The Block- Last Mountain Film Screening in North Carolina, Nantahala-Pisgah by the Calhoun County Park’s moun- states Dr. Tim Ezzell, lead researcher over the last 25 years. He also says that Jan. 1: More than 400 hikes nationwide. Find house, Natural Tunnel State Park, Duffield, Va. Call Virginia Conservation Lobby Day Feb. 1, 6:30-9 p.m.: Through a West Virginia Plan Revision, 160 Zillicoa St., Suite A, tain vantage point, the park is relatively for the initiative and director of the logging will never be allowed on rocky First Day Hikes near you at your local state park (276) 940-2674 or visit dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks Jan. 26, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.: Promote sustain- community’s fight to protect their mountains, this Asheville, N.C. 28801. unknown to professional stargazers. Community Partnership Center at the website or americanhiking.org/first-day-hikes Volunteer Eagle Survey able environmental decisions with the Virginia documentary exposes the harmful impacts of Conservation Network. Volunteers will lobby leg- coal on health, biodiversity, the economy and the University of Knoxville. Plans to include Coalfields and Molasses Exhibit Jan. 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: All birder levels wel- When the Appalachian Regional Com- islators after a briefing on legislative proposals. climate. Screening followed by a short question community members in local workforce Jan. 5-Feb. 27: Carnegie Hall will display comed to watch the skies and waterways for mission provided funding for the $20, includes lunch. Richmond, Va. Registration and answer session with sponsoring organization, development programs are in the works. West Virginia’s New Deal-era photography golden and bald eagles throughout the park. University of Knoxville in 2010 to help required. Visit vcnva.org Appalachian Voices. Snacks provided. Free. Great and explore early 20th century labor strife in Free. Pipestem Resort State Park, W. Va. Call (304) “It’s a fascinating opportunity Hall of the Living Learning Center, Appalachian five underdeveloped counties, locals the coal mines. Opening reception Jan. 16, 466-1800 or visit wvstateparks.com/calendar.html Cast Iron Cookoff for a really poor rural county off the State University, Boone, N.C. Contact Kimber at began to evaluate how they could use 5-8 p.m., featuring “An Evening of Coal Mining Jan. 30 & 31: Teams of amateur cooks paired beaten path,” says Calhoun County Fee Free National Park Entrance Day (828) 262-1500 or [email protected] the park to encourage tourism. Univer- Songs.” Book club discussion with Storming Jan. 21: Martin Luther King Day celebrated with with the region’s finest chefs compete to create official Bob Weaver. Over the years, Heaven author Denise Giardina, Feb. 12. innovative dishes using native ingredients and Business of Farming Conference sity researchers collected 300 survey fee free national park entrances and commercial Weaver has observed astronomers Matewan film screening Feb. 23, 7 p.m. Free. tours. Visit: nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm traditional cast iron cookware. Local Appalachian Feb. 14, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.: Attend workshops responses from amateur astronomers Lewisburg, W. Va. Call (304) 645-7917 or visit dinner and dancing to follow Saturday awards and network with area farmers, agricultural reflecting interest in the endeavor. filtering in by the thousands, a trend N.C. Waterfowl Conservation carnegiehallwv.com ceremony. Hosted by the Collaborative for the professionals and marketing specialists. Friday Many gathered at the proposed he hopes will continue to bolster the Stamp Competition 21st Century Appalachia. $150 entry, access to afternoon intensive offsite workshops, 12-4 community’s tourism. Overburden: Stripping Away the Jan. 23: Artist entry deadline for the 2015-16 duck Mountains and Its People Friday team meeting. $40, Saturday event only. p.m., $15-30. Saturday conference rates vary, About the Cover stamp. Print and stamp sale proceeds support wa- Marriott Town Center, Charleston, W. Va. Call (304) breakfast and lunch included. The Sherrill Center, Jan. 8, 12 p.m: Shawn Skabelund will discuss terfowl habitat conservation. $7,000 prize, must be As a child in the Sandhills of western Nebraska, Dan Sommers was familiar with the annual his art exhibition exploring “changes that 610-3180 or visit castironcookoff.org UNC Asheville, N.C. Visit: asapconnections.org/ crane migration and the birds’ distinct calls. It wasn’t until moving to Chattanooga more than 18+ to enter. Visit: ecwguild.com/ecw-arts-festival/ events/business-of-farming-conference/ humans make on the land and cultures of a north-carolina-duck-stamp-competition Artful Habitats for Beneficial Insects 20 years later that he heard their sound again. This image was taken at Hiwassee Nature given area.” Free. On display Jan. 11-Feb. 15 Jan. 31, 1 - 3 p.m.: Learn how to manage Preserve in November 2012. View more of his work on Flickr.com with the username Dan738. December 2014/ January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 3 cross Appalachia A Environmental News From Around the Region Scant Action One Year After Elk River Chemical Spill comments on the proposal will be ac- cepted until Dec. 17. By Kimber Ray Eight days after the spill, Freedom fund a full cleanup of the spill site. West Virginia American Water, Industries filed for bankruptcy and, by Roughly one year after a coal- A proposed agreement with the the private water utility which serves April, company executives registered processing chemical spill by Freedom West Virginia Department of Environ- residents affected by the spill, is under an identical company, Lexycon LLC, Industries contaminated the drink- mental Protection this November would investigation by state authorities for which in May was granted approval to ing water of more than 300,000 West lessen Freedom’s cleanup responsibility. potentially allowing customers to drink purchase former Freedom properties. Virginia residents, cleanup of the site Under existing orders from the agency, contaminated water due to inadequate remains incomplete and disciplinary Federal fines against Freedom total the company must remove all detectable emergency planning and response. and preventative action by state and $11,000, and a $3 million settlement be- contamination from the spill site but, if Fourteen businesses and individuals federal officials has been minimal. Even tween Freedom Industries and residents allowed to enter the agency’s voluntary have sued the utility and additional in November, a poll by local news sta- affected by the spill was finalized in toxic cleanup program, cleanup levels companies connected to the spill, in- tion WSAZ found that only 50 percent September using money from the com- can be based on potential risks of hu- cluding the chemical manufacturer, of affected residents were drinking pany’s insurance policy. With the added man exposure. This risk is disputed due and a hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15, their tap water, compared to 81 percent expense of almost $2 million in legal fees, to a lack of scientific studies on health 2015. A federal grand jury investigation before the spill. Freedom claims to now lack capacity to effects of the spill chemicals. Public against Freedom Industries is ongoing. Brook Trout Brought Home Kentucky Town Earns Hiking Distinction By Barbara Musumarra The U.S. Forest Service and the Ten- By Kimber Ray a new 8.3-mile trail that joins Olive Hill to nessee Wildlife Resources Agency Carter Caves State Resort Park. Little Stoney Creek in the Cherokee State tourism maps will feature a new partnered to select the site and prepare The Kentucky Trail Town Program, National Forest is once again teeming destination now that Olive Hill, located the stream for the brook trout release. created in 2012, supports more diverse with Southern Appalachian brook trout. in Carter County, is Kentucky’s fourth Although historically abundant in economies by encouraging towns to con This fall, the Tennessee Aquarium Con- official Trail Town. The honorary cer- - southern Appalachia, brook trout popu- servation Institute released 1,100 of the emony held this November marked more nect to state park trail systems. Designat- lations drastically declined during the fish into their native waters. than two years of collaboration between ed towns qualify for grant assistance and twentieth century when habitats were Researchers will track the trout’s citizen volunteers and city and state park are also promoted in highway signage, damaged by problems such as poor growth and survival rate through data officials on efforts to enhance the town’s visitor guides and online. logging practices, acid rain and the collected by a coded wire tag that was outdoor and downtown assets, including Visit: kentuckytourism.com/out- introduction of non-native trout injected into each fish prior to release. . door-adventure/sites-services WV Wetlands Welcome Extra Funding Counting Birds, A Holiday Tradition By Kimber Ray friendly counting competition to help By Barbara Musumarra Protection Agency, funds projects to eval- assess bird population health across the uate and improve wetland health. Of the Tens of thousands of birdwatch- West Virginia wetlands received a Americas. The data, compiled in The six grant recipients in the Mid-Atlantic, ers will take part in the world’s oldest flood of good fortune, thanks to a $700,000 Audubon Society’s database, provides the West Virginia environmental agency citizen science survey this winter dur- grant awarded to the state Department of an important resource for researchers received the largest sum, and aims to ing the Annual Audubon Christmas Natural Resources this October. investigating bird conservation. use the money to develop a protocol for Bird Count from Dec. 14 to Jan. 5. This The Wetland Program Development Visit: birds.audubon.org/christ- assessing wetland health, and to support 115-year-old tradition invites teams Grant, given by the U.S. Environmental mas-bird-count protection and restoration efforts. of new and seasoned birders to join a
Page 4 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/ January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 5 Remembering an Environmental Warrior My favorite thing about Lenny was that he wasn’t just about the land, he was equally about the people. When asked what he did for a living, he enny Kohm was an activist who inspired countless people, from the Arctic would always respond, “I’m in the people empowerment business.” Lto Appalachia, to stand up and exercise their right to protect the land and ~ Brian O’Donnell, executive director, Conservation Lands Foundation communities they love. Below are just a fraction of the tributes already made to this hero known by many as “The Chief.” As renowned writer Terry Tempest Armed with his belief in the power of ordinary people I am immensely grateful to have Williams so eloquently stated: to change the world, Lenny inspired known and learned from this thousands across the country to take time in giant spirit of a human being “He was singular in his wit and wisdom for the wild. Passionate, and activist, and will always their lives as mothers, fathers, doctors, electricians, smart, and humble, he touched all of us … His legacy is love.” remember his mantra: or teachers to stand up for our common natural heritage, from the Arctic to Appalachia. He was — “We have to win, and is — a legend among activists. it’s not an option.” Celebrating a Life Well-lived
The Book of Lenny ~ Tom Cormons, executive director, Appalachian Voices ~ Anna Jane Joyner, Here Now On a perfect, sunny Appalachian October campaign consultant, Purpose By Matt Wasson day, friends and family gathered at the base of Grandfather Mountain, N.C., to honor and In September, Appalachian Voices lost a dear celebrate the life and legacy of “The Chief.” member of our family. Lenny Kohm worked at Ap- An Advocate for the Wild Places We came from all across the country — folks palachian Voices for nearly 13 years, during which California and the Yukon came the furthest, time his wisdom and deep understanding of what By Brooks Yeager, Former Deputy As- humor. He made up for his small stature while others traveled from West Virginia, moves people to take action became woven into the sistant Secretary for Environment and by being indelibly large in spirit. There Florida, Tennessee and just around the corner from his home in Todd. We spent the fabric of the organization. Lenny Kohm devoted nearly 30 years of his life to helping people find and use Development at U.S. Department of State was no fight too large, nor adversary too Lenny came to Appalachian Voices in 2001 af- their voice for change. Above, talking to an attendee at a citizen lobby training in daunting, to frighten Lenny. He took on, afternoon listening to loving tributes filled with ter 15 years working to protect the Arctic National Washington, D.C.,; at left, on a river in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, Yukon Territory. Lenny Kohm was an extraordinary in turn, the oil industry’s drive to drill the lots of laughter (and not a few tears). The Jewish Kaddish was read, and a Luci Beach Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling. I had taken the organizer and advocate for the wild Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the coal from the Gwich’in Nation played a quitter’s job of executive director a week earlier and had or to logic, but by going to their constituents and a campaign unless you’re going into it with a commit- places of the earth. In mid-life, he tran- industry’s lust to deflower the Appala- requiem. And after a good old-fashioned very little idea of how to go about running an en- building a base. ment to do what it takes to win. sited from a career in jazz drumming to chian highlands, and the professional en- photography, wandered to Alaska, and potluck, we sat around a bonfire deep into vironmental campaign, much less an organization. Lenny was skeptical of any strategy that did not Lenny had many wise and witty sayings we called vironmental movement’s inertia towards Mary Anne Hitt, director of the