FREE AppalachianThe

VoiceOctober/November 2013

Traditions of Resistance Lessons from the struggle for justice in Appalachia’s Contested History The Spirit of Foxfire

• Trip Planner: Historical Hidden Treasures • Rebound of the Peregrine • Citizens Speak Out on Power Plant Pollution Also inside TheAppalachianVOICE cross Appalachia A publication of A Environmental News From Around the Region AppalachianVoices A Note from Our Executive Director The history of Appalachia is traced in the lines of mountain ridges receding in the N.C. Law Slashes NC: 171 Grand Blvd Boone, NC 28607 • 828-262-1500 Progress on Black Lung Prevention VA: 408 E. Market St Suite 201C, Charlottesville, VA 22902 • 434-293-6373 distance, the gurgle of cold streams running over ancient boulders, and in the songs and Key Environmental DC: 122 C St NW, Ste 240, Washington, DC 20001 • 202-266-0479 stories of the region’s people. Appalachia’s human history is interwoven with the history By Kimber Ray number of deaths from black lung since legislation this past July. His bill, the Black TN: Nashville, TN • 615-592-MTNS (6867) Protections of the land. After over three years of delay, a 1970 stands at over 70,000. Lung Health Improvements Act of 2013 (S. AppalachianVoices.org | [email protected] The Mine Safety and Health Ad- 1416), would require that coal dust limits By Rachel Ellen Simon In this issue of The Appalachian Voice, we explore these connections between place, proposal for stricter coal dust standards Editor...... Jamie Goodman ministration initially proposed cutting be updated twice a year until disease rates people and time. We learn about some of the early advocates who sought to protect the appears to be moving forward. The U.S. Gov. Pat McCrory Managing Editor...... Molly Moore allowable exposure limits on coal dust decline, streamline the process of applying Mine Safety and Health Administration recently signed the Regulatory Reform Associate Editor...... Kimber Ray people of Appalachia by protecting their land on p.8, and celebrate the museums, trails in half in 2010, but the rule was repeat- for black lung disability claims and create has submitted a final draft of its rules to Act, H.B. 74, which aims to “streamline Contributing Editor...... Brian Sewell and battlefields that embody our mountain heritage on p.10. edly delayed. It remains uncertain what funding for research on the disease. Distribution Manager...... Maeve Gould the Office of Management and Budget for the regulatory process in order to stimu- History changes over time, and its accuracy largely depends on who does the telling. MSHA has included in the final rule. Some congressional Republicans Editorial Assistant...... Nolen Nychay review. This development followed a letter late job creation, to eliminate unnecessary However, MSHA cannot adjust the have cautioned that provisions to pre- Editorial Assistant...... Rachel Ellen Simon As guest writer and former Voice editor Bill Kovarik points out, it takes constant vigilance sent by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) regulation … and to amend certain envi- Graphic Design Assistant...... Clarissa Gotsch rules without approval from the Office vent black lung will be too burdensome to preserve the truths that some powerful forces would rather let us forget. Follow Bill’s to President Obama in which Rockefeller ronmental and natural resources laws.” Web Assistant...... Meredith Warfield of Management and Budget, which has on coal companies. Representative Andy journey into West ’s contested history beginning on p. 12. urged the White House to address delays Advocacy groups across the state are call- previously taken many months to ap- Barr (R-Ky) was quoted in the Lexington DISTRIBUTION VOLUNTEERS: Alison Auciello, Karen Austin, Debbie The story of Appalachia’s land and people is still unfolding, and every day we have the in approving new coal dust regulations. ing foul play, arguing that the bill caters prove new mining regulations. Herald-Leader saying, “Worker safety is a Bahr, Heather Baker, Becky Barlow, Aaron Barr, Bob Belton, Jere Bidwell, opportunity to chart a better future. Appalachian Voices and partners recently launched a- Coal dust is connected to black lung to polluters at the expense of human and Blue Smoke Coffee, Maria Bolton-Joubert, Charlie Bowles, Cindy Bowles, Rockefeller, a long-time advocate top priority, but not at the cost of putting disease, an irreversible and potentially environmental health. Lynn Brammer, Jane Branham, Steve Brooks, Carmen Cantrell, Sarah bold new plan for clean energy in Virginia (see p. 22). Called New Power for the Old Do minion, the campaign will insist that state utilities, regulators for mine safety, has been instrumental in that family in a very precarious finan- Smith Caskey, Charlie Chakales, Kim and Shay Clanton, Chris Clark, Patty fatal condition that has experienced an Under the new law, water quality pushing for tighter limits on coal dust ex- cial situation.” According to the West Clemens, Sister Beth Davies, Detta Davis, Deborah Deatherage, Lowell and lawmakers get serious about clean energy. unexpected resurgence since the late rules have a one-year review deadline, - posure. He called on the Office of Manage- Virginia Gazette, Rockefeller retorted, Dodge, Finley Dula, Nels Erickson, Lauren Essick, Charles Garratt, Dave Together we can work to make sure the next century’s his 1990s. Although exposure limits on coal and any regulations not reviewed by the Gilliam, Scott Goebel, Lisa Goodpaster, Bruce Gould, Michael Grantz, Gary ment and Budget to expedite their review “If you can’t be in business safely, you tory books remember these years as a time when people across dust were first set by the Federal Coal end of the given timetable will automati- Greer, Kelly Griffin, Tim Guilfoile, Susan Hazlewood, Sandy Heim, Cary of the final proposal, and introduced new shouldn’t be in business at all.” and Karen Huffman, Tim Huntley, Pamela Johnston, Mary K., Amelia Kirby, the region united to hold polluters accountable and build a Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969, the cally expire. The bill also reduces industry Rose Koontz, Frances Lamberts, Carissa Lenfert, Susan Lewis, Loy Lilley, cleaner, more just Appalachia for all. We hope you’ll join us. regulations regarding water pollution Debra Locher, Joy Lourie, Gail Marney, Mast General Store, Kathy McClory, while cutting the funds available to the For the mountains, Workers Exposed to Toxins at Kingston Ash Spill Cleanup Kim Greene McClure, Jay McCoy, Rich McDonough, Mike McKinney, Ed Department of Environmental and Natu- and Pam McNally, Steve Moeller, Dave and Donna Muhly, Nick Mullins, By Kimber Ray quality monitoring. According to the ardous site conditions. To prevent dust ral Resources to monitor such pollution. Dennis Murphy, Catherine Murray, Don O’Dell, Bob Partida, Dave Patrick, Knox News, the cleanup crew was told movement near the air monitors, the Bronwyn Reece, Martin Richards, Carol Rollman, Kristin Rouse, Jenny A federal lawsuit alleges that Jacobs In addition, the bill extends compli- that “you could drink fly ash daily and company kept the area near the moni- Rytel, Debbie Samuels, Steve Scarborough, Gerry and Joe Scardo, Kathy Tom Cormons, Executive Director Engineering Group knowingly exposed ance boundaries for groundwater con- Selvage, Brian Shults, Brenda Sigmon, Lucy Spencer, Jennifer Stertzer, workers to toxic substances during suffer no adverse health effects.” tors wet and placed the systems in loca- tamination, enabling waste facilities to Mike Wade, Nora Walbourn, Bill Wasserman, Jim Webb, Dean Whitworth, cleanup of the 2008 coal fly ash spill at Workers contend that not only were tions with favorable wind conditions. pollute groundwater up to their property Amy Wickham, Graham Williams, Barbara Williamson, Diana Withen, requests for protective equipment such While a number of research studies Johnny Yousef, Gabrielle Zeiger, Ray Zimmerman the Valley Authority’s Kings- line, rather than maintaining a buffer zone ton Fossil Plant in Harriman, Tenn. as dust masks and respirators denied, warned of the health hazards posed by as previously mandated. The lawsuit, filed Aug. 22, claims but also that some workers prescribed coal ash, Dr. Gregory Button, of the Uni- Under the new law, facilities that Times Free Inside this issue Jacobs Engineering deliberately misrep- such equipment by their doctors were versity of Tennessee, told the pollute beyond the boundary are not Press resented the health hazards of fly ash, ordered not to wear it. that the TVA assisted government required to take remedial action unless ppalachia’s proud history is About the Cover failed to provide adequate protection to Jacobs Engineering is also impli- officials in authoring a report that found regulators prove that a violation also cated in manipulating air monitoring no harm to the community’s health was Asteeped in tales of defiance, With a brilliant eye for natural workers, and engaged in improper air poses an imminent risk to the environ- systems to cover up the extent of haz- expected from the spill. ment, public health or safety. creativity and resilience. This issue, beauty, D. Rex Miller took this scenic photograph of a restored we devote a special section to stories grist mill along Glade Creek of our mountain past. Join the fight to in , at Babcock Join today at appvoices.org/join-the-movement Lessons from Appalachia’s Struggle for Justice...... p. 8 State Park. Miller is a member DISTRO of Appalachian Voices and END MOUNTAINTOP or mail this completed form to: 171 Grand Blvd, Boone, NC 28607 Help us History Hidden Treasures...... p. 10 a native of North Carolina’s ❑ Yes, I would like to receive The Appalachian Voice in my mailbox (min. $25 donation) AD . As an The Spirit of Foxfire...... p. 11 REMOVAL COAL MINING ❑ Maximize my donation -- do not send The Voice / I prefer to read it online! FILL THE enthusiastic photographer and a passionate supporter Appalachia’s Contested History...... p. 12 of preserving and protecting Appalachia’s wild spaces, Name of Member ______To date, more than 500 mountains and over 2,000 miles of Address ______RACKS! The State of Mountain Labor Unions...... p. 14 he hopes to inspire others to cherish the natural environment. Visit: drexmillerphotography.com streams have been destroyed by this destructive form of City ______State ______Zip ______mining. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Together, we can Phone ______Email ______Volunteer to bring Regulars stand up to big polluters and create a cleaner future. ❑ $35 ❑ $50 ❑ $100 ❑ $500 ❑ Other: $______The Appalachian Voice Naturalist’s Notebook ...... p. 17 Energy Report ...... p. 20 ❑ Mountain Protector (monthly contributor) $______/month ($10 minimum) to your community. Across Appalachia ...... p. 3 This Green House ...... p. 18 Inside AV ...... p. 22 MC/VISA # ______Expiration date ______Visit appvoices.org/join-the-movement to learn Contact Maeve at Hiking the Highlands ...... p. 6 Political Landscape ...... p. 19 Get Involved ...... p. 24 Signature [email protected] how you can take action to protect our mountains. 828-262-1500 Printed on 100% recycled newsprint, cover 40% recycled paper, all soy-based inks cross Appalachia N.C. Citizens Speak Up About Power Plant Water Pollution A Environmental News From Around the Region By Sarah Kellogg pollution may be impacting Susan Fischer lives about a quarter Four out of five power plants cur- their drinking water and of a mile from the coal ash impound- Mining Waste Polluting the New River Regional Mountain rently have no limits on the levels of local waterways. ment at Duke’s Asheville Steam Station. heavy metals they can dump into rivers Carl Dale Beck, of Although she is on municipal water Despite mounting evidence that by Dixon Lumber Company, was identi- Photography Contest and lakes. The U.S. Environmental Pro- Belmont, N.C., lives near supply, she is concerned because the dangerously high levels of zinc are flow- fied as the source of the pollution. A pipe tection Agency, however, is preparing to Duke Energy’s G.G. Allen current wastewater permit for the ing into Appalachia’s New River from that channeled Indian Branch beneath a Seeks Entries for 2014 change that, and in the process they are Steam Station. Coal ash coal-fired utility allows it to discharge the Indian Branch tributary in Wythe field of mine tailings had a leak that was By Kimber Ray hearing from impacted citizens around waste is stored just across directly into the French Broad with few County, Va., Virginia’s Department of complicated by this year’s unusually The 11th annual Appalachian the country. the street from his home, limits on what heavy metals the waste- Environmental Quality has done little to heavy rains, contaminating the waterway. Mountain Photography Competition Since June, more than 165,000 and G.G. Allen’s current water may contain. address the issue. Zinc poisoning can result in head- is now open for registration. The compe- people have submitted comments to wastewater permit allows “Clean water is an economic boost Local citizens began expressing con- aches, nausea and diarrhea; long-term tition invites both amateur and profes- the EPA regarding its efforts to regulate the facility to discharge for us in northwest North