Sierra spent two seasons taking hundreds of the crisp autumn night, sharing stories and Fortunately, Lenny was my guide and mentor, as he involve “boots on the ground,” by which he meant “Lennyisms” that are now woven into the fabric and complacency and bureaucratization. raising a toast (or three) to The Chief we all Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign (top) and marvelous and evocative pictures of was for all of the staff of Appalachian Voices in the going out to speak directly with the constituents of lore of Appalachian Voices. Lenny loved life. His humor and loved and admired. Luci Beach (above), representative of the subsequent years. the decision-maker you are trying to move. Most of “You’ve got to get outside of yourself,” Lenny the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and laughter lit his way. He was an excel- Gwich’in Nation, were among the speakers And on another lovely, sunny day in early The first week, Lenny invited me over to his house all, he wanted no part of any campaign that failed to would say. “You’ve got to go to where people are at.” the Gwich’in people who subsist there. lent musician, and a mimic. His Eastern at the October memorial celebration, while Recognizing that the refuge he had December, a group of friends traveled to friends in Negril, Jamaica, made buttons to drink bourbon, or so he said. His real intention was put people who are directly impacted by the problem And most memorably, “Do it in a good way.” European voices were particularly pow- Negril, Jamaica, — a place that Lenny dearly come to love and that the caribou which for the beach-side ceremony (at left). to begin teaching me the fundamentals of working for out front. “Never lobby without a hangover” was one of the erful, and often riotously funny, loved and that had become his second fed the Gwich’in were both threatened justice and protecting the environment. But as much as he embodied and cherished his more interesting Lennyisms. What he meant is that because they drew on his own home — to scatter his ashes into the clear, blue waters of the Caribbean sea and by oil development, he spent the next “Strategy,” Lenny explained, “is figuring out what role as mentor, Lenny was never pedantic. He was when you go to the capitol your most important job is heritage. He was not one to celebrate his life with his Jamaican friends. Affectionately known as Lennystock, decade driving from hamlet to hamlet victory looks like and working backward from there.” inspirational. Continued on next page comfort hypocrites, nor to the trip had originally been planned as a celebration for Lenny’s 75th birthday. in the lower-48, showing his slideshow Lenny had little patience for tactics that were not “When you work for justice,” accept laziness or mediocrity. As the Chief would say, if you’re going to do something, “Do it in a good way.” part of a plausible path to victory. “Never let your Lenny would say, “you have a kind to anyone who would listen, at public But he was never arrogant, tactic become your goal,” he often warned. And while of magic. Your job is to go out and libraries, colleges, and churches. He was even though his accomplish- he had nothing against conferences or demonstra- give that magic away. You can’t try always accompanied, in these forays, by ments surely warranted pride. tions, anyone who suggested holding one with Lenny to hoard it or it disappears, but if a member of the Gwich’in Tribe. Most of all, he loved the way ordi- chapters for that book is something At a time when Congress was regu- The Book of Lenny present had to be prepared to answer his inevitable you keep giving it away you never nary Americans respond when they see Continued from previous page we may never know, but I told Lenny question, “What comes out the other side?” run out.” larly floating proposal after proposal to clearly what is at stake in a conservation many times, “you don’t need to write Lenny also told me that to be really valuable Lenny also said that the step in drill the refuge, his effort was strategic: struggle. He believed in the American to make friends and build relationships. a book — WE ARE your book.” I was in this movement, you need to learn how Congress any campaign is to appoint the vic- he always knew which were the swing people, in their judgment, in their fair- For Lenny, being an activist wasn’t just referring to the many of us who learned works, as well as how to move legislators, which in tory party committee. This was his districts, and which local congressmen ness, and in their love for their land. about what you do, but about who you most of what we know about activism his view was not done by appealing to their hearts way of saying not to bother starting were in need of additional backbone That belief made him a superlative are — on or off the clock. from him. from home. He covered most of the Unit- organizer. In an era in which at least In the last years of his life, Lenny Like everyone at Appalachian Lenny was an activist, a teacher, a philosopher, I will miss you, Lenny. Thank you for helping ed States in what can only be described some environmental community leaders cut back to part-time in order to spend Voices, and thousands of others whose
a warrior, a mentor, a friend. He changed the way me recognize and embrace my own personal power, as a broken-down jalopy, because, until appear to think that campaigns are best more time in his beloved Jamaica. He lives he touched, I’m proud to be a
I thought about activism and offered me guidance for reminding me that it’s ok to laugh even when the his friends chipped in to help, he didn’t conducted by e-mail, facebook, and so- planned to write a book, and spent page in Lenny’s book. And now that when I needed it over the years. He was always gen- battle is raging around us, and for inviting me to sit “ have the money to buy a better car. countless hours sitting on the beach no chapters will ever be written, it’s erous with his trustworthy wisdom, but perhaps the at the “grown-ups table” of environmental activism. cial media, Lenny knew that you had to Lenny’s humility and commitment with a Red Stripe in one hand and his most enlightening thing Lenny ever said to me was They will have to go through me, too. touch people in person, and reach their our responsibility to carry his legacy to were legendary among his many friends computer on his lap. during an interview we did with him back in 2008: — Parson Brown, co-founder and director “ hearts, to move them to effective action. another generation of activists. “If everyone woke up and said, ‘You’ll have to of Topless America and the thousands of people he touched And he did. Whether he ever started writing go through me, too’ then we’ve already won.” with his words, his photographs, and his
Page 6 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/ January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 7 Breaking Boundaries Appalachian artists craft a contemporary twist on regional art art around the region Westside Wonder Mural tural mixed media), Mira Gerard to package peoples’ stories that no one create papier-mache animal sculptures By Megan Northcote Charleston, W.Va. (figure painting and video) and wants to hear,” he says. His pieces have using primarily recycled materials, such An Avatar-blue, 42-inch doll with Karla Wozniak (textured paintings). reflected the historic Lexington cholera as brown paper bags and toilet paper Local artist Charles Jupiter Ham- spiked, glitter-plastered hair stands ilton recently completed this col- outbreak, the 1980s AIDS epidemic, ad- tubes, as well as found vintage objects. The Inn at Wise erect amidst a colorful pile of trinkets. orful, 60-foot-wide mural on the dictions and suicides. “I’m big into recycling and wanted Wise, Va. One outstretched arm defiantly wields a Tighe Bullock building as part of to reduce my carbon footprint through miniature sword as a snake coils tightly Morgan’s work blends the unusual a community initiative to revitalize The historic, newly-renovated Inn the work that I do,” says Saylor. around the doll’s torso, its open mouth — electronic parts, rusty springs, doll west Charleston’s downtown. at Wise reopens this December, Making greener art can also hap- showcasing a refurbished mural, poised to attack. heads and gaudy carnival prizes — pen in the literal sense rotating work from the Kentucky So stands the “Pangean Youth,” a with special finds, such as discarded — using found Art Museum of WVU knickknacks. objects from nature. Morgantown, W.Va. Folk Art Center and 147 pieces found-art sculpture commemorating of local art curated by native Ap- No solid boundaries define the Lowell Hayes, a native Tennessean By the summer of 2015, West Vir- Lexington, Ky. artist Robert Morgan’s palachian artist Teresa Robinette work of contemporary Appalachian now residing in Valle Crucis, N.C., has ginia University will unveil this new troubled friend whose naked, blue- as part of a Southwest Virginia artists like Morgan. Some artists are re- focused the latter half of his career on 5,300-square-foot public exhibition tinted body was found lying in a park- A detail from Charles Jupiter Hamilton’s Westside Wonder economic revitalization project. and gallery space that includes an ing lot after a heroin overdose years ago. gional natives, others recent transplants. landscape art, specifically 3-D bas-relief Mural in Charleston, W.Va., depicts community faces. Photo by outdoor sculpture garden. Morgan helped save his friend’s life Some pull from the narratives and imag- construction paintings of Appalachia, Bob Lynn. At right, a John Haywood tattoo strikes a soulful note. Turchin Center for the ery embedded in the region’s landscape using only natural materials gathered Visual Arts that night, which, years later, helped Knoxville Museum of Art and culture, while others reject tradition from his wooded backyard. Boone, N.C. save his own. Knoxville, Tenn. “People tell me that it feels like Breaking Boundaries Growing up in an impoverished and embrace globalized, innovative ap- continued from page 8 art of self-taught artists, says Matt Col- Raised in the High Country, broth- The annual exhibition Contempo- proaches to their work. Yet what unites you can walk right into my work and linsworth, director of the Kentucky Folk er and sister Andrew Abbott and part of eastern Kentucky, Morgan would rill. Since moving to western North rary Focus, which runs from Jan. all of these artists are the stories they that’s exactly what I work to achieve,” Art Center in Morehead. Paige Willow have reunited for spend hours “collecting little things” 30 to April 19, 2015, will showcase each hold, waiting to be told. says Hayes, a retired art instructor from Carolina in 1974, Sherrill has blurred “The hotbeds of self-taught art- their first joint exhibit, Hootenanny! from trash piles and creating “some- the works of three Tennessee art- Appalachian State University. the lines between traditional mediums, ists tend to be found in economically – The Hometown Art Show, on thing out of nothing” with the guidance A “Greener” Approach ists pushing the boundaries of their Like many artists, moving back to creating a hybridization of clay, glass depressed areas,” says Collinsworth. display until Feb. 7, 2015. of his mom, a self-taught artist. Recycled art using found objects is Robert Morgan crafts evocative sculptures genre: Carolina Covington (sculp- Appalachia after an extended absence and metal in his 3-D sculptures. “Even though it’s stylistically primitive, After years of battling drug and an emerging trend in Appalachia and from found materials. “Pangean Youth,” made him more fully appreciate the Having cultivated his craft for years folk art is very much contemporary art.” alcohol addictions, Morgan, now sober across the globe. completed in 2011, stands 42 inches tall. beauty of the mountains and advocate under Penland School of Crafts’ interna- John Haywood is one of these self- and in his sixties, has returned to his Mary Saylor, a 3-D mixed media Tech in Blacksburg, whose work was also for them through his art. For example, tionally recognized instructors, Sherrill taught artists. A native of Risner, Ky., childhood passion of collecting found artist and East Tennessee native, moved showcased at the 2013 show, explores one of his more recent series featured feels compelled to support the region’s Haywood has turned to his work as a objects to create art that tells humans’ back to Knoxville three years ago. Work- digital media art. Through her instal- the Carolina Hemlock trees and helped next generation of artisans. tattoo artist to reconnect with and com- stories. “I’m always looking for ways ing in an animal clinic inspired her to lations, she juxtaposes traditional craft, raise awareness for this native species He currently serves as board presi- memorate his Appalachian roots, which particularly sewing and textile arts, with threatened by the woolly adelgid. dent for the Center for Craft, Creativity, he once shunned. computer technologies, including video and Design in Asheville, which annu- At 13 years old, Haywood allowed his Reforming Tradition projection and photography. ally awards the prestigious Windgate friend’s untrained older brother to give Exhibiting a representative sample As an Australian native, Paterson’s Fellowship to 15 collegiate art students him his first tattoo — a Misfits skull from of Appalachian artists living and work- recent exhibition, “The Nest,” commem- nationwide. the popular American punk-rock band. ing across the region is no small feat. orates her earning American citizenship. “The creativity we have here [in From that point forward, he was hooked. Yet every other year, the William King The installation is designed to provide Asheville and the Appalachian region] is By the summer of 2004, he worked in Museum in Abingdon, Va., showcases a audiences with an outsider’s aerial view our greatest commodity,” Sherrill says. Radcliff, Ky., tattooing soldiers on leave juried exhibition, From These Hills: Con- of America, featuring large mural land- Photographer Megan King gradu- from Fort Knox. After five years of fill- temporary Art in the Southern Appala- scape prints and three woven nests, each ated from East Tennessee State Univer- ing