Carolina in cerns to the department earlier this year exposure compromises immunity and sional photographers to “showcase their Residents of the Belews Creek area gather at a community meeting the toxic wastewater produced by coal- toxic chemicals directly particular,” writes Fischer. “The French when dissolved minerals in the water cardiovascular health. interpretation of the unique character, on power plant wastewater hosted by the Pine Hall Ruritan Club. fired power plants. In April, the agency into the Catawba River. Broad River brings in a lot of income to caused a milky discoloration. At that Following a Washington Times article people, places and pursuits that dis- proposed a range of options to reduce Like many in the area, Watkins is originally from the area, and our area, with lots of boaters and kayak- time, the level of zinc in Indian Branch by Lisa King regarding the zinc contami- tinguish the Southern Appalachians.” toxic discharges into waterways. The Beck’s water comes from a private well, moved back in 1994 to live in the house ers who love the river. We have worked was over 30 times the EPA established nation, the department has met with as- Competition categories include: proposal constitutes the first update in leaving him worried about potential his grandfather built. hard to clean the river up … are we going safe limit. By July that level had soared sociates from Dixon Lumber to establish Adventure, Best in Show, Blue Ridge three decades of the wastewater regula- water contamination caused by coal ash When he first returned, Watkins was to be made to spend more money to clean to 130 times the allowable limit. a plan for addressing water quality issues. Parkway: People on the Parkway, Cul- waste seeping into the groundwater. Coal up after Duke Energy? They should be “Towers” by Rob Travis won the 2013 Our tions under the Clean Water Act. excited to catch his own dinner from A former zinc mine site, now owned ture, Our Ecological Footprint, Flora/ ash is laden with toxicants including required to use the best technology to Ecological Footprint award. The proposed effluent limitation Belews Lake near his home. However, he Fauna, Landscape, and People’s Choice. guidelines have the potential to protect arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium and began to worry when he started seeing keep their waste out of the water.” Summer Rains Dampen Fall Colors The Our Ecological Footprint category, and Mast General Store, among others. more than 23,000 miles of waterways selenium and, according to Physicians for fish that appeared twisted and deformed. If the strongest proposed regula- Among the vibrant display of au- red coloration: ample sunshine, dry air, sponsored by Appalachian Voices and $4,000 in cash and prizes is avail- from up to 5.3 billion tons of toxic Social Responsibility, has “the potential Watkins was not aware of the se- tory options pass, it will cost power tumn leaves, red may be missing from and cool temperatures. With this year’s Mast General Store, is a chance for artists able; winners will be announced at the wastewater per year. to injure all of the major organ systems, lenium poisoning that occurred from companies less than one percent of this season’s palette. According to Kathy uncommonly wet summer, yellow and and the public to reflect on the human end of March, 2014. Approximately 46 Appalachian Voices, the publisher damage physical health and develop- the Belews Steam Station’s discharge of their revenue to protect the nation’s Mathews, an associate professor of bi- orange could be the dominant fall colors. impact on the natural world. entries will be chosen for exhibition at of The Appalachian Voice, assisted North ment, and even contribute to mortality.” toxic waste water directly into Belews waterways from the toxic waste water ology at Western Carolina University, However, the cool nights of September The competition is supported by the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts Carolina citizens living near coal-fired Wayne Watkins, a Vietnam War vet- Lake from 1974 to 1985. During that that, according to the EPA, accounts for there are three main factors that bestow might yet redeem the brilliant reds of fall. Virtual Blue Ridge, the Blue Ridge in Boone, N.C., from April 4 to June 7. power plants in voicing their concerns to eran, lives near Duke Energy’s Belews time, the lake became so toxic that 18 60 percent of all the water pollution in Parkway Foundation, Appalachian Submission deadline is Nov. 22. There the EPA. Many were worried that water Creek Steam Station in Pine Hall, N.C. of its 20 fish species died off. the country. State University Outdoor Programs, is a $6 fee per image entered. the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Visit: appmtnphotocomp.org. Debate Surrounds Duke Energy Coal Ash Settlement A Victory for Clean Water in gy spokeswoman Erin Culbert expressed This September marked a milestone The case was brought to court by By Kimber Ray period that ended Aug. 14, the DENR were also found in both the French approval of the proposed settlement, success on the way to upholding the several Kentucky-based environmental Responding to an unprecedented received nearly 5,000 comments, which Broad River and Mountain Island Lake; stating that “regulators need the out- Clean Water Act, as a Kentucky court groups who asserted that the Kentucky flood of public comments, North included calls for Duke to enact a full Duke disputes the significance of this comes of these studies to make informed overruled a lax wastewater discharge Division of Water had issued a permit Carolina officials recommended sev- cleanup and receive a greater fine. contamination. decisions about whether corrective steps Charlotte Observer permit at a coal-fired power plant in that was both unlawful and a threat eral changes in September to tighten Based on these comments, the state In the , Duke Ener- are needed, and what those are.” added stronger language and tighter Trimble County. Under the original per- to public health. The judge ruled that a proposed coal ash contamination deadlines regarding Duke’s water con- mit, Louisville Gas and Electric could environmental regulators had failed to settlement with Duke Energy. The tamination monitoring. release toxic coal ash — which contains conduct proper analysis before issu- N.C. Department of Environment Many environmental groups remain pollutants such as mercury and arsenic ing the permit, and sent it back to the and Natural Resources filed a lawsuit dissatisfied, criticizing the changes as — into the River. agency for review and correction. against the utility in March concerning groundwater contamination from coal minor tweaks that fail to address waste- New River Land Trust Awarded Official Accreditation ash ponds at Duke’s Asheville Steam water discharges to adjacent bodies Electric Generating Plant in Buncombe of water. “(The state) disregarded the After three years of rigorous assess- sional and capable land trust organiza- County and Riverbend Steam Station in views of thousands of North Carolinians ment, The New River Land Trust will tion,” Board President Ann-Margaret Gaston County. and has failed to require Duke Energy to be joining the ranks of more than 200 of Shortt declared in a recent press release. The state initially proposed that clean up its pollution of Mountain Island the nation’s most trusted conservation “Our permanence in, and dedication to, Duke pay a $99,000 fine and investigate Lake, the Charlotte region’s drinking organizations. For its accomplishments the New River region has been proven.” the source and extent of groundwater water supply,” Frank Holleman, South- in fostering public confidence while The land trust has helped protect pollution. Concerned citizens and ern Environmental Law Center attorney, ensuring permanent land conservation, Charlotte Observer more than 22 miles of forests and farms environmental groups considered the told the . the organization has received official along the New River. This year is shap- settlement insufficient given current Tests of local wells three years ago accreditation by the national Land Trust ing up to be both busy and fruitful as the evidence indicating the scope of water revealed levels of contamination associ- Alliance Accreditation Commission. group continues to educate landowners contamination. ated with coal ash to be well above state “By achieving accreditation, the on the benefits of devoting their land to During the 30-day public comment health standards. Toxic contaminants NRLT has become an even more profes- conservation.

Page 4 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 5 BAD BRANCH FALLS, KY.

Hiking the Highlands Where: Letcher County, Ky., 8 miles south of Whitesburg, Ky. From US 119, turn left onto KY 932 (following signs for Bad Branch), A Waterfall and a View at Bad Branch State Nature Preserve travel east for 2 miles to gravel parking area on left side of KY 932. By Dana Kuhnline mile of steady uphill to a Length: 1 mile to Bad Branch Falls, 5 miles round-trip to the crest of Pine Mountain along side trail that takes you to Bad Branch Falls near Whitesburg, High Rock Loop Trail. Bad Branch Falls. The well- Ky., was one of the first hikes I expe- Facilities: None. Bring water or a water filter. kept trail climbs along the Pets: No pets are allowed at Kentucky State rienced when I moved to Appalachia Nature Preserves. beautiful Bad Branch, a state- almost 10 years ago. I happened to be designated Kentucky Wild chaperoning two vans full of at-risk River. There are several small teenagers on a weekend trip from West extensive human development. footbridges that make for easy Virginia to Whitesburg. The last stop Watch the signs carefully, be- crossing and pretty pictures. before heading home was this hike. cause at this point the High Rock The shady gorge is filled with To get to Bad Branch State Nature Loop Trail meets with the High- rhododendron and a healthy Preserve from Whitesburg, you take land Section of Pine Mountain forest with a few impressive U.S. Route 119 over the impressive Scenic Trail, which travels north up hemlocks that were spared Pine Mountain, a ridge stretching and down the ridge for 42 strenu- from 1940s logging. The first from Tennessee to Virginia formed ous, view-filled miles. If you have mile is popular with local when West Africa collided into North brought a map of the Pine Mountain residents, possibly because America more than 275 million years Scenic Trail, you might enjoy check- the sandstone cliffs and 60- ago. Now the second-highest mountain ing out a few of the rock formations foot falls at the end are one of in Kentucky, Pine Mountain’s views and overlooks along this adjacent the best places in the world and hairpin turns left me gasping at section – but keep an eye on your for a picnic. the massiveness of geologic forces and time. The lot at Bad Branch does not Bad Branch Falls is im- the comparative smallness of 16 sleep- allow overnight parking, so if you’re pressive year-round, with deprived youths gazing quietly into the looking for a longer adventure along perfect boulders to scramble The rewarding day hike at Bad Branch State Nature Preserve endless green rolling hills. the ridge you’ll need to leave your over to enjoy the spray at the connects to the Pine Mountain Scenic Trail, which spans 42 I’ve traveled back to Bad Branch car at the trailhead for Pine Moun- foot of the falls and startlingly miles. Photo by Sherman Cahal, americanbyways.com State Nature Preserve on the south side tain Scenic Trail located nearby on green ferns to frame the rain- of Pine Mountain several times since U.S. Route 119. bows that often appear in the up to the High Rock Loop Trail, which it first impressed me with its diverse Though the journey back from splashing water. The waterfall is too is a steep two miles to the crest of Pine forest and ability to awe angsty teenag- High Rock Loop to the Bad Branch popular to feel completely secluded, Mountain. If you make it to the top, ers. The preserve started as 435 acres parking lot will revisit some of the same but the upshot is that there might be a you’ll be rewarded with stunning views in 1985, but has grown to more than trail, the varied forest and peeks into the friendly stranger handy to snap a group off of the sandstone cliffs at High Rock. 2,500 acres through a state partnership gorge keep the walk interesting. To me, photo for you. It’s a wonderful place to contemplate with several conservation funds. Its the best walks have rock formations to After you have finished sunning how this 125-mile-long ridge stymied rich ecosystems contain a number of scramble over, epic views or a waterfall. yourself on the rocks beneath the wa- early settlers, who were forced to travel rare species of wildflowers, occasional Bad Branch Falls State Nature Preserve terfall, or perhaps even taken a quick to Whitesburg via this steep trail. Even black bears and Kentucky’s only known has all three packed into a strenuous but shower in the falls themselves, you today, there are few roads crossing Pine nesting pair of common ravens. rewarding day-hike just a few miles off can head back to the car or continue Mountain; its inconveniently rugged Once on the trail, it’s about a beauty has thus far protected it from the highway.