non-stop tattoo requests, Haywood chian Highlands, which does just that. containing projected images of dogs, cats sity in 2013 with degrees in Spanish and returned to Whitesburg and opened his The 2013 show included mixed media and Paterson herself, narrated by the photography. A native of Bristol, Tenn., own shop, The Parlor Room, in 2011. Abandoned House Quilts from Jeana Eve sounds of nature’s rhythmic breathing. her photography series, “Hispanic Ap- Haywood esteems tattooing as Klein, associate professor of fiber arts at Blurring Borders palachia,” was selected for the 2013 a fine art, incorporating the paint- Appalachian State University. Her pieces From These Hills exhibition. For 24 years, Blue Spiral 1, a promi- ing principles he learned earning a transform regional quilting traditions Growing up in a more conservative nent art gallery in Asheville, N.C., has master’s degree at the University of through a playful process that explores Appalachian community, King wanted showcased a sampling of regional art- Louisville. Yet, he says he is most proud the forgotten human stories behind these her images to raise awareness of the ists’ work. of those tattoos he creates that reflect houses; each quilt splices together manip- rapidly growing Hispanic populations in “The things that interest me and my a regional identity and confront Ap- ulated digital images of self-discovered East Tennessee in the hopes of building gallery the most are those works that palachian stereotypes. “Here [in Ap- abandoned houses, which were then acceptance and easing racial tensions. stem from traditions, but are a more palachia] I get to do tattoos that come superimposed onto fabrics, sewn together modern take on those art forms,” says Rooted in the region from the minds of people who have a and embellished with paint. Jeana Eve Klein’s Abandoned House Quilts combine the reality of the present with imaginings of Jordan Ahlers, gallery director. similar background as me. I don’t want Likewise, Simone Paterson, associ- Contemporary art in eastern Ken- the past. The North Carolina artist’s 2012 work “Any Day in June” is comprised of acrylic paint, One of these artists is Michael Sher- tucky is often centered around the folk my art to go over people’s heads.” digital printing and dye on recycled fabric and is 63 inches tall by 69 inches wide. ate professor of new media art at Virginia continued on page 9 Page 8 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/ January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 9 Appalachia’s Health Checkup Appalachia’s Health Checkup Continued from page 10 tute, Tomman adopts a like-minded view. After lights, and Pennington Gap in Lee noticing similar patterns County, Va., recently received funding of poor health indicators Region faces escalating medical need, to install exercise stations along their in counties in East Ten- walking trails. In addition to countering responds with community-based initiatives nessee and southwest obesity and heart disease, establishing Virginia, the Healthy Ap- an active routine can also help people palachia Institute hosted By Molly Moore are likely at risk for the same ailments break the cycle of substance abuse. an event to build cross- that saddle the region as a whole. This holistic approach is being Some days people meet The Health state, regional awareness Appalachians are disproportionately employed across the region. In eight Wagon at the Lee County airport in of the issue. Attendees in- affected by cardiovascular disease, western North Carolina counties, an southwest Virginia. Other days, it’s cluded leaders in health, diabetes, obesity and specific cancers initiative called MountainWise is sur- A new mobile health unit recently replaced an aging vehicle that had become unsafe to drive. the community center in Dickenson economic development and education, such as lung, colorectal and cervical, veying the health impacts of a vast Mobile units allow The Health Wagon to reach patients in remote areas, and also provide low-cost County, or a local church. No matter fields that Tomman says “are so closely facilities that help keep overhead costs low. Photo courtesy The Health Wagon according to “Appalachian Health and suite of community policies — such where the mobile clinic vehicle pulls up, intertwined you can’t really do one Well-being,” published in 2012. Kidney Volunteers facilitate a vision test at a health fair in Wise, Va., organized by The Health Wagon. as transportation and park plans — in local residents step into a small waiting Nearly all patients at the free healthcare clinics hosted by the aid organization Remote Area Medical without the other.” disease, mental and oral health, trau- an effort to integrate health goals into area, where they are greeted by a local are in need of dental and vision care, says founder Stan Brock. Photo courtesy The Health Wagon In one Virginia initiative, more than Learn more matic injuries and substance abuse are county and town development. volunteer before heading to one of the 20 regional collaborators are creating an also regional concerns. The organization has since hosted 742 such as monthly screenings in Wise to The ambitious undertaking is the One of the chief barriers to The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation clinic’s two exam rooms to meet with a outdoor recreation plan called “Health healthcare access in Appa- publishes annual county-level information Dr. Joseph Smiddy, medical director events in 11 states. The nation’s largest help diagnose cervical cancer and other first of its kind in the United States, ac- nurse-practitioner for a donation-based is Right Outside” that combines health lachia is the region’s shortage about health outcomes and factors that at both the Health Wagon in southwest annual event is held in partnership with women’s health issues. Despite this, cording to MountainWise, a project of or free medical appointment. and economic goals. The beauty of the of medical providers. Read about efforts influence health. Explore data about your Virginia as well as Body and Soul Min- The Health Wagon in Wise County, Va. she says, “We have to do something for the North Carolina Community Trans- Nearly 25 years after Sister Bernie Appalachian Mountains offers tourism to combat this shortage at appvoices. area at countyhealthrankings.org. istries in Belize, says more people in the At the RAM clinics, volunteers set up these patients because there are patients formation Grant Project and the Centers org/thevoice. Kenny first traveled the mountain and economic development opportuni- region are falling out of the healthcare scores of dental chairs and examination that are dying here without care.” for Disease Control and Prevention. The roads in a Volkswagen Beetle bringing ties, and Cantrell hopes that efforts to system now than when he began char- facilities, and doctors arrive to donate results of the assessments will be used healthcare to those in need, her ministry Steps Toward market area trails and rivers to visitors ity work 15 years ago. In his experience, their services. Some bring their own to facilitate access to healthy food, pro- has grown into a full-fledged south- Transformation will also entice locals to nearby outdoor cancers are now being diagnosed later equipment too; Smiddy arrives with a vide opportunities for physical activity west Virginia nonprofit organization activities. “There’s a lot here that the in life than they were several years ago, 70-foot tractor-trailer rigged with two Margaret Tomann, program man- and support tobacco-free areas. with two stationary facilities and two average person living in this area can and dental work is now more expensive digital X-ray machines. ager at the Healthy Appalachia Institute Improvements in physical activity mobile units. benefit from and enjoy,” she says. relative to the economy. People are not — a collaborative effort at University of and nutrition are most achievable when Today The Health Wagon is run by Most patients who make the early- Cantrell reflects that some actions to receiving mental health or preventative Virginia’s College at Wise — acknowl- there is a solid foundation of education Dr. Teresa Gardner, a family nurse prac- morning journey to the temporary health improve health must be taken on an in- care, he says, and epidemics of lung dis- edges the need in the region but believes and economic security, says Cantrell. titioner. She began working alongside clinics are motivated by a pressing need dividual level, but other changes, such ease, diabetes and obesity are worsening. it’s just as important to recognize lo- Someone juggling multiple jobs is less Sister Kenny in 1993 and speaks about to see the dentist or eye doctor, but while as improving the high school gradu- The gap in healthcare coverage is cal examples of success. Indeed, the likely to have the time and energy for the region’s health needs with genuine waiting in line they are encouraged to ation rate or building a trail network, evident at free clinic events that non- Healthy Appalachia Institute’s stated physical activity, she says, and people who passion and determination. also visit other medical specialists at can be accomplished together. “We can profit organization Remote Area Medi- goal is “to transform Central Appala- succeed in school are more likely to have “I have never seen the need more the event. Through these visits, RAM do it as a community and impact more cal hosts across the country, as hundreds chia into a leading model for rural com- health insurance — and are better posi- dire in my 22 years that I have been here,” providers have identified thousands of people, and potentially their children of people wait in line overnight to munity health throughout the world.” tioned to navigate the healthcare system. Gardner says. “The need is phenomenal. cases of previously undiagnosed diabe- and grandchildren.” receive medical care the following day. That transformation can take place At the Healthy Appalachia Insti- We have patients on a waiting list.” tes, hypertension and cancer. Remote Area Medical, based in on a local level, says Dr. Sue Cantrell, In 2013, The Health Wagon saw Similarly, every visitor to The Health Rockford, Tenn., formed in 1985 to director and acting director of Virginia’s 4,167 separate patients and provided Wagon is screened for diabetes, chronic deliver airborne medical care in de- LENOWISCO and Cumberland Plateau $2.2. million in free medical care. The obstructive pulmonary disease and coro- Mountain Cultures of Health veloping nations, but began operating Health Districts. Social and environ- patients visiting The Health Wagon nary artery disease. The organization Two Appalachian communities Williamson, W.Va., a town with in the United States in the early ‘90s. also hosts regularly scheduled sessions mental factors such as neighborhood were among the six nationwide recipi- exceptionally high rates of obesity, hy- to address specific issues, such as respi- crime and the ability to commute on ents of the Robert Wood Johnson Foun- pertension and diabetes in a state that ratory disease, wound care and endo- safe roads are inextricably linked to health outcomes, she notes. For ex- dation Culture of Health prize for 2014. is already plagued with poor health, crinology — sometimes in collaboration also earned the prize for launching ample, obesity leads to a host of health Buncombe County, N.C., home • Delicious Deli-Style Sandwiches with specialists from the University of to Asheville and surrounding rural health and wellness programs aimed problems, but more kids will walk to Virginia, who provide care remotely via areas, received the award for ad- at reversing the area’s health status. • Homemade Soups school if sidewalks are available and sophisticated, secure video technology. dressing childhood poverty as a root Community initiatives include support • Vegetarian Fare Gardner is frank about the Health the community is safe. cause of poor health and establishing for health-oriented entrepreneur- Wagon’s financial limitations. The eco- By examining barriers to positive a Public Health Advisory Council. The ship, a booming community garden, • And Much More! nomic struggles in southwestern Vir- health choices, these circumstances county’s noteworthy projects include monthly 5k races, and a free clinic — ginia mean there is extraordinarily high can be addressed, piece by piece. To reducing exposure to secondhand built with an energy-efficient design demand for the organization’s services encourage morning and early-evening smoke by making multi-unit housing — that serves Pike and Mingo coun- smoke-free, and creating handbooks ties and includes a comprehensive at a time when resources are especially walkers, a greenway trail system in Big 240 Shadowline Drive, Boone, North Carolina to help families of children with special diabetes outreach program. tight. The nonprofit’s capacity is also Stone Gap now sports solar-powered (828) 262-1250 • www.Peppers-Restaurant.com needs track medical information. taxed by the addition of new services continued on page 11
Page 10 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/ January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 11 As an assortment of pollutants leach into our lives, the harmful effects continue to : surface in public health. Yet many questions about environmental contaminants remain difficult to study, such as long-term health effects of low-level exposure, Linking Human Health and how these different chemicals interact in the environment. and At every stage in the life-cycle of fossil fuels — mining or drilling, transportation, the processing and use — toxic waste contaminates land, air and water. And at the Environment same time that pesticides have allowed food production to expand, these same poisonous chemicals may affect every life form on Earth, from bacteria to humans. Exposed by kimber ray