free wireless internet Locally roasted Fair Trade frappes & fruit smoothies homemade pastries & desserts Coffee & Espresso 221 w. state street black mountain, nc 828.669.0999 www.dripolator.com Page 6 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 Traditions one that gives the state’s supreme court Appalachian Voices Milestones Traditions of Resistance candidates a public financing option. From mountain communities to the halls of the nation’s capitol, Continued from previous page “When we started working on Appalachian Voices, the publisher of The Appalachian Voice, mountaintop removal coal mining, has played a role in the region’s justice movement. of Resistance formed in 1979, which trained citizens in nobody in the state was talking about 1996: The Appalachian Voice was created by Harvard Ayers and first published six states to visit local courthouses and campaign contributions from the coal by the Sierra Club’s Southern Appalachian Highlands EcoRegion Task Force. track down information on landowners industry to politicians,” Bady says. 1997: Appalachian Voices organization was founded by Ayers. Lessons from the struggle for justice in Appalachia Along with West Virginia Citizen Ac- and their property tax payments. After 1998: Began community organizing work in southern West Virginia. tion Group, the organization researched By Molly Moore on the extraction and export of Appa- delving into the data, he says, research- 2000-2002: Brought together 12 North Carolina groups for a campaign that succeeded in passing the every state campaign contribution lachia’s riches, the economic reward ers were able to clearly document the Clean Smokestacks Act, then one of the nation’s strongest air pollution laws. In 1964, a 61-year-old Kentucky greater than $250, connecting donations rarely reached mountain residents, way outside land ownership and the 2003: First Appalachian Treasures Tour marked start of Appalachian Voices’ national campaign to end woman, Ollie “Widow” Combs, sat in to businesses. who often suffered consequences such property tax code correlated with poor mountaintop removal coal mining. front of a bulldozer to halt the strip- Not only did the research reveal as contaminated water and poorer roads, healthcare and other services. 2004: Helped form Christians for the Mountains, a non-denominational religious campaign founded on mining of the steep land above her what Bady calls “the extreme influence hunting and fishing habitats. These findings inspired action — the the idea of caring for creation. home. She spent that Thanksgiving in the coal industry had,” it also showed Generally, Fisher says, episodes of Kentucky Fair Tax Coalition success- 2006: Joined with 12 other organizations to form The Alliance for Appalachia, and held the inaugural jail, and a photograph of Combs being that candidates who received more resistance were driven by people fully lobbied to remove the property citizen End Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington, D.C., and congressional briefing on mountaintop hauled away landed on major papers funding from the industry were more “reacting to attempts to destroy Outraged by the broad form deed, which tax exemption for unmined minerals. removal. Launched iLoveMountains.org. nationwide. Her action drew national likely to vote in favor of coal interests their way of life or break down gave owners of mineral rights precedence 2007: Established an office in Washington, D.C., and helped found the Wise Energy for Virginia Coali- attention to the broad form deed, a Tracking the Money on contentious state bills. their community or take away over landowners, members of Kentuckians tion. Also launched the “Appalachian Mountaintop Removal” layer in Google Earth and the online “My mineral-sale agreement that gave Though some lessons from Ap- their land.” For The Commonwealth, above, succesfully “We were so proud at the time, Connection” tool. companies that owned a property’s pushed for a constitutional amendment palachia’s history are abstract, others when we saw that statewide media History books recount nu- 2008: Helped to launch an energy efficiency campaign in Virginia and campaigned with Wise Energy mineral rights the freedom to destroy against the practice. To bring attention are as concrete as cash. Dianne Bady began to look for themselves for [infor- for Virginia partners to achieve dramatic reductions in permitted emissions for a proposed coal plant merous local struggles that reflect to water problems caused by mining, the land’s surface in order to reach the co-founded the Ohio Valley Environ- mation on campaign finance reform] in Wise County. the range of threats. In 1982 the oil and gas drilling and landfills, KFTC coal reserves beneath. mental Coalition in 1987 to successfully whereas before it wasn’t something community of Brumley Gap, Va., members, at left, took water samples to 2009: Worked with Sens. Lamar Alexander and Ben Cardin to introduce the Appalachia Restoration Act Months later, an 80-year-old Bap- fight what would have been the world’s anyone was really looking at,” Bady and hold the first Senate hearings on mountaintop removal coal mining. Launched campaign with the prevailed against a plan from Ap- Frankfort, set up a “lemonade stand” and tist preacher and coffin-maker, Dan offered passersby drinks like Brine Brew. largest chemical waste incinerator near says. “Unfortunately in West Virginia, Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition that successfully opposed the largest proposed coal-fired power palachian Electric Power to drown Gibson, stood up to the strip-miners Photos courtesy of Kentuckians For The Ironton, Ohio. Since then, the organiza- Kentucky and other states, coal still plant in Virginia. their valley behind a hydroelectric Commonwealth, kftc.org who arrived at his stepson’s property tion has undertaken a host of issues, controls our politicians so it hasn’t been 2010: Launched Appalachian Water Watch program in Kentucky to train citizens how to monitor water dam. In 1989, residents of Dayhoit, in Knott County, Ky. His stepson was of upheaval in the late ‘60s that saw but one of the most enduring lessons a panacea.” quality in streams adjacent to mountaintop removal mines; program is later expanded to Virginia. Docu- Ky., whose water was dangerously mented more than 30,000 Clean Water Act violations from two coal companies in Kentucky; initiated serving overseas in the Vietnam War, Tax Coalition to reform a tax code an ideological and organizational split the group encountered came during contaminated with toxic waste from a History Builds a Case legal actions against the companies that led to unprecedented fines. and Gibson refused to leave the land that favored coal operators; today the between the council and the Appalachian a 12-year campaign to stop pollution manufacturing plant, joined together to When Cindy Rank reflects on the 2011: Launched the Red, White & Water campaign to educate the public about negative health effects of until he struck a deal with the offending group is concerned with environmental Volunteers, another group invested in the problems at an Ashland Oil refinery in demand answers and protections from environmental struggles she’s par- coal ash and coal-fired power pollution. coal company that kept bulldozers off struggles, voting rights and more. Ap- region’s “war on poverty.” Catlettsburg, Ky. industry as well as state and federal ticipated in since stepping up to fight 2012: Promoted the Scenic Vistas Protection Act, a bill to ban mountaintop removal in Tennessee that of his stepson’s land. palachian Voices, which publishes The The Council of the Southern Moun- According to Bady, if a citizen had a agencies. Also during the 1980s, commu- proposed surface mines near her home reaches floor of state Senate. It took 22 more years of protest, or- Appalachian Voice, initially addressed tains also overlapped with the Appala- complaint about the refinery, regulators nities in western North Carolina began along West Virginia’s Little Kanawha 2013: Launched an Energy Savings for Appalachia program to help mountain communities save electricity ganizing and lobbying before Kentucky forest restoration and air pollution — chian Alliance, a coalition of grassroots at the local Ashland air pollution office denouncing clearcutting — channeling through energy efficiency financing programs. Partnered with SkyTruth to create Appalachian Water courts threw out that interpretation of now the organization focuses on the would investigate and write violations River in the ’70s, her mind turns to the groups that formed in the ‘70s, around Watch pollution alert system. Worked with Wise Energy for Virginia coalition partners to launch New the broad form deed. their outrage into the Western North surface mining and clean water laws environmental and health impacts of the same time that activists were argu- in response. But when those violations Power for the Old Dominion campaign for clean energy in the state. Carolina Alliance’s Cut the Clearcutting passed around the same time that she “There has always been resistance mining and burning coal and advocates ing that Appalachia’s poverty stemmed reached the state office in Frankfort, campaign, which led to a revision of the was getting involved. in the mountains,” says Stephen Fisher, for energy efficiency and clean energy. from its colonial relationship to the rest they were usually dismissed. Advo- long-range plan for the Nantahala and Rank, now chair of the West Vir- avalanche of research” on mountaintop the struggle for environmental justice professor emeritus at Emory and Henry Today, these three groups are all of the country. cates realized how political contribu- Pisgah national forests in 1994. ginia Highlands Conservancy’s min- mining. in Appalachia continues. Large com- College and editor of “Fighting Back members of The Alliance for Appala- “That [viewpoint] sort of tried to tions from Ashland Oil — the largest Though the history of environmen- ing committee, says that even though “It is these studies then that have panies seeking coal and gas reserves in Appalachia” and “Transforming chia, a coalition of 15 local and regional demonstrate how we were invaded like in Kentucky — were making it nearly tal justice movements in Appalachia is many Appalachian advocates at the carried the message to media and the still hold great political influence, and Places,” two histories of Appalachian groups working to end mountaintop the Third World was, in terms of out- impossible for local regulators to en- largely a story of citizens fighting one time didn’t think those laws went far country and regulatory agencies on the region’s people still grapple with justice movements. “It’s taken different removal coal mining and support a side interests coming in that took over force the law. problem at a time, decades of local defi- enough, they have been valuable. She a level that we as citizens and citizen the “resource curse” of the mountains. formats, but what’s impressive about sustainable regional economy. This alli- control of resources and the land and Eventually, after sustained citizen ance have also inspired some organiza- notes that these laws give environmen- monitors can only begin to penetrate,” Yet the abundance that can inspire this resistance is it has come against just ance formed in 2006, and while its focus also imposed a culture and maintained pressure, Ashland Oil was forced to tions to address multiple progressive talists more legal options when it comes Rank writes. “We offer compelling first- greed is part of a natural landscape that incredible obstacles.” and strategies reflect current challenges that control,” says Fisher. “And that was pay a hefty fine and upgrade pollution issues and foster the endurance to work to mining than currently exist with hand experience and stories and offer also inspires pride, independence and Neighborhood action to and politics, the formation of a coalition a very convincing model because you controls — the company was the first on long-term reforms. issues such as Marcellus Shale natural anecdotal evidence, where concerted community traditions of resistance. In to share knowledge and influence is can sit on your porch in the coalfields in the nation ordered to install video regional coalitions Statewide Organizing for Commu- gas drilling. peer reviewed studies by nationally this issue, we devote a special section to rooted in the past. and see the coal going out. Then seeing cameras linked to regulatory offices. From the hardwood treasures that nity eMpowerment — formed as Save It’s not just the legal victories that recognized folks lend credence to what stories of Appalachian resistance — to One such coalition, the Council of your kids go to school with broken-out After seeing the power of political led to the clear-cutting of nearly all of Our Cumberland Mountains in 1972 matter, she says, it’s the opportunities every person living below or near environmental and economic abuses the Southern Mountains, formed in 1912 windows and no healthcare — you contributions in the Ashland Oil epi- Appalachia in the early 20th century to to fight strip mining in the area —now that court cases present to call upon mountaintop removal experience, see, and to attempts to bury the region’s with a focus on education and com- could see the resources falling out. And sode, Ohio Valley Environmental Co- the coal reserves that are uncovered by has chapters throughout Tennessee national experts in fields such as flood- feel, hear, smell, witness every day.” proud history. And in the December/ munity development. The group perse- there’s a bit of truth to it.” alition added campaign finance reform blasting away mountaintops, the abun- addressing issues from nuclear energy ing or stream health. She cites a 1998 Nearly 50 years after Ollie “Wid- January issue of The Appalachian Voice, vered until 1989, by which time it had Fisher was involved with the Ap- to its priorities. The organization influ- dant environment that gifted regional to access to healthy food. Similarly, mountaintop removal lawsuit, which ow” Combs marched up the slope we will hear from the visionaries and expanded its work to include issues such palachian Land Ownership Task Force, enced the passage of several West Vir- residents also brought about a “resource Kentuckians For The Commonwealth behind her home to put her body in innovators that are setting the tone for as opposition to strip mining and support ginia campaign finance laws, including led to a 1998-2005 environmental impact curse.” As outside interests capitalized began in 1981 as the Kentucky Fair Continued on next page for miners’ strikes. It weathered a period statement that in turn “kicked off the front of the approaching bulldozers, the region’s next chapter.

Page 8 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 9 WEST VIRGINIA TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA The Spirit of Foxfire Hidden Treasures is Alive in Appalachia Story and photo by Peter Boucher popularity and it’s connection to the By Rachel Ellen Simon of Appalachia In 1966, a high school teacher in economy. One student, Jacquelyn KENTUCKY VIRGINIA Rabun County, Ga., tried a new teaching Dobrinska, noted that the living skills Photo by Tim Kiser Photo by Brent Moore approach in order to win the attention of classes help her learn the original Photo by Kirk Savage his disobedient, disinterested students. stories behind the essentials she buys, Grave Creek Mound Archaeo- Lost Sea / Craighead Caverns and engender “an appreciation for the Junaluska Memorial Site, He assigned his English class the task of logical Complex (Moundsville) (Sweetwater) time, the ingredients [and] the work,” Museum, and Medicine Trail interviewing Appalachian homesteaders put into those products. Well before humans began tearing Sweetwater, Tenn., is home to the (Robbinsville) about the essential skills, passed down For Stiles, the difference between down hills in West Virginia, they were largest in America. warrior Junaluska was from generation to generation, that en- past and present is that people don’t building them — in miniature. Over Spanning over 4.5 acres, the Lost Sea among the thousands of Native Americans abled them to survive without money, 3,000 years ago, the area was home to lies hundreds of feet beneath a moun- modern plumbing or electricity. necessarily have to develop skills to that were forcibly relocated via the Trail of live off the land in order to Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Photo by Brian M. Powell the Adena, a society of Mound Build- tain within the Craighead Caverns cave Tears in the 1830s. Unlike most, however, These interviews were recorded, ers that settled throughout the eastern system. Exploration has uncovered compiled and published as the firstFoxfire survive. He says that recent- Junaluska was eventually able to return to ly, the dwindling population U.S. 23 Country Music Highway Pocahontas Exhibition Coal . The Adena left behind Pleistocene-era jaguar tracks, Cherokee his former home in North Carolina, where magazine, named after the biolumines- massive burial mounds, only a number artifacts and graffiti from Confederate cent glow from a certain fungus in the area of Appalachian homestead- Museum (Paintsville) Mine (Pocahontas) he died in 1868. Near the Trail route that ers who reside “off the grid” of which are still intact. The largest of soldiers who were sent underground forest. The magazine eventually expanded Above, Barry Stiles, curator of In the mid-20th century, an eastern Most may know it as the title of marked the Cherokee exodus, Junaluska’s has challenged Foxfire stu- these, the Grave Creek Mound, spans to mine saltpeter during the Civil War. into a series of books that drew national the Foxfire Museum, demonstrates Kentucky saying put a new spin on the a lullaby, but “Baby Mine” is also the burial site is surrounded by a seven-sided 295 feet in diameter, and reaches nearly Fragile crystalline clusters known as fanfare due to their candid portraits of dents on the hunt for stories. blacksmithing skills in a traditional “three Rs” – “readin’, writin’, and Route name of the first mine to open in the monument, in honor of the seven Chero- 70 feet high. Visitors can explore the anthodites adorn the cavern walls, a these innovative Appalachians. More than “That type of person has cabin maintained by the Foxfire Fund. 23.” With the post-war decline of coal, Pocahontas coalfield in 1883. During kee clans. A nearby museum contains nearly vanished,” Stiles says. archaeological site around the mound, feature found in only a handful of caves 45 years later, students at Rabun County local community. millions of Appalachians sought work in the mine’s 73 years of operation, over 44 artifacts and information about Cherokee Many modern home- and learn more about the Adena at the worldwide. Open year-round for guided High School continue to publish Foxfire. Principal Brad Johnson cred- cities north along U.S. Hwy. 23. This “Hill- million tons of coal were exported. Now culture and history, and an adjacent medi- steaders, however, might adjacent Delf Norona Museum. Open boat tours. Adults $17.95, children $7.95, Today, the Foxfire Museum at Black its the success of the school to the billy Highway” also connected area musi- a National Historic Landmark, the origi- cine trail showcases plants traditionally disagree with Stiles’ claim. year-round. Free. Visit: wvculture.org/ under 4 free. Visit: thelostsea.com Rock Mountain, Ga., sits on a site that stu- experience-based learning and instruction cians to national prominence. Today, the nal mine is an exhibition site and mu- used by the Cherokee. The trail is less The frontier spirit that Foxfire tries to museum/GraveCreekmod.html dents and teachers purchased in 1974 with drawn from the Foxfire method. During Country Music Highway Museum honors seum. Visitors can take an underground than half a mile in length, with a moderate preserve is alive and well in people royalties from the magazines and books. It one project on the cycle of economy, the many musicians who were born or tour, learn about early mining methods, climb. Open year-round. Free. Visit: main. like Natalie Bogwalker, director at Wild serves as a place of pilgrimage for fans of students planted a garden, harvested lived along this route. Visitors can view and view the famed 13-foot Pocahontas nc.us/graham/junaluskamemorial.html Abundance. After years of experience Foxfire, who come from all over the world seeds, designed seed containers, and sold memorabilia from the likes of Dwight #3 Coal Seam. Open April 1 - Aug. 31. organizing classes and events with other for group tours and to see demonstrations seeds at the farmer’s market. According Yoakam and Loretta Lynn, or catch live Museum is free. For tours, adults $8.50, sustainable skills teachers and traditional- of traditional art forms. to Johnson, the value of an Isaac Dickson music sessions at “Front Porch Pickin’.” children (6-12) $5.50, under 6 free. Visit: ists, Bogwalker claims that the “number Photo by Ed Wescott (American Museum of Science & Energy) The curator of the museum, Barry education is “not just reading or writing Open year-round. Museum: adults $4, pocahontasva.org/museum.html of people who were practicing [self-suffi- Stiles, emphasizes that throughout its about it, but doing it, seeing it, feeling it.” students $3, front porch pickers $1. Visit: ciency skills] in the past is equal” to that Appalachian African-American Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons Oak Ridge (Oak Ridge) history, the organization has pursued The school, which currently has a us23countrymusichwymuseum.com of today. Bogwalker runs programs on her Cultural Center (Pennington Gap) While World War II raged in Europe, the same goal of preserving the culture waiting list, serves as an example for Pearl S. Buck Birthplace land that teach basic life skills such as log Though the Lee County Colored an army of workers in Tennessee were of Appalachia. Stiles credits the success other Asheville City Schools. “Eight (Hillsboro) cabin construction, wilderness survival Elementary School closed its doors to creating the weapon that would end it. of the books to their value as primary years ago we were the only school with World-renowned author Pearl S. skills like recognizing edible plants, and students in 1956, they opened them In 1942, Oak Ridge was established as a sources, citing the “authenticity of the gardens,” Johnson says. “Now all the Buck was born in the West Virginia moun- Photo by Ken Thomas primitive arts such as clay pottery. again — for tourists — in the late 1980s. Manhattan Project site, and was quickly people who were interviewed” as giving schools have gardens.” tains in 1892. Buck was the first American Corinne Lee, an apprentice at the The former one-room schoolhouse now transformed into a secret government the books universal value and appeal. The spirit of Foxfire lives on across woman to win both the Pulitzer Prize Fort Defiance (Lenoir) living skills school, prefers to call the tech- serves as a cultural center that aims to city; the town’s pre-war population of The books passed down the knowledge Appalachia. Camps such as the National — in 1932 for her novel The Good Earth The Revolutionary War was all niques that Bogwalker teaches “heritage preserve the heritage of Appalachian 3,000 shot up to 75,000 by 1945. With directly from homesteaders, “not people Youth Leadership Program for boy scouts — and the Nobel Prize for Literature, about defiance, so it is fitting that when skills,” explaining that the term “primi- African-Ameri- limited knowledge of their work, these who were interpreting it.” in Hiwassee, Va. and classrooms like in 1938. Though she spent most of her General William Lenoir built a home at tive” has too much of an antiquated Photo by Sydney Poore cans. The center uranium plant workers helped create Book sales and visits to the museum those of Appalachian Feet in Greenville, childhood in China, Buck maintained a this former fort site, he named it “Fort meaning. Both Bogwalker and Lee are includes a col- the world’s first atomic weapons. To- have increased dramatically in the last few S.C. practice Foxfire’s ideals by passing Magoffin County Pioneer deep attachment to West Virginia; in My Defiance.” Best known for his account dedicated to bridging the modern, tech- lection of oral day, visitors can explore the American years, an occurrence that Stiles believes on self-sustaining and traditional skills. Village (Saylersville) Mother’s House, Buck calls her first home of the Battle of Kings Mountain — a key nological world with the wild, natural histories, histor- Museum of Science & Energy or tour the is due to the recent economic turmoil. Foxfire inspires and teaches, perpetuating “a living heart in the country I knew was Patriot victory — Lenoir served as a state world to make sustainability accessible Intent on “preserving our past for ic artifacts and a grounds aboard the Secret City Scenic “People have comfort in knowing how Appalachian practices from generation to my own.” Now a museum and cultural legislator and the first president of the to a wider community. our future,” the Magoffin County His- library of Afri- Excursion Train. Oak Ridge is also home to do something … some of it’s nostalgia, generation. center, the 19th-century house and estate Board of Trustees at the University of That mentality seems to be growing torical Society runs Pioneer Village, Photo by Jimmy S. some of it’s people learning how to be Stiles describes the familial cycle that can American to the , the Coal North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Completed Emerson, DVM display an array of Buck’s belongings and among the classrooms at Isaac Dickson which features 19 log cabins from the literature. It Miner’s Museum and the Oak Ridge self-reliant.” keeps Foxfire relevant to communities antique farming equipment, a log cabin in 1792, the home is now a historic site. Elementary School, an Asheville City early 1800s. Check out 19th-century also hosts public forums and an annual Environmental Peace Alliance head- At the Wild Abundance Living Skills worldwide: “I was raised that way — [if] and the Pearl S. Buck Memorial Garden. Visitors can explore the five-acre estate, School in North Carolina. Its curriculum craft demos or the Society’s genealogical Race Unity Day to encourage interracial quarters. Formed in 1989, OREPA raises School in Barnardsville, N.C., which you wanted something, you did it your- Guided tours May 1 - Oct. 31. Adults $6, which includes a 200-year-old garden is inspired by the values of the Foxfire collection. Open year-round. Call ahead: dialogue in the region. Open year-round. awareness about the environmental deg- teaches homesteading skills much like self. My dad was raised that way, his dad seniors $5, students (K-12) $3, under 5 and family cemetery. Open year-round. Teaching Method, using a list of core adults $2.50, children (under 12) $1.25. radation caused by the nuclear facilities. those in Foxfire, many students echoed was raised that way, and, probably, his Free. Call ahead for tours: (276) 546-5144. Tours: adults $6, children (5-15) $4, under principles to empower students with Visit: rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kymhs free. Visit: pearlsbuckbirthplace.com Stiles’ claim about the resurgence in dad’s dad was raised that way.” Visit: virginiaheritage.org/lee_co.htm Visit: oakridgevisitor.com 5 free. Visit: fortdefiancenc.org increased choice and involvement in the

Page 10 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 11 TIMELINE While there are arguably many “versions” of Appalachian history, the most publicized one largely aligns with negative Appalachia’s . Below, a two-sided timeline explores the contrast between this more mainstream narrative and the events that are often left out. While we cannot include all the critical milestones in Appalachia’s long past in this timeline, we hope that it will provide a basic view of the region’s history beyond the standard narrative. Compiled by Rachel Ellen Simon

STANDARD NARRATIVE “LESSER-KNOWN” NARRATIVE Trail of Tears and the forced Cherokee removal 1831- Kentucky’s Hindman , nation’s first rural 1839 settlement school, founded by two women as an institution Hatfield-McCoy feud rages along the West of social reform and cultural preservation By Bill Kovarik join him. So far, none have. was an offense frequently punishable by a beating Virginia-Kentucky border 1863- t has been 50 years since Harry Caudill “You know the idea that if you control from the company’s Baldwin-Felts thugs followed Dressmaker and activist Mother Jones of 1891 organizes and is arrested at the Paint wrote “Night Comes to the Cumberlands,” a people’s past, you can control their future? by dismissal from employment and eviction from the America formed in 1890 Creek-Cabin coal miners’ strike landmark history that rejected stereotypes of That’s what this is all about,” he says. company house.” Chestnut blight first noticed in New York; kills , W.Va., erupts over Appalachian people as backward and A labor historian and editor of two best- Roberts was also ignored until he wrote West virtually all American chestnut trees by 1950 I miners’ attempts to unionize; results in the largest described the ruthless exploitation they suffered. selling books about West Virginia — “When Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who — in the middle Peak timber production in Appalachia 1905 civilian rebellion since the Civil War (see p. 16) The book spoke with eloquence to the American Miners March” and “Dead Ringers” — Har- of an election campaign in 2011 — ordered the state Doc Watson, the blind flatpicker Peak employment of bituminous and lignite coal conscience and set off a firestorm of controversy. ris has been particularly concerned about museum to review the exhibit. They did, and a few who helped bring bluegrass to 1910 miners, at 704,793 nationwide Within a year, Lyndon Johnson would launch his the company store and mine war exhibits. words were changed: “Company-issued scrip forced international and mainstream Florence Reese writes the famed union song, audiences, is born in Deep Gap, N.C. “Which Side are You On?” the day her husband “war on poverty” from the front porch of an Ap- The re-creation of the old coal company some families deep in debt and gave many companies 1915 is arrested for union activity in Harlan, Ky. palachian cabin. store involves a counter, a cash register and strict economic control over the lives of their workers. Tennessee Valley Authority Act signed by President The town of Oak Ridge, Tenn., forms as Coming in the middle of the civil rights move- canned goods from the time, framed by a In some communities, however, families were able to Franklin D. Roosevelt; establishes regional agency to promote electricity and economic development; 1920 a secret government city where workers ment, Caudill’s book also launched some serious long description of the role of the company purchase expensive items, like washing machines...” thousands displaced by hydroelectric projects create the first atomic weapons (see pg. 10) soul-searching about poverty, national sacrifice store in the center of a mine community’s The changes in the exhibits did not pacify the National Park formed 1925 Founding of Qualla Arts & Crafts, zones and the worth of people who were in the life. The stores used to pay miners in UMWA. “They made some minor modifications to nation’s oldest Native American arts Construction begins on the Blue Ridge Parkway, cooperative, in Cherokee, N.C. way of corporations. “scrip,” which was money that could only some of the exhibits,” said spokesman Phil Smith in employing thousands across the region 1930 Since then, great books about Appalachian be spent at the company store. A song about September 2013. “But we still have concerns.” Post-WWII decline of coal markets and Appalachian Trail completed, mechanization leads to nearly 3 million Appalachians history and culture have filled library shelves with that by Tennessee Ernie Ford — “I owe Other critics also still have concerns. “I remember extending 2,200 miles from 1935 leaving the region for industrial cities by routes descriptions of the suffering poor, the arrogant rich, my soul to the company store,” —is still specific conversations about the need for [the West to Maine known as the “ Highway” and the extraordinary cruelty of mining society in widely known. Historians are working out Virginia] museum to include more bottom-up history, 1940 NASCAR auto racing league founded Ollie “Widow” Combs, 61, just how deeply and dangerously a miner more labor history, and more about the 1960s and the the early 20th century. “Beverly Hillbillies” show airs, reinforcing arrested for laying down Not surprisingly, you also find people fighting could go into debt, thanks to the recovery war on poverty,” says Ron Eller of the University of negative regional stereotypes 1945 in front of a bulldozer preparing to strip mine back all throughout this history — from the Cabin of company store records in Whipple, W.Va. Kentucky. “I remember specifically pointing out that President John F. Kennedy forms an economic her Kentucky farm 1950 Creek strike of 1912 to the Battle of Blair Mountain But at the West Virginia museum, the museum should not just reflect the usual pro-coal, development council that becomes the Farmington in 1921 to the wildcat 1969 black lung strike, and the store is easy to explain: “Like pro-development history of the state but that it should Appalachian Regional Commission Mine Disaster in the environmental protests of the past four de- credit cards, scrip allowed some also reflect the history of labor struggles, resistance 1955 kills 78 coal Chattanooga, Tenn., named “Dirtiest President Lyndon B. Johnson launches the miners in West War on Poverty focusing on Appalachia City in America,” prompting clean-up cades against strip mining and then mountaintop families to fall deeply into debt. Oth- to environmental destruction, and efforts to address Virgina efforts that transform the city into a removal coal mining. There is, in this, a complete ers, however, enjoyed the freedom economic challenges, especially poverty, in the state.” Congress passes Federal Coal Mine Health and 1960 model for sustainable development and unbroken fabric of human spirit, fighting in to purchase expensive items, like Safety Act, regulating dust levels in the mines and creating the Black Lung Disability Trust Appalachian Studies Association forms, focuses support of mine safety, public health and environ- Labor historian Wess Harris, editor of “When Miner’s washing machines...” 