Fracking to treatment plants, but dangerous levels of Pesticides lice treatment shampoos are also significant there is scant research on the combined effect Coal Combustion contaminants remain even after treatment sources of exposure. Scientists remain divided of multiple pesticides, so the agency notes “the The last decade has seen Whether in food, water or Coal is currently the largest and, in some cases, reaction with disinfec- on whether residues on food are significant potential for adverse effects is likely greater source of global energy. When coal a rapid expansion of the drill- tants may form additional toxic byproducts. air, current research suggests that enough to affect health. than these results indicate.” ing method known as hydraulic no corner of the global environ- is burned, its carbon, hydrogen, Exemption from hazardous waste regu- Up to a quarter of pesticides sprayed oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen and trace metals com- fracturing, or fracking. Sand and chemicals lations allows the solid, treated waste to be ment is spared from pesticide contamination outdoors are carried as far as — including known carcinogens — are mixed — not even the bacteria and fungi needed to bine to form greenhouse gases such as carbon dumped into the same type of landfill as hundreds of miles away. In dioxide, methane and nitrogen oxides. Other with water and injected deep underground to household trash. Most of the liquid treated regenerate soil. samples taken across the country, extract natural gas from shale rock formations. Pesticides include popular products such emissions include sulfur dioxide gas, which can waste is discharged into streams and lakes, the U.S. Geological Survey found contribute to acid rain and respiratory diseases, Yet many chemicals remain unknown because and the remainder is injected into disposal as insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and that pesticides have contributed companies may claim them as trade secrets. rodenticides. Many properties and impacts particulate matter, which can cause lung and wells, where it can seep into groundwater to pervasive air pollution, and heart disease and mercury gas, a neurotoxin. Hydraulic fracturing in Appalachia cur- and has triggered earthquakes. of these chemicals remain unstudied, but the agency has discovered these rently occurs in Ohio and West Virginia, while At this natural gas drilling site, one of more than 100 owned researchers are continuing to uncover links to Clean Air Act regulations have pressured Both wells and waste-containment by EQT in northern West Virginia, diesel emissions from heavy chemicals in underground aqui- the more shallow rock formations in Tennessee, cancer, respiratory diseases and neurological power plants to reduce certain emissions such as ponds can release chemicals into air and drilling equipment pollute the air. Photo courtesy of Wetzel fers that supply drinking water. sulfur gases, but ultimately, once devices known southwest Virginia and Kentucky require an County Action Group impacts such as altered brain development water through evaporation and leaks. In Pesticides also drain into as scrubbers remove these pollutants from the alternative process called nitrogen fracking, Pennsylvania, state officials this summer and Parkinson’s disease. Some pesticides surface watersheds — in 2014, explosion hazard and contributor to climate air, the resulting toxic sludge instead pollutes which replaces much of the water in fracking confirmed 243 known cases of private drinking break down into less harmful substances the USGS estimated that nearly change. Carcinogens in the mix include arsenic, our water. This scrubber sludge is often mixed fluid with nitrogen gas. water well contamination by the natural gas over time, but others, such as DDT, can per- all national waterways contain at benzene and formaldehyde. As benzene and with coal ash — another byproduct of burning As much as 90 percent of fracking fluids industry since drilling expanded in 2008. sist for decades. least one pesticide, often at levels formaldehyde evaporate and join exhaust fumes Agricultural workers are particularly at risk of the dangers posed by coal for electricity — and contaminants such as remain underground, and whatever does return Groundwater and air contaminants con- Agricultural field crop workers face the exceeding federal standards for from transportation vehicles at the drilling site, pesticides used to fight off weeds, funguses and insects. Photo courtesy of arsenic, lead, mercury and selenium are much brings with it new contaminants such as salts, firmed by government and university-led stud- most pronounced and long-term risk of harm, aquatic life, but rarely considered they form ground-level ozone, which causes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency more concentrated in coal ash than in coal itself. radioactive material and heavy metals. This ies include hydrogen sulfide, which can affect but chemicals in products for lawn care, house- dangerous to human health. Yet respiratory diseases. Disposal of this toxic waste is highly con- waste is stored in open-air pits before shipment brain and respiratory health, and methane, an hold pest control, flea and tick collars and troversial. According to a 2007 study by the plants and harm agricultural operations nonprofit Clean Air Task Force, coal ash is the Climate Change largest source of industrial waste in the United by Hendryx, found that even in a controlled lab The unearthed coal is transported to nearby • Livestock will be more vulnerable to heat Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining Much of Appalachia is predicted States, yet there a few state rules and — at press environment, this dust “can cause cancerous processing facilities, separated from soil and stress to experience increased tempera- time — no federal rules directly regulating its Nearly 650 mountaintop re- present in coal, such as arsenic, mercury and changes to human lung tissue,” a finding that rock, then crushed into smaller chunks. This tures and precipitation over the coming Severe weather disposal. Due to this, no matter whether the moval coal mining sites scar the lead, are found in every stage of mining waste. had previously been suggested by health data creates tons of additional dust, which includes decades, with temperatures rising by four to nine • Heavy rainfall may cause flooding and waste is mixed with water and stored in open- landscape of central Appalachia. Neighboring As heavy machinery and explosives remove in nearby impacted communities. particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrous degrees Fahrenheit and fewer — but more intense — storms interspersed with short droughts. threaten communities near coal ash and frack- air, unlined ponds, injected into abandoned communities experience forests — goug- Once removed, rock and soil “overburden” oxides that contribute to acid rain and respira- ing fluid ponds mines, or dried out and shipped to municipal greater levels of air and ing deep into the is dumped into nearby valleys, and has buried tory illnesses as well as cancer. Afterwards, the Heat impacts • Drier periods and increased lightning will landfills, contamination of air and water can — water pollution and suf- land in order to more than 2,000 miles of Appalachian streams. coal is washed using chemicals known to cause • Rising temperatures can heighten the risk of escalate the risk of forest fires and does — occur daily. fer from higher rates of access underlying The water that trickles through the base of cancer and heart and lung damage. heat stroke during the summer and increase Vector-borne diseases Though exact numbers remain unknown, a illness than similar com- coal seams — a these “valley fills” is laden with heavy metals, After washing the coal, the leftover waste production of ground-level ozone, a pollut- 2010 investigation of 137 of the more than 1,300 munities located further mixture of rock dissolved salts and other toxic substances, con- — called slurry— is disposed of either in open- ant that injures lungs and causes respiratory The distribution and severity of diseases carried by coal ash ponds across the nation revealed that away, says Dr. Michael dust and chemical taminating ground and surface water. air, unlined ponds, or injected underground. A illness insects will increase as rising temperatures expand potential habitats and encourage viral mutation. Of “when adequate monitoring systems are estab- Hendryx, a professor of residue left from Streams polluted by mining waste cor- multitude of studies have found that the same • A longer growing season and higher concen- trations of carbon dioxide will stimulate pollen particular concern in the Southeast are: lished and their results are publicly accessible, con- applied health science at the explosives fills respond to increased rates of cancer mortality contaminants present in mining runoff and production and worsen seasonal allergies • Lyme disease from deer ticks tamination is invariably found at virtually every Indiana University who the air. A recent nearby, even after accounting for factors such slurry turn up in drinking water. coal ash pond and landfill currently operating.” has contributed to more air quality study as smoking and poverty, according to a 2010 Food security • Dengue and yellow fever from Aedes aegypti than 30 studies on the near mountaintop mosquitoes Banner photo: The dam holding more than one billion The destruction of mountaintop removal coal mining at a study co-authored by Hendryx and Than Hitt, To discuss these issues, join our upcoming webinar • Although annual rainfall will increase, higher • West Nile virus from Asian tiger mosquitoes gallons of coal ash waste at Tennessee Valley Authority’s subject. Roaring Fork Headwaters site in Wise County, Va. Photo by removal mining a biologist for the U.S. Geological Survey. discussion with a panel of experts this February. temperatures will accelerate evaporation from Kingston Fossil coal-fired power plant collapsed on Dec. Toxic heavy metals Matt Wasson, Appalachian Voices sites, co-authored Visit appvoices.org/webinars Damage persists even after mining ends. 22, 2008. Photo courtesy of Appalachian Voices Crowdfunding Solar in West Virginia Southeast Solar Updates Entrepreneur Banks on the Sun By Eliza Laubach By Eliza Laubach In a state known for coal, solar energy Virginia utility to charge which requires investor-owned utilities to homeowners with generate 12.5 percent of total electricity The contraption looks like a emerges through a grassroots effort large solar arrays from renewables by 2021. While Duke piece of a tanning bed, exposed invests in large-scale solar farms, the on a rooftop, leaning toward the Appalachian Power Company will im- By Eliza Laubach funds to place solar panels on non- utility has indicated that it wants to pay pose a fee on homeowners with solar sun. But rather than emitting profit or municipal buildings. The homeowners less for the energy rooftop Dan Conant affectionately calls his power systems exceeding 10 kilowatts. powerful UV rays, these tubes process mirrors crowdfunding, solar panels provide to the grid. This first successes cutting solar installation Most residential solar systems are not af- capture them and heat water in which depends on donations from has had a chilling effect on rooftop solar costs “barn raisings.” After years of po- fected, but environmental groups decried a process called solar thermal, interested parties, usually solicited installers, according the North Carolina litical organizing in college and shortly the standby charge for its implications on harnessing the sun’s energy online. But crowdfunding is less Sustainable Energy Association. after, he wanted to use community future residential solar development. The at a rate that is more than five practical among small communi- organizing strategies for solar power. charge also weakens the incentive for net Cellphones get a free charge times more effective than most ties and low-income residents, so Policies that have helped to nurture metering, which allows a utility customer in Knoxville, community photovoltaic solar panels. Conant brainstormed an alterna- This Sunbank installation at Bethlehem Farm near Talcott, the solar industry, such as affordable who generates their own electricity to sell solar on Tennessee horizon James Richards, solar en- tive revenue stream. surplus power into the grid. W.Va., is part of a radiant heating system on an energy- leasing options, tax credits and require- On Market Square in downtown Knox- trepreneur, first experimented He partnered efficient house. Photo courtesy Sunbank Solar Water Heaters ments for utilities to purchase renew- Experimental solar power ville, cellphone users could get a free with solar thermal while work- with Mosaic Power, rate is nearly 18 percent. In 2013, Richards able energy credits aren’t offered in his plant may add power charge from the sun in 15 minutes. The ing in Nicaragua for an organization that a company that pays received a fellowship to explore financing home state of West Virginia. to Fluvanna County Tennessee Valley Authority installed their brought alternative energy and water homeowners for their first solar-powered charging kiosk in for the Sunbank on a large scale, which led “I was trying to move back home, Steve Zenman, founder of Virginia-based filtration systems to impoverished com- hot water heater to be October. It can charge up to six phones him to move to California to work with but there weren’t any jobs available at “Community-supported solar builds solar research nonprofit Zenman Ener- munities. When he got back to his par- hooked up to Mosaic’s or tablets at a time and power devices experts and take advantage of the state’s that point,” says Conant. He instead awareness about where electricity comes gies, obtained approval from Fluvanna ents’ home in West Virginia, he took his remote system. Creat- for up to two days without sun. TVA’s progressive policies and support for solar. worked in Virginia and Vermont, help- from,” says Than Hitt, center, holding his County in October to build a concentrat- research, refined it and produced the Sun- ing a smart grid, Mosa- next step in solar will fund a minimum While Richards has shifted his focus ing pioneer innovative neighborhood- daughter Hazel at the ribbon-cutting ceremony ed solar power plant. These utility-scale bank, a sophisticated solar water heater ic can then turn the hot for Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church’s 500-megawatt community solar project