1965 on regional scholarship and activism March”— a book about the 1921 battle over labor Mountaintop removal begins on a large scale in Appalachia mental protection. When he learned of the mu- Broad form deed eliminated in Tennessee, requiring rights on Blair Mountain — points out flaws in the 1970 Why, then, do critics like Wess Harris say we seum’s altered history, Harris was It’s easy to see why labor historians are unhappy Buffalo Creek coal slurry mining companies to seek property owners’ approval before West Virginia state exhibit on the early 20th century have such poor public history in West Virginia’s state outraged, and he wrote the head with the West Virginia State Museum, with exhibits impoundment dam bursts in extracting underground minerals; Kentucky follows in 1987 mine wars in central Appalachia during one of his Logan County, W.Va., killing 125 1975 Appalachian Land Ownership Study reveals museum, and why does the state of West Virginia “truth tours” of the museum. Photo by Linda Burton of the state museum, Randall Reid- like “U.S. Army Stops Armed Insurrection in West and leaving 4,000 homeless 43% of region is controlled by absentee owners refuse to help protect the Blair Mountain Battlefield? Smith, in 2010. “The treatment of Virginia” and “The Failure of Violence.” Perhaps the encouraging part is that history does scrip as some sort of favor to the The first is presented in silent movie newsreel 1980 Construction of a condo on “” hits theaters, perpetuating negative stereotypes Sugar Mountain, N.C., leads to still matter — for all of us. It matters to educators and miners is an insult to the people of fashion in a small mock-up theater. Most of the visuals the state’s Mountain Ridge President Carter signs Surface Mining Control 1985 to the coal industry and its friends. But it also matters our state,” Harris wrote. include miners with guns on one side and U.S. Army & Reclamation Act to regulate strip mining Protection Act designed to preserve scenic viewsheds to people in labor and environmental movements. When the state museum responded by saying his troops on the other. Labor historian Wess Harris begins his “truth 1990 There may be several interpretations of history, but criticism was inaccurate, the head of the United Mine Titles in the silent movie read: Blue Ridge Parkway Racial and ethnic minorities account for tours” on the steps of the West Virginia State Museum completed after 52 nearly half of the region’s population growth very few people would disagree that basic documents Workers of America, Cecil Roberts, joined Harris in years of construction by telling students: “Welcome to our house.” History “Over the last year, a near-constant state of war has 1995 and battlegrounds should be preserved. State institu- demanding a reconsideration of the exhibit. Martin County, Ky., 300-million- belongs to the people, he says, not to the corporations. existed between miners and coal companies. Armed troops } gallon coal slurry spill deemed one of tions nearly always approach this obligation with at “Your presentation makes it seem as if the scrip “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” movie And he tells them to be wary — there are some squat- have been dispatched repeatedly to quell the bloodshed. The renews interest in regional music the worst environmental disasters in the least some degree of neutrality – except West Virginia. southeastern U.S. system was little different from a credit card, where recent flare-up has been sparked by the cold-blooded murder ters from the coal companies inside. 1.1 billion gallons of coal ash spills from What’s different today is that the Rust Belt in- miners and their families could pay off expensive First year with no underground coal With this somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach, of police chief Smiling Sid Hatfield — a popular Kingston Fossil Plant into nearby rivers dustries are no longer in a position to control their purchases over time,” Roberts wrote. “Nowhere [in 2005 mining fatalities in Kentucky since 1890 Harris has taken about a thousand students and friend of the miner. They are stopped at Blair Mountain by historical messages. The industry that once held the the exhibit] is it stated that miners had absolutely no Upper Big Branch Bush administration’s change of the stream buffer zone scholars on his personalized truth tours through the Logan County sheriff Don Chafin and a small army of depu- rule effectively legalizes burial of streams with mining waste state of West Virginia tightly in its fist is now rapidly choice as to whether they used scrip or not. Nowhere Mine disaster in 2010 ties. The miners and Chafin’s army shoot it out for three Coal’s share of total museum in downtown Charleston, W.Va. Tours are Raleigh County, W.Va., Facing bankruptcy, mining company Patriot Coal losing its grasp. is it mentioned that going somewhere else instead of kills 29 miners U.S. electricity generation free, and Harris has encouraged museum officials to days along a 10-mile front. Sixteen men are killed. President announces decision to phase out all strip mining It’s a moment when history is needed. the company store to purchase goods and equipment drops to 34 percent 2015 Continued on page 16 Photo credits: Doc Watson by Joe Giordano; AT sign by John Beatty; Buffalo Creek flood courtesy of West Virginia State Archives; Blue Ridge Parkway by Ken Thomas; Mother Jones courtesy of United States Library of Congress; Widow Combs courtesy of the Courier-Journal; Sugartop condominium by Ralph Mayer, Lexington, S.C.; Martin county spill courtesy of S. Webb, University of Kentucky; Page 12 | The Appalachian Voice October/November 2013 An Era of Undoing of unions, a level not seen since the early Continued from previous page 20th century. After an era of undoing, An the largest federation of unions in the discord have led to alliances between country is taking steps to ensure the prominent politicians and the UMWA. years ahead will see a renaissance in Era of If pro-labor politicians standing the ways unions organize and operate. up for mine safety are revered, it is the In September, the atmosphere at tactics of mine managers and coal com- Undoing the American Federation of Labor and panies that unions most revile. Former Congress of Industrial Organizations’ The State of Appalachia’s Labor Unions Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship annual convention in Los Angeles re- was infamous for his anti-union views, flected that approach. By Brian Sewell referring to strikes as “union terrorism.” By the end of the convention, del- “We are union,” the marchers Long after the days of union- egates had started down a progressive chanted. Blanketing the streets of busting brigades and hired thugs, more path in a movement that, after more downtown Charleston, W.Va., with recent labor battles have been fought than a century, continues to evolve. The shuttered union hall is a symbol of the decline of unions in Appalachian coal-mining bystanders shouting in support, the vo- with wages and benefits rather than communities. At the turn of the 21st century, membership in the United Mine Workers of America Among other outcomes, the AFL-CIO cal crowd stretched for blocks behind a weapons. In the late ‘80s, Pittston Coal had declined to nearly half what it was in 1950. Photo by Earl Dotter (earldotter.com) committed to creating a road map for banner that read “Fighting for Fairness Company terminated contracts with the immigrants and aspiring Americans, able business practices. at Patriot.” union in an effort to protect profits after security. The North Carolina AFL-CIO and passed a resolution calling for im- But as organized labor looks ahead, Shortly after Patriot Coal declared coal prices declined. Today, Peabody believes that amount of interest, even provement in international trade. the cloud of uncertainty over even the bankruptcy in July 2012, the company Energy is accused by the UMWA of from non-union employees, could be Perhaps most significantly, the most established unions is unavoidable. announced plans to rescind its promise willingly packaging up and shedding a boon for labor’s interests in the state. federation announced plans to develop Accordingly, marchers at UMWA rallies of healthcare benefits to 1,800 union min- its union mines by creating Patriot Coal, In Chattanooga, Tenn., Volkswagen In the wake of Patriot Coal’s broken promises an organizing strategy for the southern a company the union claims was made is working with the United Automobile hold signs high with a question that ers and retirees. Cecil Roberts, president to union miners and retirees, the United Mine U.S. states, where they say corporations’ Workers to create a German-style works could be posed to members of all labor of the United Mine Workers of America, Workers of America have represented their to fail — a message that is resonating efforts to divide the white working class unions, private and public, nationwide: quickly declared that the union would members’ sense of injustice in cities and widely now that Patriot is in bankruptcy. council, bringing factory floor workers and minorities have broken communi- “Are You Next?” do “whatever it takes” to protect the A History of hubs such as Detroit, and courtrooms across the region. Photo by Ann Cecil Roberts, president of the and management together on issues ties and negatively influenced U.S. labor benefits of active miners, retirees and Hard-won Battles Appalachia, where the United Auto Smith, special to the UMW Journal UMWA and the heir to John L. Lewis’ such as workplace safety and sustain- and social policies. the families of Patriot Coal employees. Workers, the United Steelworkers rallying rhetoric, has called Patriot a When President Franklin Roosevelt The announcement has led some Since then, in courtrooms and cities of America and the UMWA wielded Despite his contempt for Lewis “house of cards” created by Peabody to ushered in the New Deal in 1933, pro- onlookers to recall Operation Dixie, across the region, the UMWA has ral- wide influence. Gone were the days in and other labor leaders, Truman vetoed “get out of its obligation to pay for the labor legislation came with it. Five years a campaign in the mid-20th century lied to represent its members’ unified Appalachia of bloody mine wars and the Taft-Hartley Act, legislation which pensions and health care of thousands later, the president pushed Congress that fell far short of its ambitions to sense of injustice at the path taken by the mass evictions of miners and their would have substantially limited the of people.” Over the past year, Roberts, to pass the Fair Labor Standards Act, organize the racially segregated South. Patriot and its parent company, Pea- families from company-owned housing power of unions. Siding with organized union members and supporters have sat saying, “We are seeking, of course, only Others contend that it will be difficult body Energy. for sympathizing with the union. labor, Truman said Taft-Hartley “abused with clasped arms in the streets of St. legislation to end starvation wages and to organize in states with right-to-work Hard work, resilience and or- In the ‘40s, some of the labor move- the right, which millions of our citizens Louis, Mo., where Peabody is located, intolerable hours.” laws — a statute of the Taft-Hartley Act ganized struggle are hallmarks of ment’s most enigmatic figures emerged, now enjoy, to join together and bargain Charleston, W.Va., and other cities until In addition to establishing a na- allowing states to prohibit “union shop” American history epitomized by the including Philip Murray, the founder with their employers for fair wages and being led away in handcuffs. tional minimum wage, the bill prohib- agreements that require an employee labor movement. But for decades mem- of the United Steelworkers of America, fair working conditions.” The Senate, In mid-August, after a year of pro- ited “oppressive child labor,” a practice to join the union associated with their bership in labor unions has been on a and John L. Lewis, a burly, brash former however, easily overrode Truman’s veto tests and pronouncements, the UMWA associated with coal mining since the trade. Currently, right-to-work laws ex- downward slope. Now, as they have in miner who came to personify the plight by a vote of 68-25 in June 1947. ratified a new contract with Patriot 18th century. ist in every state in the Southeast. the past, economic challenges are forc- of the American coal miner as president In the journal, Democracy, Rich Yes- Coal that undoes most of the wage cuts With these pro-labor laws, union “We’re trying a lot of things, and ing unions to reckon with the corporate of the UMWA. elson recently wrote that Taft-Hartley and health benefit reductions planned membership around the nation grew — some of them will work and some of strongholds they struggle to change. In her book “Coal: A Human His- forced unions “to weigh the economic by Patriot. While the new contract is a especially in manufacturing and mining them won’t,” Richard Trumka, presi- tory,” Barbara Freese writes that Lewis and political costs of doing anything too step forward, Roberts says it does not dent of the AFL-CIO and a former presi- “filled stadiums with cheering sup- aggressive in their efforts to grow,” and guarantee lifetime health benefits for dent of the UMWA, said of the labor porters wherever he went.” Under his required them to begin fighting to pro- retirees, an obligation he contends is federation’s expanded vision. “We’ll try leadership the UMWA became one of tect the gains they had already made. owed by Peabody Energy. to amplify those that work, and we’ll the nation’s strongest unions. On Sept. 27, a federal judge threw Coal as a Case Study jettison what doesn’t work.” During World War II, however, out a class action lawsuit filed by the Throughout the 20th century, per- Finding ways around right-to- Lewis’ popularity declined as he contin- UMWA to require Peabody to pay for haps nowhere have the political strug- work statutes will likely require new ued to compel miners to strike even in Patriot retiree benefits. The same day, gles and uprisings of the labor move- approaches, but there are examples for the midst of an all-hands-on-deck war Roberts announced the union will ap- ment been more evident than in Central organizers to follow. effort. President Harry Truman’s dis- peal that decision. Appalachian coal-mining communities. In North Carolina, Working Ameri- dain for Lewis was no secret; in a 1949 From the mine wars to violent labor An Open-Door Policy ca, a non-union partner organization of letter responding to a request that Lewis drama in Logan and Mingo counties Falling from nearly 30 percent in the AFL-CIO, organized 25,000 workers be appointed ambassador to Russia, the in West Virginia, several decades of 1950, today less than seven percent of over the last year to promote an agenda president wrote he “wouldn’t appoint Continued on next page private sector employees are members including tax reform and retirement John L. Lewis dogcatcher.”

Page 14 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 15 Appalachia’s Contested History Continued from page 13 Naturalist’s Notebook

Harding dispatches U.S. Army infantry …. Peregrine Falcons: Diving Back into Appalachia The miners, many of them veterans of the One of West Virginia’s Great War, surrender rather than confront innovative new historians By Nolen Nychay great deal of solar heat during the cold is Joy Lynn, who grew up season, city climates often remain suit- their former comrades in arms. Some union High atop the cityscape, yellow- near the town of Whipple, able for peregrines year-round. leaders are placed under arrest for treason ringed eyes squinting in morning sun, and murder. Most miners are allowed to W.Va. As a child, she was According to Appalachian State fascinated by an enormous, the dark silhouette of a peregrine falcon board trains and return to their families. lies in wait of the perfect ambush. As University graduate researcher Angela Thus ends the Battle of Blair Mountain, the rambling old wood frame Langevin, the biggest threat ever posed building that seemed to a low-flying pigeon approaches, the largest insurrection since the Civil War.” peregrine leaps into a dive, closing the to peregrine falcons in the Eastern glow with history. “I’m go- United States was the widespread use According to Harris, the entire basis 100-foot gap within seconds. In a flurry ing to own that someday,” .of chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides of the exhibit is inaccurate. The union Blair Mountain has been At the Whipple Company Store & she told her father back in of feathers, she plucks the unsuspect- Appalachian Heritage Museum, such as DDT in the mid-1900s. These actually tried to call off the march on around for decades, but the 1950s. ing pigeon out of the air with her long Joy Lynn gathers stories from pesticides contain chemical compounds Blair Mountain in 1921. The Army was an on-the-ground his- curved beak — the peregrine’s military families with personal connections to the region’s coal history. At right The dream came true in 2006, that bioaccumulate through the food called in to separate the miners from tory of the battlefield precision kills on impact, allowing for she is pictured with a display case of “scrip,” a form of money paid when she and husband Chuck chain, resulting in reproductive issues the mine guards. Nor does the exhibit in the 1990s and 2000s a calm flight back to the nest to share Peregrine falcons like nesting up high to survey their surroundings, preferably along cliff face to miners which could only be used in the store. Top photo courtesy of bought the Whipple Company for contaminated females. Affected present any context for the march, other helped make the case. Wikimedia Commons, photo at right by Linda Burton breakfast with her young. sand mountain ridges, but they also take to bridges, radio towers and skyscrapers in cities like Store and prepared to open an an- falcon eggs were notably thinner and than the cold-blooded murder by some Over the last 15 Adorned with a dark cowl and Columbus, Ohio, above. Photo courtesy of Ohio Department of Natural Resources tique shop. As neighbors dropped more brittle, leading to an increased unnamed individual. No one would years, Harvard Ayers landowners who had not voted for or by and the word got out, people cape, peregrine falcons have become mortality rate during incubation. By Peregrine falcons prefer to breed in monogamous relationship that is rekin- know that the murderers were coal mine (one of the founders of Appalachian against the listing. began touring the old company store, urban crusaders in major metropolitan 1970, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the late spring and early summer, with dled annually during breeding season. guards whose co-workers and bosses Voices), along with historian Barbara Park Service officials then agreed to and they started telling stories. Lynn cities from New York City to Knox- listed the species as endangered. But females ultimately picking their ideal The peregrine population in the Ap- were on the other side at Blair Moun- Rasmussen and Blair, W.Va., resident de-list the site in January of 2010, taking a was hooked. ville. Substituting the outcroppings within two years, the newly formed suitor after weeks of aerial acrobatic palachians has increased by about ten tain. And if the museum is going to say Kenny King, performed formal ar- step that is usually reserved for situations One of the most interesting people of skyscrapers for their usual niches U.S. Environmental Protection Agency displays by competing males. Once percent annually since being removed that the union leaders were charged chaeological surveys of the battlefield when historic buildings have burned to show up at the company store was along cliff faces, these threatened birds had issued a cancellation order on DDT, mated, peregrines unite in a lifelong from the endangered species list in 1999. with treason, it ought to add that they and found tens of thousands of bullets down. No other de-listing has ever taken of prey have been forced to adapt to the former bookkeeper who explained, classifying the pesticide as an envi- were acquitted, Harris says. and other artifacts. Through the pattern place for such political reasons, and no expanding human habitats in the Ap- in detail, how the system of company ronmental risk and probable human There’s another panel about the of discoveries, they were able to trace explanation was ever forthcoming from palachian region. But, for a species that money — called scrip — and indebted- carcinogen. Battle of Blair Mountain called: “The shifting battle lines and show where both the Park Service, which has maintained a was believed to be extinct in the eastern ness actually worked. The first peregrine recovery efforts Failure of Violence.” The exhibit claimed mine guards and miners were located. stony silence about the incident. mountains, their perseverance in the Over the years, dozens of others began at Cornell University, whose — falsely — that in 1921, union organiz- This evidence helped make the A lawsuit challenging the de-listing face of human encroachment is nothing showed up with very human and often ornithological lab bred the falcons in ers turned to violence so that they could case for a National Historic Landmark was filed by a coalition of environmen- short of admirable. harrowing stories to tell. It was not pos- captivity for release once they reached get more union members. designation that, they hoped, would tal and preservation groups in 2010. During winter months, peregrines sible to leave town, or to retrieve items maturity. The reintroduction program “Ten thousand citizens take up preserve the mountain from mountain- A court ruled against the coalition in migrate as far south as Peru and Ar- from the mail, if you owed the coal com- in the Appalachians started in 1973, and arms (in 1921) to end the slave labor top removal coal mining. Their evidence 2012 on a technicality having to do with gentina. Creatures of habit, falcons pany any money, Lynn learned from her within 20 years nearly 250 captive-bred camps … and they call it a failure?” was impressive enough that the U.S. questions of standing. In the summer of are known to migrate between the visitors. On the other hand, if a husband falcons were returned to their historical Harris says. “It was a serious challenge National Park Service granted the site 2013, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers same series of nests every year. Not died, it was not possible for the family habitats on cliff faces and along river to the old system. It was no failure.” historic register status in March 2009, a announced it would review mining all peregrines in the Appalachians are to stay unless the mother remarried. She valleys. Breeding success in the natural But at the very least, the exhibit move supported by the UMWA and a permit applications. migratory, however, especially those had four weeks, and then the mine guards environments is statistically much better notes that the Battle of Blair Mountain variety of environmental and histori- This could mean that the coal in- with established urban territories. Since would evict her and the children. than mated pairs nesting in urban areas. AMPC was the “largest insurrection since cal preservation groups. dustry will be allowed to destroy Blair The people who experienced this, large cities produce heat and absorb a the U.S. Civil War.” Given that, But the listing imme- Mountain. Or, since the Corps of Engi- or sometimes their children, show up it’s hard to understand the diately led to an unprec- neers is supposed to consider the historic almost every day. “Sometimes they just • Adult females are often as much as a role of the West Virginia edented controversy. value of land to be mined, it could mean unglue,” Lynn says. One told her: “I Falcon Facts third larger than their male counterparts. Division of Culture and more time for Blair Mountain and pres- According to law, a state realize what you’re doing. You’re letting • Peregrine falcons are approximately 15 • Peregrines have one of the longest History in challenging his- has to want the desig- ervationists who are seeking a reprieve. people find closure in their life.” to 21 inches long with a wingspan of migrations of any North American bird, torical protection for the nation, and a few Lynn will insist that she’s about 40 inches. extending from northern Canada to the southern tip of South America. Blair Mountain battlefield. months after it was Online Feature: Appalachian History Podcasts just a tour guide. But her • Both males and females showcase a granted, the West Mountain history is alive and well, thanks to historians like visitors say something else. proud chest of white and black-speck- • A group of falcons has a variety of Dave Tabler. His blog — AppalachianHistory.net — hosts names, including: a bazaar, a cast, a Virginia Division of Cul- “When I came up on this led plumage, which helps them remain more than 1,300 entries and hundreds of podcasts on topics undetected while circling above prey. tower, and an eyrie. ture and History wrote to the Park ranging from mountain music to labor history to personal porch you were just a tour • Peregrine falcons feed primarily on other Service asking that the battlefield experiences. “I want to share with my readers and listeners guide,” said one. “Now I • Peregrines, the fastest animal in the the idea that history is a living thing, a deep reservoir world, can exceed 200 miles per hour birds, such as songbirds, shorebirds, Blair Mountain is the labor move- be de-listed. The state office said just want to know if I can from which to nourish today’s culture, a tool to shape our in a vertical dive. ducks and, in urban areas, starlings ment’s equivalent of the Gettysburg it found minor problems with current notions of what our heritage is and therefore what hug you.” and pigeons. battlefield. The idea of preserving the listing, such as a handful of to do next to preserve and extend it,” Tabler says. Read the full story at appvoices.org/thevoice/podcasts/ Page 16 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 17 This GREEN House Appalachia’s Political Landscape Gateway to Sustainability Major Energy Efficiency Bill Stalled in the Senate By Kimber Ray By Brian Sewell Harry Reid said that the bill would not Resources Committee, several dozen group of senators have delayed action move forward if lawmakers were un- on a bipartisan effort to create jobs, For Patrick Ironwood, the Since being introduced to the Sen- were completely unrelated to energy able to agree on narrowing down the lower pollution, and save taxpayers point where the Sweet Gum Gate- ate in July, the Energy Savings and or environmental or agricultural issues. dozens of amendments, some related, money,” Sen. Shaheen said in a state- way home ends and the wild lands Industrial Competitiveness Act, also “No one was in opposition to the others not, that were added to the bill. ment. “Shaheen-Portman is a bipartisan of the Cumberland Plateau begin is known as Shaheen-Portman (S. 1392), bill,” Rob Mosher, director of govern- The most controversial amend- bill with an unprecedented amount of blurred, with the sweeping porch promised to be the first major energy ment relations at the Alliance to Save ments, sought by Sen. David Vitter Greentech Media support because people from across the and edible landscape of Sweet Gum bill passed by the Senate in more than Energy, told . “It had (R-La.), Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) political spectrum agree that it is good elegantly blending with the natural six years. Hours after debate began broad political and stakeholder support, and other Republicans senators were for our economy and our environment.” environment. on the bill, however, that possibility and there wasn’t any objection to the attempts to delay provisions of Obam- The bill has received support from Sweet Gum is just one of many diminished with the addition of each underlying bill.” acare. Others would prevent the U.S. a broad range of groups including such exemplary homes at the Se- unrelated amendment. At press time, Reid had all but Recycled blue jean scraps provide safe and effective Environmental Protection Agency environmental organizations, the U.S. quatchie Valley Institute, a learn- Shaheen-Portman is a bipartisan pulled the bill, saying “We’ll work on insulation for the Sweet Gum Gateway, left. Above, from regulating carbon emissions or matters to craft a way forward on this Chamber of Commerce and the Nation- ing center for sustainable living in a window into energy efficiency: the south-facing bill sponsored by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen declare the Keystone XL pipeline to be bill, perhaps, or we may have to take al Association of Manufacturers — the southeast Tennessee where members greenhouse soaks up the sun while the earthen side- (D-N.H.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) in America’s national interest. largest industrial trade association in can pay to take on residential intern- walls provide insulation. Photos by Patrick Ironwood. that focuses on improving energy effi- the bill down.” the country. The most outspoken detrac- ships. Within the institute’s 300 acres ciency throughout the industrial sector Of the more than 100 amendments The bill’s supporters say that sev- proposed to Shaheen-Portman after it eral proposed amendments could have tors of the bill are The Heritage Founda- of steep bluffs and verdant forests, In fact, even the wood used to build were placed on the south-facing side keeping the rays of summer sun out. and the federal government. passed in the Senate Energy and Natural increased its benefits by extending tion and Americans for Prosperity. members are participating in research Sweet Gum is sourced directly from the of the house to receive the maximum On the north side of the house, a On Sept.18, Senate Majority Leader incentives to nonprofits who own their While it’s possible that Shaheen- and workshops on ecology, agriculture surrounding land. After a southern pine amount of sunlight during the winter. technique called earth berming uses the buildings, and allowing states and other Portman could come back up for and architectural design. beetle outbreak in the 1990s, thousands This abundance of natural light bathing high thermal mass of earth materials entities to receive Department of Energy consideration after yet another budget Ironwood is the institute’s director of trees were killed. The wood from trees the house throughout the day is used as insulation. Piles of soil are packed Green Tea With a Splash of Bipartisanism grants for energy efficiency upgrades in battle between Congress and President of landscape and design. As a lifelong that had fallen or died was then salvaged to nourish an attached greenhouse, against the fortified outside wall to By Nolen Nychay Increasingly affordable, small pho- residential buildings. Obama, the chances of it passing this resident of the center, he has developed and used in constructing the house. allowing garden plants to be started in form an insulating cocoon that shields tovoltaic projects in communities hold “I’m disappointed that a small session have decreased substantially. an earnest enthusiasm for the ecological In addition to locally sourced timber, the late winter. The walls of the green- the house from outdoor temperatures. A new bipartisan coalition called potential for significantly less depen- design system known as permaculture. Sweet Gum makes use of the landscape house are made of cob, a mixture of clay, Environmentally friendly insula- Green Tea has emerged in Georgia, dence upon big utilities like Georgia In order to promote living in harmony through passive solar design — an ar- soil, sand and straw. Earth materials tion was also used for the interior of the united by a mutual objective to revise Power. The Green Tea’s conservative with nature, permaculture methods chitectural approach used to efficiently such as soil have a high thermal mass, house. Denim insulation, made from the state’s environmental and economic groups support the possibility of energy aim to balance the needs of humans, distribute solar energy throughout the meaning that they are dense enough to recycled blue jeans, provides a safe legislation. The new alliance includes self-sufficiency, especially since the only plants, animals and the Earth. Ironwood house. The techniques are considered resist rapid temperature change and can and efficient alternative to fiberglass. Libertarians, environmentalists, Tea current option is a regulated monopoly. applied these concepts when he began passive, rather than active, because this efficiently store and release solar heat. Although the research required for Partiers and other conservative interest Debbie Dooley, co-founder of the At- work on the Sweet Gum home in 1998, is done without the use of mechanical or During the summer months, the choosing the best design and materials groups. The coalition aims to “educate lanta Tea Party Patriots and current Green using a blueprint from the sustainable electrical devices. Different elements of house is given respite from the heat by for a home can be very time consum- and empower American consumers, Tea advocate, says that partisan divisions living magazine, Mother Earth News. construction — such as the orientation shade provided from an overhang on ing, Ironwood says, “it’s well worth it advocate for common-sense energy are irrelevant when it comes to public “A lot of times a house may take of the house to the sun and the type of the roof as well as nearby deciduous in the end.” policy and unlock the full potential of access to electricity, and that grassroots away from a beautiful, natural place,” building materials — work together to trees. Because the sun travels along a “Anyone that builds using these America’s energy future.” activists have the power in numbers to Ironwood comments. “This house has re- keep the house warm in the winter and lower path in the sky during the winter, materials will learn a lot more about The Green Tea Coalition is cur- topple the state’s current energy structure. ally allowed us to live here in this natural cool in the summer. the angle of the overhang is designed to the house that they’re living in, and rently confronting the state’s energy Conservative lobbyists for Geor- place and become a part of it even more.” At Sweet Gum, large windows allow the rays of winter sun in, while suddenly you aren’t living in a house monopoly, Georgia Power, which is gia’s dominant energy interests have that someone else built, you’re really a owned by Southern Company, the na- dubbed Green Tea “an unholy alliance.” part of it,” he says. “That gives the sense tion’s fourth-largest utility. Since 1973, Green Tea conservatives, however, con- that you actually have a relationship Georgia Power has generated all of the tend that having environmental con- with the system that you’re living in.” state’s electric power and depended cerns is not indicative of liberal agenda, Ironwood advises that even those on a grid supplied primarily by coal, and that the way government manages who aren’t building their homes from natural gas and nuclear energy. natural resources should be scrutinized the bottom-up can make important Green Tea conservative groups by all political interests. strides towards sustainability. Taking have supported increasing solar energy The bipartisan efforts of the Green simple steps, such as recycling and production to promote market diversity, Tea coalition bode well for clean energy monitoring energy use, can pave the spur competition and create new jobs. proponents, such as Diversified Energy way for a healthier relationship between Advocacy efforts by early Green Tea Supply who seek to expand energy op- humans and the natural environment. affiliates contributed to a new energy mandate on Southern Co. that requires tions in Georgia. Advocates hope the co- To learn more about the Sequatchie an added 525 gigawatts of solar energy alition can set precedents for what grass- Valley Institute, visit svionline.org. to be produced by 2016. roots political groups can accomplish.