on pitching the Sunbank to commercial scale methods for going solar. He found systems reflect sunlight from a large that calls on an ageless concept: using the water heater on and off solar array. At left, Mountainview Solar crew for a local power company. In another businesses that have a high demand for ways to lower prohibitive upfront costs, surface area into a small area to create members install the solar panels. Top photo by recent announcement, TVA said that sun to heat water. in response to electric- steam that spins turbines, generating hot water, such as bakeries and breweries which he describes as an effort to “crack Mary Anne Hitt, left photo by Dan Conant they will buy up to 4 megawatts of solar Richards counts himself as lucky to ity demand. The utility power. Zenman is developing a low-cost in his new home base of Santa Cruz, Ca., the code for personal financing.” energy at two cents above market rate have found pockets of the community open pays Mosaic Power for prototype, and will license the project the inventory and distribution remains in As he gained a deeper understand- the church this past August, providing from community solar projects built by to incubating his business in West Virginia. helping them use elec- as open-source to give other designers West Virginia. The jobs in solar are in in- ing of solar financing, Conant saw how ler projects once the initial project is about 40 percent of the church’s elec- local power companies. He anticipated a challenge, but found that tricity more efficiently, and the profit an affordable blueprint. If funding is se- stallation, says Richards, which he leaves difficult it is for nonprofits and munici- paid off. “We’re using energy efficiency tricity. The Shepherdstown Elementary was easy to overcome. “There aren’t much is transferred back to the homeowner cured and construction moves forward, Berea community solar to local contractors. pal organizations to buy solar panels, to fund the solar,” Conant says. School principal brought the fourth and more conservative places,” says Richards. through a $100 yearly payment. Resi- he hopes to connect the plant to the farm doubles in size Recent Sunbank installations in West especially in West Virginia. Nonprofits Conant launched the pilot project fifth grade classes to the ribbon-cutting Dominion Power grid. “It was a good test case.” The West Virginia dents can sign up for Mosaic’s program A community solar farm established in Virginia reflect Richards’ large-scale don’t receive a tax credit, government in his hometown at the Shepherdstown ceremony and pledged to incorporate legislature got rid of a $2,000 solar renew- through Solar Holler, pledging their 2011 by Kentucky’s Berea Municipal outlook. Bethlehem Farm, a Catholic non- entities are unable to take out loans, Presbyterian Church. The congregation solar energy into the educational curricu- Solar battery production able energy credit last year. Although that return to help fund a solar installation Utilities doubled in size this past summer profit retreat center near Talcott, W. Va., and commercial buildings receive less considered solar in the past but could lums. “I think it’s the start of something to breathe new life into did not affect the Sunbank, Richards called on a community building. to 246 panels. A homeowner or business recently ordered eleven Sunbanks for its compensation than homeowners do for not afford it. Than Hitt, church member big,” says Conant. vacant cigarette plant it a bad omen for solar in West Virginia. An investor will buy the solar can lease a panel for $750 and be cred- buildings. Coalfields Development Corpo- surplus power generated by their solar and community organizer, spent three Solar Holler’s goal is to have a proj- In a $68.5 million deal, Swiss start-up “People are pragmatic,” Richards says. panels after enough residents of a com- ited monthly for the energy generated ration, a not-for-profit community organi- panels. After researching how to bring years working with the congregation ect in each of West Virginia’s 55 counties Alevo Group plans to convert a Phillip- “Public support will happen when it makes munity pledge their revenue to a Solar by a solar panel. The utility has leased zation that offers construction training for solar to these community groups with and Shepherdstown community. He within the next five years. Two more Morris cigarette plant in Concord, N.C., 31 of 126 new panels since July. In Oc- financial sense for them.” Holler project to guarantee the investor to manufacture a lithium-ion and graphite low-income residents, will be installing a model that could be duplicated in any provided the initial investment in the projects are currently underway: the tober, the solar farm produced almost 6 At $3,000, the Sunbank costs thousands a return. The pledged hot water heater battery system called the GridBank. five Sunbanks in a renovated apartment state, he created Solar Holler. solar panels. “Self-reliance is a big thing city hall in Lewisburg and the public li- megawatt-hours of energy, enough to less than a solar panel, but is still a substan- payments will cycle to other Solar Hol- Alevo expects to create up to 2,500 jobs building near Huntington, W.Va. The solar financing project raises in West Virginia and we’re tapping into brary in Harpers Ferry, which achieved power about five average Berea homes. tial investment in a state where the poverty over the next three years. Made up of that,” says Hitt. its quota for Mosaic Power sign-ups in multiple battery cells, the system can Solarize initiative Pastor Randy Tremba set up a table mid-November. store up to one megawatt-hour of energy, spreads across Virginia by the church’s hot water heater for Conant sees the importance in di- which will make renewable energy distri- and North Carolina PROUDLY SERVING THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AREA people to sign up for the Mosaic Power versifying the economy of a state that bution more efficient. The first shipment A movement toward solar-purchasing program in April. “A trusted commu- has largely been powered by coal extrac- of batteries will go to China by the end of cooperatives is helping more homeown- SPECIALIZING IN nity leader is a crucial ally,” he adds. tion. “We can still be an energy state, we this year, The Guardian reports. ers go solar. A minimum of ten people Within three months, enough people just need to stop thinking of ourselves as pledging to buy solar panels together • Solar Thermal • Sealed Crawlspaces Duke Energy invests $500 • Solar Electric • Healthy Home Construction signed up for the program to guarantee a coal state,” he says. Ninety-six percent get a discount on the parts, while local million in utility solar, may • Energy Analysis • Geothermal heat pumps the solar installation. of West Virginia’s energy comes from contractors competitively bid for the • Weatherization • Thermal Insulation suppress residential solar With 100 people signing on to par- coal, and mining has a continued legacy installations. Eleven communities in Vir- In September, Duke Energy announced ticipate, plus the sale of renewable energy of destructive health, environmental and ginia and seven in North Carolina have plans to invest in 278 megawatts of solar free wireless internet Now offering zero down, zero interest for 12 months credits to various Pennsylvania utilities, financial impacts. “Solar in West Vir- launched solar cooperatives. Solarize Locally roasted Fair Trade energy, all scheduled to be on-line by Chatham celebrated the highest support on renewable energy systems the project quickly moved forward. ginia is more powerful than anywhere frappes & fruit smoothies 2016. This will help Duke meet North Car- of any North Carolina Solarize program in homemade pastries & desserts Mountainview Solar, a local solar contrac- else in the country,” says Conant. Coffee & Espresso hcenergysolutions.com • 828.773.9762 • [email protected] olina’s Renewables Portfolio Standard, November with 56 installations. tor, installed a 16.2-kilowatt solar array on Visit SolarHoller.org to learn more. 221 w. state street black mountain, nc 828.669.0999 www.dripolator.com Page 14 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 15 View of L’Eau d’Or Falls from Overlook #2. Photo by Naturalist’s Notebook Hiking the Highlands Tallulah Gorge State Park Sandhill Cranes: A Winter Spectacle in Southeast Tennessee Tallulah Gorge State Park By Joe Tennis and staff known health conditions. That’s why tak- By Jenni Frankenberg Veal The majority of Greater sandhill varying shades of Start out by heading down the ing the Hurricane gray, and the fore- We marched up and down the Each winter, thousands of red- cranes breed across the Great Lakes 310 steps to the bridge suspended 80 Loop proves more head and crown are stairways of the Tallulah Gorge. That’s headed, long-legged sandhill cranes region. In late summer and early fall, feet above Hurricane Falls. Some folks popular and acces- covered with red what you do at Tallulah Gorge State descend upon the mud flats and grain the birds leave their breeding grounds choose to turn around here. “It’s just sible, especially in skin. Adults have a Park: You march. fields along the banks of the Tennessee and congregate in large flocks before enough of a challenge that everybody winter months. But, white cheek patch. You also stroll, rest and maybe River at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge beginning their southward migration can complete it,” Bast says. even then, be ready Sandhill cranes march some more. Depending on the in Southeast Tennessee. to traditional wintering grounds in On the far side of the bridge, an- for lots of huffing mate for life — route you choose, seeing the gorge at This winter spectacle is inaugurated southern Georgia and central Florida. In other 221 steps descends to the riverbed. and puffing. Going which can be two this park can become a communal ex- by the sandhill crane’s distinctive, roll- recent years, however, sandhill cranes The trail then climbs up a serious set of straight up all those have remained further north for the decades or more perience of endurance. ing cries, which emerge from Tennessee stairs to join with the South Rim Trail. stairs is exhausting, TALLULAH GORGE STATE PARK — and remain with Come during winter, you’ll find skies in late October and early Novem- winter months in Tennessee, Kentucky, Turn left to take the quick out-and-back though satisfying. Indiana and even in southern Ontario their mates year- solitude. A two-mile long, 1,000-foot deep ber and continue as the cranes overwin- half-mile walk to Overlook #10 for “I think it still gorge offering 20 miles of hiking and on Lake Erie. round. Cranes nest “In the winter, it’s slowest,” says Jes- ter in the region through February. stunning views of Oceana Falls, and feels like a wild and mountain biking trails ranging from on the ground and sica James, the assistant park manager. The 6,000-acre Hiwassee Wildlife Beginning in the early 1990s, sand- then head back around the South Rim scenic place here in the Northeast Geor- easy to very difficult often have two “But every other time of year pretty Refuge in rural Meigs County, Tenn., hill cranes began stopping at the Hi- to cross U.S. 441, and connect with the gia mountains, even as it continues to D irections: Located immediately off eggs, which the pair much stays busy.” lures the cranes with its landscape of wassee Wildlife Refuge on their way North Rim Trail, catching glimpses of increase in population,” James says. of U.S. Hwy. 441 between Clayton, tends together. Best yet, plan for one of the week- N.C., and I-85, in the town limits of shallow water and food, offering acres to and from their wintering grounds in L’Eau d’Or and Tempesta falls along “We get about 300,000 visitors a year.” Georgia and Florida. Today, as many Particularly ends in November or April when the Tallulah Falls, Ga. of corn, millet and grain sorghum During winter migration, visitors to Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge can view the way back to the Interpretive Center. Joe Tennis is the author of "Virginia Rail Tallulah River rushes through the gorge Contact: (706) 754-7981 or GAState- as 12,000 spend the entire winter there. during spring mat- thousands of Greater sandhill cranes. The bird’s colorful markings are on Trails: Crossing the Commonwealth" (The along with water and mudflats. The at historic levels, showing what the river Continue an additional half-mile Parks.org/TallulahGorge Call for infor- “Sandhill cranes use the Tennessee ing season, but also display at lower left. Photos courtesy Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency cranes roost in the shallow water, hike to Inspiration Point to see the gorge’s History Press, 272 pp., $19.99, 2014). mation on winter weather conditions throughout the looked like before dams were built in the and probe for invertebrates in River as a travel corridor,” says deepest spot — and one of the best views year, sandhill cranes will “dance,” area. During these annual dam releases, the mud. Kirk Miles, Region 3 wildlife cranes in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. in the park — at nearly 1,000 feet. manager with the Tennessee which can include bowing, jumping, you can see the full majesty of the gorge’s Of all 15 crane species in Lesser sandhill cranes have been hunted For the more intrepid adventurer, Wildlife Resources Agency. running, wing flapping and even throw- six waterfalls, captured on film for the the world, sandhill cranes are since 1961 west of the Mississippi River, the Gorge Floor Hike — rated very dif- “We average, at least for the last five ing sticks and grass into the air. classic Burt Reynolds adventure movie the most numerous and wide- and Greater sandhill crane hunting ficult — is accessible just below the sus- “What a great magazine!” years, about 15,000 sandhill cranes The Greater sandhill crane re- “Deliverance,”and watch kayakers ranging. Six subspecies of sand- opened in 2011 in Kentucky and 2013 pension bridge, and ends at Bridal Veil using the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge. bounded from near extirpation in the paddle the famed whitewater. hill cranes have been identified in Tennessee. The season begins in late Falls and Sliding Rock, the only place to “Dear Babette, On the North and South Rims, easy Absolutely Priceless! However, more and more, the birds are 1930s when the population was estimat- Spring 2013 since the early 1700s. Three of November and ends in January. swim in the gorge. According to James, You and your staff of using other fields along the Tennessee ed at 25 breeding pairs. Since that time, to moderate trails lead to overlooks these subspecies — Lesser, Jenni Frankenberg Veal is a Chattanoo- traversing the gorge floor is “more like writers continue to amaze. River as well.” hunting regulations along with protec- that provide views into the gorge. A Greater and Canadian — ga-based writer and naturalist who enjoys rock hopping and bouldering,” and the In my view, the quality Greater sandhill cranes are the larg- tion, restoration and management of new overlook, added in the spring of migrate and three sub- promoting the region’s historical, cultural three-mile round trip can take three-to- of articles in Carolina est sub-species of crane, and average six wetlands have allowed the population and natural assets through her work with the 2014 just outside the visitor center, pro- species — Missis- four hours. “And there’s no designated Mountain Life have to seven pounds and close to five feet to increase to more than 87,000 birds. Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association. vides an easily accessible view of the sippi, Florida and trail. There are some places where you elevated your publication Visit her blog at YourOutdoorFamily.com suspension bridge at the bottom and a tall with a wingspan stretching more Today, hunting occurs on four of the have to sit and crab-walk. I would say Cuban — do not. portion of the park’s tallest waterfall, to #1. Congratulations than six feet wide. Their feathers are six migratory populations of sandhill most people would feel a little bit out the 96-foot Hurricane Falls. on a sterling literary of their element [on this hike].” Signs point the way all around the contribution to the High Rangers issue only 100 permits a Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival Offers Education, Viewing Opportunities park, allowing visitors to combine their Country!” day, and demand is high — the park The annual migration of the elegant bird-watching destination, offering free The festival features wildlife programs To learn more about the Tennessee own hikes out of the nearly 20 miles of often runs out by 8:30 in the morning. — Barry M. Buxton, Ph.D. sandhill crane to Southeast Tennessee shuttle service between three festival sites: and activities at the Birchwood Commu- Sandhill Crane Festival, visit: tn.gov/ trails. “I think most people are looking “It’s for safety reasons and to protect the President, Lees-McRae has become something of a celebration Birchwood Community Center, the Hiwas- nity Center, including nature and history- twra/sandhilldays.shtml for a fun adventure,” says Jonathan natural resources,” she says. A Taste of Our Mountain Life College for area residents – and an ecotourism see Wildlife Refuge and the Cherokee themed programs, regional music, food, ••• Bast, an interpretive ranger at the park. Awaits You . . . Come Sit a Spell, Due to the risk of getting wet, opportunity that draws thousands of Removal Memorial Park. vendors and children’s activities. Sandhill Crane Festival “We offer both ends of the spectrum — Relax & Enjoy. hiking the gorge floor might be most birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts In an effort to help visitors get an up- January 17-18, 2015 from real easy to real difficult.” comfortable during the hotter times of from across the country. close look at the cranes and other wildlife, Birchwood, Tenn. One popular option is to hike the
For 24 years, the annual Tennessee guides from the Tennessee Ornithological year, James adds, but even in the winter cmlmagazine.com us online at read “...a wonderful read forCarolina 16Mountain years!”life Winter 2012/13 — 93 (35 miles from Chattanooga) approximately two-mile Hurricane Sandhill Crane Festival has offered visi- Society and Tennessee Wildlife Resources permits are available most days. Loop, which combines parts of three tors the opportunity to view the cranes Agency provide viewing scopes at the ref- Free admission and shuttle service to 828-737-0771 trails and leads into the steep gorge, PO Box 976, Linville, NC 28646 and learn about the rich historical and uge. Crane viewing is best in the morning, three festival sites. Lodging and res- Hikes wanted! At stores & businesses almost everywhere in the High Country ... and online at cultural heritage of Southeast Tennes- as the birds tend to fly in the afternoon and taurant options available in Dayton, past Hurricane Falls, and back up the Cleveland and Chattanooga, Tenn. other side. But with 1,099 stairs to tra- Do you want to see your favorite trail CMLmagazine.com see. For two days, the rural community return to the refuge around 3 p.m. Cranes cluster in shallow water. Photo courtesy featured in Hiking the Highlands? verse, this trail is rated difficult, so do [email protected] of Birchwood transforms into a premier Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ••• Email [email protected] to share not attempt this trail if you have any your trail tip.
Page 16 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 17 the ENERGY REPORT the ENERGY REPORT Corruption and Enforcement Failures Raise Concern for Clean Water Legal Battles Flare Up Regarding Ex-CEO Indicted for Fatal 2010 Mine Explosion By Molly Moore The charges — three felonies and one By Brian Sewell tal watchdogs quickly noted that this charge monitoring reports by Appala- afford to pay the penalties, prolonging In November, former Massey Energy misdemeanor — carry a possible jail sen- Atlantic Coast Natural Gas Pipeline CEO Don Blankenship was indicted on tence of 31 years. Four investigations found is only the latest example of one of the chian Voices, the publisher of this news- the case over the past few years. Recently uncovered conspiracies to court claiming a Virginia law allowing four charges in conjunction with the April that the scale of the Upper Big Branch disas- Clean Water Act’s most important func- paper, found that Appalachian Labs was Frasure Creek has since entered and By Brian Sewell violate the Clean Water Act have height- natural gas companies to enter private 2010 explosion that killed 29 miners at the ter was due in part to high levels of explosive tions being compromised in Appalachia. responsible for nearly 25 percent of the reemerged from bankruptcy, but new On Nov. 11, Dominion Transmis- company’s Upper Big Branch mine. He coal dust and poor ventilation in the mine. ened concerns about corruption in central property without a landowner’s written reports submitted to the state between evidence suggests the company quickly sion Inc., sent letters to 226 landowners pleaded not guilty. Under Blankenship’s leadership, from Appalachia and the effectiveness of state The Stigma of permission is unconstitutional. Like 2009 and 2014, more than any other returned to submitting falsified water in North Carolina, Virginia and West The indictment alleges that Blankenship 2000 to 2009 Massey accrued more safety agencies responsible for enforcing the law. “Self-reporting” Lovett, attorney Neal Walters, who is company certified in West Virginia. monitoring reports. Virginia who have refused to allow closely managed the West Virginia coal mine violations than any other coal company and In September, charges were filed representing the landowners, argues and, in that capacity, “conspired to commit was tied with CONSOL, Inc. for the worst fa- Under the Clean Water Act, the U.S. Appalachian Labs responded by su- On Nov. 17, Appalachian Voices surveyors onto land along the 550- against John W. Shelton, a former em- Environmental Protection Agency can Dominion has not demonstrated the and cause routine violations of mandatory tality record. Both companies lost 23 miners ing the DEP, which they say stigmatized and its partners in Kentucky announced mile route of Atlantic Coast Pipeline. federal mine safety standards.” He is also during those years, but Massey produced less ployee of West Virginia-based Appala- regulate pollution discharged directly pipeline’s public use. Dominion has their business to the point customers can- their intention to sue Frasure Creek for The company says it will seek a court charged with impeding federal mine safety coal. In 2009, Massey was fined $12.9 million chian Laboratories Inc., for tampering asked the court to dismiss that lawsuit. into surface waters. The agency has au- not risk using it for their water monitoring nearly 28,000 reporting violations in order allowing access if landowners inspectors before the disaster, and making in proposed safety violations, and Blanken- with water quality samples collected at The $5 billion Atlantic Coast thorized 46 states across the U.S., includ- needs. On Nov. 26, a judge overturned the 2013 and 2014 — three times the amount refuse to cooperate. false and misleading statements afterward. ship received a $2 million safety award. surface coal mines in West Virginia be- Pipeline is a joint project between ing those in central Appalachia, to issue DEP memo requiring additional data for the groups discovered in 2010 — carry- But some legal experts say Domin- tween 2008 and 2013 to conceal permit Dominion Resources, Duke Energy pollution discharge permits and take sites using Appalachian Labs and told ing a maximum combined penalty of ion must first prove the pipeline serves Court Upholds EPA Revocation of Mine Permit violations and keep customers satisfied. and Piedmont Natural Gas that would By Brian Sewell more than 2,250 acres in Logan County, action when violations are discovered. regulators they must treat the company more than $1 billion. a public need. He faces up to five years imprisonment But the system’s success hinges on the deliver natural gas produced in Ohio, A federal judge acknowledged the W.Va., and buried more than six miles of “the same as any other laboratory.” Eric Chance, water quality special- “It’s improper for a company just environmental damage caused by moun- headwater streams with mining waste. Cit- and a $250,000 fine. honor code of environmental protection: Pennsylvania and West Virginia to ist with Appalachian Voices, called the to assert that its project is for public taintop removal this September when she ing the irreversible nature of this damage, A federal investigation into Appala- Worries Grow Widespread power plants and other industrial self-reported data. States trust permit failure of the state agency to stop the use, without actually having had that ruled to uphold a U.S. Environmental Pro- the EPA vetoed the site’s Clean Water Act chian Labs is ongoing. But environmen- The story of Appalachian Labs is customers in the Southeast. holders, who often hire private compa- violations “disturbing,” and questioned determined,” Joe Lovett, an attorney tection Agency veto of a permit for one of permit in 2011. The decision comes after the a striking example in an even more Duke Energy and Dominion recent- the largest surface mines ever proposed in Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge nies, to collect and test water samples and whether state officials read the quarterly with Appalachian Mountain Advocates, disturbing trend. ly asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Appalachia. Originally proposed in 1997, the by Arch Coal of the EPA’s authority to veto submit discharge monitoring reports to pollution reports. told Public News Service. In 2010 and 2011, Appalachian Commission to begin its environmental Spruce No. 1 mine would have occupied mountaintop removal permits. regulators for review. However flawed, A week after the notice to sue Fra- In September, residents of Nelson Voices, Kentuckians For The Com- review of the pipeline, beginning with this is the fundamental mechanism used sure Creek was issued, a Kentucky judge County, Va., filed a lawsuit in federal monwealth, Waterkeeper Alliance and a public comment period. to determine if coal companies and other issued orders rejecting the settlement Research Finds Mine Reclamation Failures Kentucky Riverkeeper took legal action By Brian Sewell than 20 years ago are still degrading water polluting industries are obeying the law. agreed to by the company and the cabinet State action following John Shel- against three of the largest coal compa- Efforts to restore mountaintop removal quality. In a separate study of salaman- in the 2010 case and ruled that the cabinet Proposed N.C. Fracking Rules Move Forward der populations and species diversity in ton’s guilty plea has been relatively nies in Kentucky for routinely turning coal mines are not meeting the objectives had circumvented the rights of citizens By Kimber Ray ments on the rules governing fracking of the Clean Water Act, creating a variety of impacted streams, University of Kentucky swift. On Oct. 21, the West Virginia in false pollution reports to the state. to intervene under the Clean Water Act. safety standards, but the commission consequences for aquatic life, according researchers concluded that although im- Department of Environmental Protec- During the period they were sub- North Carolina’s Mining and Energy to a September study by the University of proved reforestation efforts could be ben- The settlement, Judge Phillip Shep- made few significant changes the public tion revoked Appalachian Labs’ certi- mitting duplicated monitoring reports, Commission approved proposed chang- Maryland’s National Socio-Environmental eficial for salamanders, current reclamation herd wrote, was unlikely to change proposed. A request to ban fracking fication. The next week, the agency an- the companies reported virtually no pol- es to state rules on hydraulic fracturing Synthesis Center. According to the study’s practices do not lead to recovery of species Frasure Creek’s behavior because the eco- waste storage in open pits — deemed too nounced that “no permitting decisions lution violations. But the Kentucky En- this November. When Gov. Pat McCrory authors, surface mine sites reclaimed more diversity in streams. nomic benefit the company obtains from complicated to address this year — was Used, will be made without verification of ergy and Environment Cabinet failed to signed a bill in June lifting North Caro- cheating the law “far outweighs the costs shelved to reexamine another year. data submitted by Appalachian [Labs].” identify or address the falsified reports. lina’s 2012 moratorium on the oil and Industry Attempts to Derail Oil Train Safety Rules Rare & Out of compliance, or the risk of any fines and All rules will automatically pass 61 The director of DEP’s Division of Accurate reports revealed thousands of gas drilling practice known as fracking, Following a rise in explosive, and ing systems. But oil and railroad industry penalties that the cabinet will impose.” days after the state legislative session sometimes deadly, oil train derailings, groups argue it will take at least seven years of Print Books Mining and Reclamation, Harold Ward, violations — and patterns of pollution final rules were ordered to be submitted Petitions asking the EPA to withdraw begins Jan. 14, and companies will be the U.S. Department of Transportation to produce safer tank cars while also retro- said the decision affects a “wide array” that the false data had obscured. to state legislators by Jan. 1, 2015. Specializing in states’ Clean Water Act authority and re- able to apply for drilling permits no proposed new safety regulations on trains fitting older cars. In May, a train derailed in Books about Black of coal companies operating in West Two of the three companies entered Citizens and environmental groups carrying crude oil including stronger tanker downtown Lynchburg, Va., spilling crude place it with federal oversight are pending later than May. settlements in 2011 and 2012. But the third, submitted nearly 220,000 public com- cars, slower speeds and improved brak- oil into the James River. Mountain College Virginia and all of their pending permits. in Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia, An analysis of West Virginia dis- Frasure Creek Mining, said it could not among other states. 