Page 18 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 19 the ENERGY REPORT the ENERGY REPORT First Utility-Scale Solar Projects State-Level Policies Provide Vital New Research and Lawsuits Keep Mountaintop Removal in the Spotlight Support to Wind and Solar Industries By Brian Sewell mountaintop removal coal mining Proposed in West Virginia companies in court. The variety of By Kimber Ray convenience. Financial incentives such While battles over mountain- lation of the solar panels. According to outcomes and legal actions reflect By Brian Sewell A report released in July by the U.S. as rebates, grants and tax credits did top removal permits reach their a Solar Thin press release, the company widespread opposition to the conse- Solar Thin Films Inc., a New York- Department of Agriculture highlights not seem to lead to more renewable boiling point and lawsuits are filed is assisting Tri-State in finding a local quences of the practice. based company, recently announced a the role of state-level policies in sup- energy use. and settled, new research revealing utility to buy the electricity generated The strongest predictor of whether or  Protecting a Family Cemetery contract to develop up to 35 megawatts porting renewable energy. By examin- the environmental costs continues by the solar fields. not a farm would have renewable energy In Boone County, W.Va., residents of solar capacity in West Virginia. ing the factors that influence whether or to pile up. Solar Thin Films expects all three was the existence of state “renewable are suing Appalachian coal mining Through an agreement with property not a farm adopts wind or solar energy, In September, a study by Duke solar projects to be completed by fall energy targets.” These are mandatory giant Alpha Natural Resources to owner Tri-State Solar, the solar de- the report aims to help states form effec- University, Kent State Univer- 2014, with plans to begin installation goals established by the state govern- repair and protect the Jarrell Family veloper plans to install three sites in tive renewable energy policies. sity and the Cary Institute for before the end of 2013. ment which require utility companies to Cemetery from being further dam- Alderson, Crawley and Fayetteville. State characteristics related to us- Ecosystem Studies compared the While solar power currently ac- generate a portion of their electricity from aged by the Twilight Surface Mine Tri-State Solar, a West Virginia ing more renewable energy included an environmental toll of mountaintop counts for just one percent of electricity sources like wind or solar. Farmers have complex that surrounds the plot. company formed by a former coal abundance of organic farmland, high removal to the economic benefits of in the United States, according to the been especially vocal advocates of renew- “I don’t know why anybody operator, is in the process of obtain- rates of Internet connection, and expen- coal as an energy source. U.S. Department of Energy, installed able energy targets because of the profit would want to be buried here now,” ing financing for the projects, and is sive conventional electricity. Farmers Considering the impacts of solar capacity nationwide is projected potential from leasing their rural land to plaintiff Dustin White said to The preparing each property for the instal- located far away from the electric grid mountaintop removal on the health to grow by 81 percent this year. renewable energy projects. of Appalachian ecosystems, the State Journal. “You’re being buried also favor renewable energy due to its study concludes that tremendous in the middle of a construction zone environmental capital is being basically with heavy explosives going Dominion Power Wins Major Offshore Wind Auction spent to achieve what are only Referred to as an “island in the sky,” the Jarrell Family plot is surrounded by Alpha Natural off around you. I don’t know how modest energy gains. Resources’ Twilight surface mine complex. Descendants of those buried there are suing Alpha to anybody can rest in peace anymore.” By Nolen Nychay of Chesapeake Climate Action Net- tended for the newly acquired tract. “Ac- prevent further damage to the cemetery and gain less restricted access to the gravesite. Photo by work. “For a cheap price, they’re able to “While the scientific community Jarrell family members hope to win Dominion Virginia Power won a tual construction of larger facilities must Ami Vitale, www.amivitale.com. bask in the glow of perceived greenness has adequately demonstrated the sever- a permanent entrance to the cemetery, September auction for a tract that ex- await technological advances that would ity of surface mining impacts,” writes and the right to visit their ancestors and prevent another company from reduce costs,” the utility’s plan states. searchers from the University of Ken- the carbon released from combustion perts estimate has 2,000-plus megawatts Brian D. Lutz, the study’s lead author, when they choose without an escort grabbing the mantle of offshore wind,” According to the National Renewable tucky and the University of of the coal removed from the same area. of wind-energy potential. The $1.6 mil- “considerably less attention has been from Alpha or the West Virginia De- Tidwell told The Washington Post. Energy Laboratory, despite more than found that mountaintop removal could Lutz’s study did not focus on the lion bid purchased 112,800 acres along placed on understanding the extent partment of Environmental Protection. Filed on August 30, a week before four million megawatts of total offshore turn Appalachia from a carbon sink, ab- increased health risks faced by commu- Virginia’s coastline that, if developed, of these environmental impacts and  An Appeal for Community Health the utility won the auction, Dominion’s wind potential, the United States cur- sorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, to a nities closest to mountaintop removal could power over 700,000 homes. in providing the metrics necessary to Kentuckians For The Common- 15-year plan states that a two-turbine rently has installed only one 20-kilowatt carbon source in the next 12 to 20 years. mines documented by more than two Dominion’s winning bid, however, compare these environmental costs to wealth and the Sierra Club are appeal- “demonstration project” is the only turbine to date, enough to power just a The new study further considers dozen studies. Despite the coal indus- may not be a victory for the wind indus- the obvious economic benefits of coal.” ing an Aug. 23 court decision that said offshore wind installation currently in- few homes, off the coast of Maine. mountaintop removal’s contribution to try’s attempts to discredit the research, try, according to Mike Tidwell, director To meet current U.S. coal demand the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an increasingly unstable climate. Based environmental advocates have used the through surface mining, the study the agency which issues permits for on the carbon sequestration potential of conclusions to make their case in court. found that an area the size of Wash- mountaintop removal, is not required Appalachian ecosystems, researchers Research and Lawsuits Keep Mountaintop Removal in the Spotlight ington, D.C., would need to be mined Taking Coal to Court to weigh the cumulative health impact found it could take 5,000 years for 100 Continued from previous page in Central Appalachia every 81 days. Across Appalachia, environmental of an entire mining operation. The agreement does not automati- Clean Water Network attorney Stepha- acres of reclaimed mines to sequester Earlier this year, a report by re- advocates and residents are challenging In their arguments before the cally prevent another coal company nie Metheny said, “we’ll sue them up Members of KFTC celebrated the court, KFTC and the Sierra Club cited from attempting to mine Zeb Mountain one side and down the other.” decision to temporarily stop the Stacy New Mountaintop Removal Mines Proposed the growing research that has found in the future. “But if they do,” Tennessee Branch mine, saying a possible appeals In September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted Para- a relationship between surface mines victory would be fruitless if the court mont Coal, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources, a permit for an and health problems among nearby 860-acre mountaintop removal mine in Dickenson County, Va. The had allowed mining to proceed. residents. Attorneys for Leeco Inc., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is concerned that the Doe a subsidiary of James River Coal, ar-  Closures on the Cumberland Plateau Branch mine will discharge waste into streams already impaired by an gued that the studies have not proven existing 245-acre mine. The Doe Branch mine is slated to be part of the In Tennessee, one of the state’s most controversial Coalfields Expressway, a project that would subsidize that mining is a direct cause of health prominent and unpopular mountaintop mountaintop removal to build a highway in southwestern Virginia. problems. removal mines is being forced to close In East Tennessee, Appolo Fuels has submitted a permit applica- Two weeks after the initial decision after a two-year legal action filed by tion for an 804-acre mountaintop removal project in a heavily mined in the case, U.S. District Judge Thomas the Sierra Club, Statewide Organizing area of Claiborne County. Residents worry that expanding operations B. Russell directed the Corps of Engi- for Community Empowerment and along the Cumberland Plateau will irreversibly damage streams and neers to temporarily suspend a permit the Tennessee Clean Water Network. possibly lead to the local extinction of blackside dace — a ray-finned for the contested 756-acre Stacy Branch The lawsuit alleged that National Coal fish currently on the threatened species list — in streams surrounding mine in Knott and Perry counties. repeatedly violated the Clean Water Act the mines, which eventually feed the Cumberland River. Continued on next page at the Zeb Mountain mine.