113TH CONGRESS: Below are recent congressional bills and amendments on en- Kentucky Tennessee North Carolina Virginia West Virginia vironmental issues and how central and southern Appalachian representatives voted. To see other recent votes, or for congressional representatives outside of the five-state Contested Mine Next to Kanawha State Roanoke Electric area, visit thomas.gov =pro-environment vote✗ =anti-environment voteO =no vote
T. Massie H. Rogers A. Barr RoeP. J. Duncan Fleischman S. Desjarlais V. Foxx McHenreyP. M. Meadows R. Hurt B. Goodlatte M. Griffith D. McKinley S. M. Capito N. Rahall Receives $6 Million Loan (R) NC-10 (R) VA-09 Forest Continues Operations HOUSE (R) KY-04 (R) KY-05 (R) KY-06 (R) TN-01 (R) TN-02 (R) TN-03 (R) TN-04 (R) NC-05 (R) NC-11 (R) VA-05 (R) VA-06 (R) WV-01 (R) WV-02 (D) WV-03 By Brian Sewell Circuit Court Judge James Stucky refused for Energy Efficiency H.R.1422, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, would increase industry partici- pation and dissenting views regarding scientific information on the board, and impose An effort by West Virginians to stop to void the permit. Lawyers for the mine’s In October, the North Carolina-based new restrictions on the board’s capabilities. 229 AYES, 191 NOES, 14 NV PASSED ✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗✗ mountaintop removal mining near a state operator argued the case should be re- Roanoke Electric Cooperative became H.R. 4012, the Secret Science Reform Act, would prohibit EPA actions that rely on scientific forest failed even as the mine amassed a viewed instead by the state Surface Mine one of the first recipients of a loan through or technical information unless it is publicly available online, effectively prohibiting the ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ series of violations. Board, which already held hearings on the the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s En- use of studies with confidential health information. 237 AYES, 190 NOES, 7 NV PASSED Lawyers for the Kanawha Forest Co- mine in August and is expected to rule soon ergy Efficiency and Conservation Loan H.R. 2, the American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs alition argue that the permit for Keystone on whether the permit was wrongly issued. Program. The cooperative will use the $6 Act, would expedite approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, curtail the EPA’s ability to ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗✗ O ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗O ✗ Jean & Carl Franklin Powered Industries’ KD No. 2 mine should never have Since it began operating in June, limit greenhouse gases, promote onshore and offshore oil and gas development, and by (PV) million loan to launch “Upgrade to Save,” promote coal mining, among other objectives. 226 AYES, 191 NOES, 14 NV PASSED 103 Cherry Street Solar Cells been issued because the West Virginia De- the 4,188-acre mine has accumulated 10 a voluntary on-bill financing program al- Black Mountain, NC 28711 partment of Environmental Protection did not citations for violations including failing to lowing its members to make investments SENATE Note: Senate legislation needs 60 votes to pass M. McConnell (R) R. Paul (R) L. Alexander (R) B. Corker (R) R. Burr (R) K. Hagan (D) T. Kaine (D) M. Warner (D) J. Manchin (D) J. Rockefeller (D) consider the effects of mining on the 1,500- report water quality data and blasting on a (828) 669-8149 in energy efficiency upgrades and reduce S.2280 would approve the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and bypass the State Department’s ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [email protected] acre Kanawha State Forest Historical District. state holiday, when more visitors are likely their energy costs. assessment process. The segment of pipeline would transport tar sands oil mined in Canada ✗ ✗ Despite those concerns, Kanawha to be in the park. to the Gulf Coast for export. 59 AYES, 41 NOES, FAILED Page 18 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 19 It’s Still Happening 2008 2013 Fighting Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining During the Obama Years Editorial by Thom Kay, lessly to limit the pollution from moun- Appalachian Voices taintop removal. Indeed, they have done Legislative Associate far more to curtail the destructive mining In 2009, after Pres- practice than either the Clinton or Bush ident Obama took of- administrations. While that’s a low bar, fice, there was a great they have made significant changes, and 2010 deal of optimism there is less mountaintop removal mining among Appalachian today then there was between 2002 and Members of The Alliance for Appalachia rally outside the Environmental 2008. Part of that is due to market forces, Protection Agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2013. During the citizen Voices and our allies. New agency heads 1400 ft. and part of that is due to the actions of lobby week, members of The Alliance, which is comprised of 15 organizations and White House spokespersons par- the Obama administration. These actions, including Appalachian Voices, met with representatives of the EPA, Army Corps roted the talking point that “the adminis- of Engineers, and Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement. however, have not been enough. tration will do what the science calls for.” In Appalachia, the science calls for an end There is only one sufficient solution It’s Still Happening already blown their opportunity to do a munity members, we have been able to push back against effective safeguards. to mountaintop removal coal mining. to the problem of mountaintop removal, Continued from page 20 full water quality standard for conductiv- do that monitoring, but rules that make They will use every dollar and every It’s been nearly six years since the and that is total abolishment. Anything ity. With the knowledge that mountain- such monitoring more difficult are a huge trick they have to maintain their grip on Obama administration took over. In short of that is a failure. At first glance, moving forward in the Senate by Ma- top removal mines result in unhealthy step backward. EPA needs to implement the region. And they will do everything this may sound extreme, and even unrea- jority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), next conductivity levels for nearby streams, a protective selenium standard that is en- they can to hold off the day Appalachia that time, together with those who have A series of Google Earth images of Magoffin County, Ky., shows the growth of the Right Oakley sonable. But there is never a time when it Congress will be different, as Sen. Mitch the EPA should, at the very least, refuse forceable by citizens and regulators alike. can move past mountaintop removal. been directly impacted by mountaintop Surface Mine operated by Licking River Mining, LLC. The images are from June 2008, June 2010 is okay to blow up a mountain, dump the removal, Appalachian Voices staff has and October 2013, which is the most recent date available. McConnell (R-KY), an ardent ally of the to issue permits for new mines. The coal industry will continue It’s true, the Obama administration waste into valleys, and put the health of coal industry, is expected to take over as The EPA also has an opportunity to doing everything in their power to pre- has taken steps to limit the pollution met with the U.S. Environmental Protec- taintop removal. They have taken steps there still are alternative paths forward. local communities at risk by filling their majority leader. It’s almost certain we create a federal standard for selenium vent strong conductivity and selenium from mountaintop removal. But moun- tion Agency, the Department of Interior, to limit the amount of mines, valley fills There are several things the adminis- air and water with dangerous chemicals, will have a fight on our hands in the pollution. Selenium bioaccumulates standards. Most industry resistance taintop removal coal mining is still the Army Corps of Engineers, the White and overall pollution. But modest steps tration can do between now and the end heavy metals and particulate matter. Senate at some point next year. within fish, birds and reptiles, where it has been in the courts, but in several happening, and that is unacceptable. House Council on Environmental Qual- are not good enough for us, and they of Obama’s term in January of 2017. In There is a right and wrong way to do The administration’s next opportu- causes serious deformities, reproduc- congressional hearings over the past If the White House fully commits over ity, and the Office of Surface Mining, Rec- are not good enough for communities order to make long-lasting changes that many things, but there is no right way nity is for the EPA to create a water qual- tive failure and death. few years, members of Congress have the next two years, they can make huge lamation and Enforcement more times in Appalachia who continue to live with benefit Appalachia, the EPA, OSMRE, to do mountaintop removal coal mining. ity standard for conductivity. For years, The agency is currently considering spewed coal company talking points in changes that will benefit Appalachia than we can count. On top of that, our the nightmare of mountaintop removal. Army Corps and DOI will all need to be The Obama administration should the EPA has known that conductivity, a a new selenium standard, but their latest an attempt to put political pressure on for generations. If they continue to take supporters have sent tens of thousands Since the beginning of the adminis- involved, and it will take White House allow the science around mountaintop measure of the amount of dissolved solids proposal for a standard is convoluted, the administration. The industry and half measures, however, it will be an of letters to these agencies. tration’s first term in 2009, Appalachian leadership to make that happen. removal to drive their policy making. in water, is a critical indicator of stream unenforceable, and may take away one of their allies in Congress will continue to enormous opportunity lost. So what has all of that gotten us? The Voices has advocated for them to stop Since 2009, OSMRE has been de- Regrettably, they have chosen politics health. Based on the best science, moun- our most reliable tools in fighting water administration has fallen woefully short issuing any permits for mountaintop veloping a much-needed Stream Pro- and public perception as their top pri- taintop removal mining results in con- pollution from mountaintop removal. of what we had hoped. Of all of the ways removal mines. Instead of refusing all tection Rule. A draft is not expected to orities. They want people to think they ductivity levels elevated beyond what is Instead of relying on regulators to handle to gauge success, one simple question sits permits associated with mountaintop be released until the middle of 2015, atop the list: is mountaintop removal coal are moderate and reasonable, and they healthy for streams, and a science-based monitoring for the thousands of cases Our Gifts to You removal mining, they have chosen to so the precise contents of the rule are are willing to sacrifice good policy in water quality standard for conductivity of water pollution from mountaintop mining still happening in Appalachia? issue permits for mines and valley fills. unknown. What we do know is that the order to maintain that appearance. would result in violations for practically removal — a task they have repeatedly Sadly, the answer is “Yes.” The Obama administration has issued rule will regulate surface coal mining in When I have met with administra- all mountaintop removal mines. proven incapable of doing — citizens I don’t want to be unfair to the people fewer permits than its predecessors, but or near streams, and would replace an tion officials, they seem to believe they th A rule-making can take years, and need to be able to monitor water in their up for e Moun in these agencies who have worked tire- ing tai permits have been issued nevertheless. outdated 1983 rule. It has the potential Speaking up for the Mountains ak ns have done enough work on moun- at this point the current EPA may have own communities. Together with com- pe S
Our next goal was for the EPA and to be the most important action the ad- Speaking up for the Mountains
the Army Corps to work together to ministration takes to curtail mountain- Offers a diverse mix of music & informative programming for the heart of Appalachia. change the definition of the term “fill ma- top removal, if they choose to include terial” in the Clean Water Act to exclude strong safeguards against mining waste Appalachian Appalachian Voices mining waste, which would eliminate polluting Appalachian streams. usic the Mountains Voices VOTED BEST BBQ M from AppalachianVoices the use of valley fills, and, thus, eliminate Politics will of course play a big IN THE REGION the biggest mines in Appalachia. From role in the final version of the Stream by Appalachain Voices’ staff of tasters! the first meeting we had with them, the Protection Rule. Coal industry allies in White House has refused to change the Congress have already put enormous OPEN FOR LUNCHCLOSED AND MONDAYS. DINNER. definition of “fill material.” While we pressure on OSMRE and Department Join Appalachian Voices before midnight on December 31, 2014, Hwy 321 Bypass pushed at the beginning of the president’s Director Joe Pizarchik. The U.S. House of and we’ll send you a goodie pack complete with an iLoveMountains Blowing Rock,N.C. first term, it soon became clear that they Representatives passed a bill in spring of bumper sticker and button, an Appalachian Voices sticker, and a (828) 295-3651 would never even consider taking action. 2014 that would prohibit OSMRE from year’s subscription to The Appalachian Voice newspaper.*
www.woodlandsbbq.com Right from the start, we were completing the rule-making process. *$35 minimum donation met with disappointment, but While that effort has been blocked from appvoices.org/join continued on page 21 LISTENER -SUPPORTED RADIO WWW.WMMTFM.ORG Page 20 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 December 2014/January 2015 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 21 INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work Appalachian Voices is committed to protecting the land, air and water of the central and southern Appalachian Voices Uncovers Clean Water Violations in Kentucky Member Spotlight: Kevin Price Appalachian region. Our mission is to empower people to defend Judge Rejects Deals Between State and Coal Company A Small Businessman, with Soul our region’s rich natural and cultural heritage by providing On Nov. 17, Appalachian False reporting like this allowed under the Clean Water them with tools and strategies for Voices and our partners in undermines the regulations Act. We then challenged that By Brian Sewell successful grassroots campaigns. Kentucky served Frasure Creek that are supposed to protect weak settlement in court. In last Kevin Price says his company’s Mining with a sixty-day notice American citizens and their wa- week’s ruling, the judge threw slogan is “coffee with a soul.” It Organizational Staff of our intent to sue for perpetrat- ters from industrial pollution. out the settlement because it is could not be a better fit — most of Executive Director ...... Tom Cormons ing almost 28,000 violations of Without valid reporting, there not “fair, reasonable or in the all for the soul he puts into his small federal law at its coal mines in is no way to know if and when public interest.” coffee business. OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT Director of Development...... Jonathan Harvey eastern Kentucky. This is pos- a coal mine is contaminating The second case was based “Blue Smoke has always been Controller ...... Susan Congelosi sibly the biggest conspiracy to water, to what extent or for how on pollution problems that about making a difference,” Kevin Operations Manager ...... Shay Boyd violate the federal Clean Water long. Regulations then become became evident once Frasure says. “It has given me a platform to Director of Leadership Gifts ...... Kayti Wingfield Act in the history of the law. useless and our safeguards are Creek’s false reporting sub- promote and make people aware of Operations and Outreach Associate ...... Maeve Gould Since 2013, the company has thrown out the window. sided. Even though we were In Floyd County, Ky., water flows from one of the discharge points where advocating for so many different things I’m passionate about.” PROGRAMS been turning in false water pollu- A week after we and our full parties to the case, state Frasure Creek Mining was turning in false water monitoring reports. other causes — and that is Based in southern Appalachia, Director of Programs...... Matt Wasson tion reports for several of its coal partners served Frasure Creek regulators and Frasure Creek truly inspirational.” ing justice to these polluters and Mary Cromer of Appalachian Blue Smoke Coffee comes from Kevin Price brews a fresh batch of Blue Smoke Coffee for a Campaign Director ...... Kate Rooth mines in eastern Kentucky that with the latest notice to sue, a reached another sweetheart Although no longer charity event (left), and poses with his chocolate lab, Mae Energy Policy Director ...... Rory McIlmoil holding regulators accountable Citizens Law Center, attorney humble beginnings. About a decade feed into the Big Sandy, Licking Kentucky judge overturned two settlement without our in- roasted in an iron skillet, Mae, Blue Smoke’s unofficial mascot. Naturally, sales of Washington, D.C. Legislative Associate ...... Thom Kay for not doing their jobs. Appa- Lauren Waterworth and the ago, Kevin began roasting coffee Mae Mae’s Blend benefit animal nonprofits. North Carolina Campaign Coordinator ...... Amy Adams and Kentucky rivers. slap-on-the-wrist settlements volvement. The judge found beans in an iron skillet in a Smoky each batch of Blue Smoke lachian Voices is joined in the Pace Law School Environmen- Virginia Campaign Coordinator ...... Hannah Wiegard We initially took legal action that Kentucky regulators had this had violated our due pro- Mountains cabin. As he fine-tuned nevertheless has character businesses have a responsibility to en- latest notice to sue by Kentuck- tal Litigation Clinic. Water Quality Specialist ...... Eric Chance four years ago against Frasure reached with the mining com- cess rights and threw out the and Kevin’s personal touch. He still ians For The Commonwealth, Read the full story and lat- his process, he started sharing his courage more conscious consumers. Central Appalachian Campaign Coordinator ...... Erin Savage Creek and two other companies pany a few years ago. settlement, sending the case hand-roasts Blue Smoke specialty Kentucky Riverkeeper and est updates on our Front Porch roast with friends and discovered a “We know we have the ability Field Coordinator ...... Kara Dodson for duplicating data on water The judge issued two rul- back to administrative court. blends by the pound, using solar- North Carolina Field Coordinator ...... Sarah Kellogg the Waterkeeper Alliance. The Blog at appvoices.org/front- passion for hand-roasted coffee along to destroy this planet,” he says. “But pollution reports. Unbelievably, ings, one on each of the two Both of these decisions could the way. Soon, that passion became heated water and purchasing clean to a lot of people it’s invisible. They Americorps Energy Savings Associate ...... Eliza Laubach groups are represented by porchblog Americorps Outreach Education Associate ...... Jaimie McGirt Frasure Creek has begun doing cases against Frasure Creek be appealed, and since previous a business philosophy, and Kevin energy to power his roastery, before don’t think about environmental the same thing again, only this that were before him. The first settlements were simply thrown So Long, But Not Goodbye created a community around quality packing it up in biodegradable bags problems impacting their lives.” Communications & Technology time the problem appears even case was based on the false out, the actual violations are still coffee and important causes. and recycled boxes and hopping on When distributing The Voice to Director of Communications ...... Cat McCue more extensive. water monitoring reports that unresolved. Nonetheless, this is It is with equal parts sad- In addition to being a committed a bike or in his hybrid for delivery. coffee shops around southern Appala- Senior Communications Coordinator ...... Jamie Goodman Program Communications Coordinator...... Brian Sewell we uncovered in 2010. a great step forward, and a great ness and celebration that we member, supporter and friend of Ap- And today, Kevin’s conscientious chia, Kevin notices the issues that leave Editorial Communications Coordinator...... Molly Moore The cabinet entered a vindication of citizens’ right to business philosophy has paid off for bid adieu to our long-time palachian Voices, Kevin advertises in the newsstands empty usually have Americorps Communications Associate...... Kimber Ray the organizations he supports while settlement with Frasure protect their environment friend and the coordinator of The Appalachian Voice and distributes beautiful covers featuring scenes of IT Associate...... Toby MacDermott Creek with miniscule In the meantime, we will our Tennessee program for the 2,000 copies of the paper to Ashe- building a devoted, regionally con- Appalachian wilderness and wildlife, INTERNS fines compared to what is continue to work hard at bring- past year, Ann League. While ville, Chattanooga, Gatlinburg and centrated customer base. even when stories of environmental Appalachian Water Watch Assistant ...... Claire Attiliis we are losing a formidable everywhere else Blue Smoke Coffee Kevin donates 10 percent of Blue destruction and injustice are covered Appalachian Water Watch Assistant ...... Maggie Cozens teammate, we are excited that goes. Order a bag of coffee online and Smoke’s sales — that’s sales, not just prominently inside. Blue Smoke, he Field Outreach Assistant ...... Chloe Crabtree AppalachianVoices profits — to Appalachian Voices and Ann is leaving to head up you might find yourself perusingThe says, employs a similar strategy. Energy Efficiency Research Assistant ...... Allie Garrett other environmental and humanitar- one of our partner organiza- Voice while you brew your first cup “I hook them with the coffee.” Energy Efficiency Research Assistant ...... Dan Stevenson Business League tions, Statewide Organizing of Blue Smoke. ian nonprofits. The long list of testi- Find Blue Smoke on Facebook Web Design Assistant ...... Allison Cook New & Renewing Members October - November 2014 for Community eMpower- Many people recall the first time monials on the Blue Smoke website or buy coffee online at bluesmoke- Editorial Communications Assistant ...... Barbara Musumarra ment in Tennessee. As SOCM's they learned about Appalachian Voices is full of kind words praising Kevin coffee.com Help us Bistro at the Bijou M-Prints new executive director, Ann or flipped through a copy ofThe Voice and his coffee. One happy customer Board of Directors Knoxville, Tenn. Boone, N.C. from Florida describes Kevin as “a will continue to fight along- — an experience that frequently oc- Orga Chair ...... Kim Gilliam Y ni Blue Ridge Mast General Store side Appalachian Voices to curs in a local coffeehouse. A longtime master alchemist saving the world U c Vice-Chair ...... Landra Lewis FILL THE agencies to develop financ- B Energy Works, LLC Valle Crucis, N.C. stop the destruction of Ap- reader turned distributor, Kevin can’t one-pound-of-the-best-coffee- Secretary ...... Dot Griffith Boone, N.C. ing programs for residential palachian communities from quite remember when he first picked you-have-ever-had at a time!” Treasurer ...... Kathy Selvage RACKS! Sunny Day Homes energy efficiency. She also Conversant Group, LLC Boone, N.C. mountaintop removal while up the paper. That’s how far back his Another from Alabama calls Blue Members-At-Large coordinated a grassroots effort Chattanooga, Tenn. tackling other pressing envi- ties to Appalachian Voices go. Smoke “a real American business Clara Bingham Rick Phelps Starr Hill that ultimately blocked a state Mary Anne Hitt Bunk Spann ronmental and social justice “Kevin has been one of our most model in action.” Volunteer to bring High Country Promotions, LLC bill to implement a surface min- Pat Holmes Lauren Waterworth Energy Solutions Charlottesville, Va. issues in her home state. Ann stalwart supporters throughout the Many half-jokingly claim ilas ouse om ormons x officio The Appalachian Voice ing program that would have S H T C (E - ) Boone, N.C. was instrumental in helping us history of The Voice,” says Jamie coffee is something they cannot Christina Howe to your community. Three Rivers Market hefted the bill for mine regula- HomEfficient Knoxville, Tenn. launch our Energy Savings for Goodman, editor of the publication. live without. But Kevin knows Advisory Council tion onto Tennessee taxpayers. B Contact Maeve at Boone, N.C. Appalachia program in Tennes- “He is a person who really lives what that for some Appalachian com- U E Jonathan C. Allen Van Jones We wish Ann much success Y D Jessica Barba Brown J. Haskell Murray [email protected] see and encouraging officials of he preaches — supporting organic munities even truly vital resources F ra To join our Business League, visit AppVoices.org or call 877-APP-VOICE in her new position, and will air T Alfred Glover Brenda Sigmon 828-262-1500 electric cooperatives and state and fair trade practices, speaking out like breathable air and drinkable definitely keep in touch! BlueSmokeCoffee.com Randy Hayes against mountaintop removal, and water are at risk. And he believes Page 22 | The Appalachian Voice | December 2014/January 2015 Non-Profit Organization The Appalachian Voice US Postage Paid 171 Grand Boulevard Permit No. 294 Boone, NC 28607 Boone, NC www.appalachianvoices.org
As winter’s snow cloaks the Appalachian mountains, a dazzling display of water and ice reflects the light of the rising sun. Freelance photographer Scott Hotaling captured this image along the Blue Ridge Parkway, near Pounding Mill Overlook in western North Carolina.
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