Page 20 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 October/November 2013 | The Appalachian Voice | Page 21 INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work INSIDE APPALACHIAN VOICES About Our Program Work Appalachian Voices is committed to New Campaign to Bring Clean Energy to Virginia protecting the land, air and water Member Spotlight: Shay and Kim Clanton of the central and southern Appalachian region. Our mission On Aug. 27, Appalachian around the state and a Nature-Inspired Artists Defend their Land For nearly 10 years the couple is to empower people to defend has been distributing issues of The Voices and our partners in the petition to state law- our region’s rich natural and cultural heritage by providing By Nolen Nychay destroyed for the construction of a Appalachian Voice in the nearby Wise Energy for Virginia Coali- makers and the state golf course. For nearly six years, Shay tion launched “New Power for corporation commis- them with tools and strategies for In a hollow of Marble Valley, Va., metropolitan area of Staunton. Fill- successful grassroots campaigns. surrounded by a sprawling forest of old and Kim advocated for protecting the ing the newsstands at coffee shops, the Old Dominion,” a statewide sion, which sets Vir- unique marine ecosystem until victory campaign to bring smart en- ginia’s energy policy. hardwoods and conifers, the Clanton bakeries, local vendors and the pub- Organizational Staff farmhouse sits proudly on a small acre- arrived in the form of a federally estab- lic library, Shay and Kim have been ergy choices to Virginia. The (Check the back page lished coastal reserve at Buxston Woods. campaign will organize citizens calendar in this issue or age of open meadow. For over 12 years, incredibly helpful in spreading local Executive Director ...... Tom Cormons Shay and Kim Clanton have lived here “Your home is more than the build- environmental news to their friends to urge electric providers, en- visit newpower4va.org OPERATIONS & DEVELOPMENT simply and sustainably, treasuring ev- ing you live in,” Shay says. “A home and neighbors. ergy policy officials and state to find events near you) Director of Development...... Jonathan Harvey ery inch of the 40 acres of natural prairie includes the surrounding land and the Living on the outskirts of lawmakers to increase invest- “All the pieces are Controller ...... Susan Congelosi community of people you share it with.” George Washington National For- ment in cleaner energy gen- Sign the New Power Pledge in place except the po- and woodland they own in the shade of Visit: appvoices.org/take-action Operations Manager ...... Shay Boyd When the Clantons became aware eration, ultimately creating litical will,” says Kate Shenandoah Mountain. est, the Clantons also work with Director of Leadership Gifts ...... Kayti Wingfield of mountaintop removal near their Photo courtesy of Kim Clanton jobs and protecting the Rooth, Appalachian Shay, originally from northern Wild Virginia, a grassroots non- Operations and Outreach Associate ...... Maeve Gould new Virginia homestead, in neighbor- natural resources of the state. ments to the state’s outdated energy Voices’ campaign direc- , is a professional artist and profit dedicated to protecting Vir- air of the valley,” Shay says. “We’ve de- PROGRAMS ing Wise County, they discovered Ap- The campaign kickoff included the policy. Due in part to air pollution from tor. “That’s where the New Power for art teacher at Mary Baldwin College ginia ecosystems. Shay and Kim are cur- veloped such a close relationship with Director of Programs...... Matt Wasson palachian Voices through their online release of a report offering an alterna- coal-fired power plants, Richmond was the Old Dominion campaign will make in Staunton, Va. Her husband Kim, rently involved in the ongoing crusade these lands that inaction was not even a Campaign Director ...... Kate Rooth research on the matter. Since their home tive to Dominion Virginia Power’s named the asthma capital of America a difference, in growing a statewide from the piedmont of North Carolina, against intrusive logging in their area. question when threats to the surround- Senior Campaign Advisor ...... Lenny Kohm by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation is also an artist at heart, working as a is alongside a trout-filled stream, fed Using the Forest Service’s public appeal ing mountains and forests emerged.” 15-year plan, which relies on new fos- citizen movement to press our leaders Energy Policy Director ...... Rory McIlmoil of America in 2010, 2011 and 2013. glassblower and landscaper. by natural aquifers and meltwater that system to protest clear-cut logging that Whether it be tending to their gar- sil fuel generation while ignoring the to make this a reality.” Washington, D.C. Legislative Associate ...... Thom Kay The New Power report shows that The couple lived on Hatteras Is- flows down from the mountaintops, happens on federal public lands, the den of fruits and vegetables, gathering vast potential for energy efficiency and New Power for the Old Dominion Tennessee Director ...... J.W. Randolph there is significant potential for clean North Carolina Campaign Coordinator ...... Sandra Diaz land, N.C., for 10 years before moving what they read about stream con- Clantons remain dedicated to protecting Appalachian flora for holistic home rem- renewable energy in Virginia. is the next chapter of years of success- energy in Virginia. Among other find- Virginia Campaign Coordinator ...... Nathan Jenkins tamination and ecosystem destruction the natural lands they call home. edies, or simply admiring the beauty of “Dominion is heavily dependent ful organizing in Virginia. Member to the Appalachians. During that time Water Quality Specialist ...... Eric Chance inspired them to pursue supporting Ap- on fossil fuels, and with its preferred ings is that opting for a plan that adds groups of the Wise Energy Coalition they became deeply involved in sav- “We love where we live — the trees, the mountainscape, Shay and Kim have Water Quality Specialist ...... Erin Savage palachian Voices any way they could. resource plan, will continue to remain almost 4,000 megawatts of renewable have defeated a 1,500-megawatt coal ing a maritime forest at risk of being the animals, the quiet peace and fresh found true tranquility in their valley. Field Coordinator ...... Kara Dodson energy and conserves nearly 3,000 so for the indefinite future,” says David plant in Hampton Roads that would Americorps Outreach Associate ...... Sarah Kellogg Schlissel, the lead author of the report. megawatts through energy efficiency have consumed massive amounts of Communications & Technology Community Meetings in Virginia Confront Photo Exhibit to Benefit Appalachian Voices The case for new power in Virginia would cost between $633 million and mountaintop-removal-mined coal Director of Communications ...... Cat McCue could not be clearer. As coal companies $1.78 billion less than Dominion’s in 2012, and prevented a 1,200-acre Water and Mine Blasting Problems Photographer Rachael Bliss will present her experience of life on a sustainable Senior Communications Coordinator ...... Jamie Goodman current plan to build two natural gas Appalachian farm in a special exhibit titled, “Down on the Farm,” on display at the that use mountaintop removal mining mountaintop removal mine atop Ison Program Communications Coordinator...... Brian Sewell Over the summer, the Appala- ing individuals who attended these plants. First Congregational United Church of Christ in Asheville until the end of October. The practices and utility companies that Rock Ridge in Wise County. Editorial Communications Coordinator...... Molly Moore chian Water Watch program partnered meetings to address problems with To educate citizens about the collection of images documents a period of time she spent on her daughter’s sustainable burn coal pass the costs of their pollu- Read the New Power report and Americorps Communications Associate...... Kimber Ray with Southern Appalachian Mountain water contamination and blasting from benefits of clean energy, the campaign ssociate oby ac ermott farm in Knoxville, Tenn. For the second consecutive year, Bliss has offered to donate tion on to nearby communities, they learn how to organize a presentation in IT A ...... T M D Stewards to host community meetings nearby surface mines. We were able to includes a series of presentations given a portion of profits from her exhibition to Appalachian Voices. We consider ourselves also lobby against proposed improve- your community at newpower4va.org. around southwest Virginia. Meetings connect the impacted citizens with our INTERNS exceedingly fortunate to have the continued support of such a talented photographer. Editorial Communications Assistant ...... Nolen Nychay were held once a month, moving be- water monitoring program and our Ap- To view Bliss’s work, visit her Blissingstoyou Facebook page, or her website at Editorial Communications Assistant ...... Rachel Ellen Simon tween Wise, Dickenson and Buchanan palachian Water Watch Alert System to Hellos and Goodbyes bliss-ingstoyou.blogspot.com. Bliss can be contacted at 828-505-9425, or through the Online Communications Assistant ...... Meredith Warfield counties, with each meeting tailored help report and monitor contamination church at 828-252-8729. The church is located at 20 Oak Street in Asheville and is open Appalachian Voices is excited to welcome Graphic Design Assistant ...... Clarissa Gotsch to address specific concerns within issues in their areas. To learn more, visit Mapping Assistant ...... Jack Henderson 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays. several new staff to the team. Jonathan Harvey that community. Now, we are help- appvoices.org/waterwatch. joins us from Charleston, W. Va., to serve as our new director of development. Kara Dodson, a Board of Directors Outreach and Education Efforts in the Region former intern with our Appalachian Water Watch New faces (l-r): Jonathan Harvey, Kara Dodson, Kimber Ray and Sarah Kellog Chair ...... Christina Howe Vice-Chair ...... Landra Lewis Our campaign teams are working cooperatives in the Southeast, garnering team and a recent graduate of Virginia Tech, will And lastly, we would like to bid a fond farewell to Secretary ...... Dot Griffith be serving as our new field coordinator, collaborating with hard this year to provide education and support for statewide pilot programs that Sandra Diaz, who has served in many capacities at Appa- Treasurer ...... Bunk Spann volunteers and recruiting new members to further our work assistance on a variety of topics. can finance energy efficiency improve- lachian Voices for the past seven years, most recently as the in the Appalachian region. Members-At-Large In Tennessee and Virginia, we’re op- ments for homeowners. Stay tuned for the coordinator of our Red, White & Water and North posing proposed new mountaintop re- fall launch of our online Energy Savings We also would like to welcome our 2013- Clara Bingham Rick Phelps Carolina campaigns. Her extensive knowledge, Mary Anne Hitt Kathy Selvage moval mines (see p. 20) at public meetings, Action Center! 14 Project Conserve Americorps members, phenomenal volunteer organizing skills, and ir- Pat Holmes Lauren Waterworth through formal comments and by working And in North Carolina, our Red, both of whom will serve an eleven-month repressible “green fire” will be greatly missed. Silas House Tom Cormons (Ex-officio) with our partners to mobilize citizen voices White & Water crew has been meeting term through July of next year. Kimber Ray is We wish her the best of in her new ventures. to save our mountains. To learn more and with people living near coal ash ponds, serving as our communications associate and Advisory Council Learn more about these folks and the rest of Jonathan C. Allen Van Jones take action, visit us at appvoices.org. assisting residents who are seeking pro- the associate editor of The Appalachian Voice, our staff at appvoices.org/about/team/ Jessica Barba Brown J. Haskell Murray Our Energy Savings for Appala- tection from water contamination. Learn while Sarah Kellogg will act as the outreach Alfred Glover Brenda Sigmon chia program is reaching out to electric more on p. 5. associate for the Red, White & Water and Saying farewell: Sandra Diaz, passionate crusader, Randy Hayes tireless advocate, loyal teammate, and ebullient friend Energy Savings programs. Page 22 | The Appalachian Voice | October/November 2013 Non-Profit The Appalachian Voice Organization 171 Grand Boulevard US Postage Paid Boone, NC 28607 Permit No. 294 www.appalachianvoices.org Boone, NC

Photographer Carl Galie took “Scheduled for Demolition” at a proposed mountaintop removal mine site in Floyd County, Ky. This fall, Galie’s latest exhibit, “Lost on the Road to Oblivion: The Vanishing Beauty of Coal Country” will show at the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone, N.C. The collection of striking images exposing the issue of mountaintop removal coal mining will be accompanied by poems from North Carolina Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti. The exhibit runs from Nov. 1 to Feb. 8 and includes a presentation by Bathani on Nov. 6 as well as a gallery talk with Galie on Nov. 20. Both events start at 6:30 p.m. To learn more visit turchincenter.org. GET INVOLVED environmental & cultural events in the region NewPower4VA Road Tour music, enjoy a plate of southern food, and check Berkeley Plantation, Charles City, Va. Visit: virginia- James River Natural History Tours Oct. 16, 7-8 p.m.|Sandy Bottom Nature Center, out farm products on sale. Cost: $10/children, $15/ thanksgivingfestival.com Nov. 2 & Dec. 7, 1-4 p.m.: Ride the James Hampton, Va. ... Oct. 29, 7-8 p.m.|Catoctin adults. Shields Ethridge Heritage Farm, Jefferson, Tanner Station Rifle Frolic River in a historical pontoon boat while learning Ga. Visit: shieldsethridgefarminc.com Creek Distillery, Purcellville, Va. Nov. 2-3: Join state park officials for an off hand about local wildlife and 17th-century history and Join the movement to bring clean energy to Virginia Your Gut and the Environment championship, night shooting event and three-man folklore. $25/person. Henricus Historical Park, with the New Power for the Old Dominion campaign! Oct. 23, 6:30 p.m.: Dr. Chris Magryta of Salis- team shooting competition with a variety of prizes. Chesterfield, Va. Call 804-318-8728 Hear an engaging presentation on renewable bury Pediatrics will speak about microorganisms Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park, Carlisle, Ky. Winter Wilderness Wonderland energy followed by a panel of local clean energy and how they influence health. Learn how food, Contact: (859) 289-5507 or parks.ky.gov/calendar/ Every Saturday Nov. 30-Dec. 21, 6-9 p.m. : pioneers. Presented by the Wise Energy for Virginia stress and chemicals affect our bodies everyday. Join Christmas at Karlan, featuring an open house, Coalition. Free. Visit: wiseenergyforvirginia.org Free. The Center for the Environment, Salisbury, Fee Free Days at National Parks Santa Claus, live music and a hayride through the N.C. Visit: centerfortheenvironment.org Nov. 9-11: Come enjoy your local national park, Streambank Repair Workshop wilderness adorned with lights, lasers and holiday free of charge! Fee waiver includes entrance Oct. 16: Learn how to prevent streambank ero- Mountain Justice Fall Summit decorations. $3/car. $1 Hayrides. fees, commercial tour fees and transportation sion using grading, matting, plants and other Oct. 25-27: A weekend of workshops and State Park, Ewing, Va. Park Office: (276) 445-3065 fees at all U.S. national parks. natural materials. Workshops include hands-on trainings concerning Appalachia’s long history of Apple Hill Farm Tour activities at Cove Creek. $25, includes lunch. resisting strip mining and mountaintop removal. Artisans Studio Tour Every Saturday through Dec. 14, 2–3:30 Watauga County Community Center, Sugar Grove, You will see mountaintop removal from the top of Nov. 9-10: See craft professionals at work in p.m.: Take a guided tour of Apple Hill Farm and N.C. Call Cooperative Extension at 828-264-3061 Kayford Mountain. $25-$75, includes all food and their studios. Over 30 artisans in 19 studios will learn about the specific species and personalities activities for the weekend - lodging is tent camping. Laying the Groundwork Lecture be opening their doors to demonstrate their work of animals living on the farm including a mini pig. Naoma, W.Va. Visit: mountainjustice.org/events Oct. 17, 8-9:30 a.m.: Learn about building in pottery, jewelry, textiles, furniture, and more. Banner Elk, NC. Visit: highcountry365.com/events techniques, proper water management, energy ef- Hemlock Fest Charlottesville, Va. Visit: artisanstudiotour.com Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival ficiency and lessening environmental impact.Free. Nov. 1-3: An unparalleled musical experience Grow Appalachia Mushroom Workshop Dec. 14, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.: Explore heritage Richmond, Va. Visit: earthcraftvirginia.org/events to help prevent the spread of the invasive HWA Nov. 12, 4:30 p.m.: Learn the secrets to culti- and tradition at the 7th annual Feast of the Seven beetle and preserve Appalachian forests. This all- Full Moon Suspension Bridge Hikes vating and utilizing some of Appalachia’s most Fishes Festival in historic downtown Fairmont. ages, eco-friendly event features three days of live Oct. 18-20, Nov. 15-18 & Dec. 15-16.: Visit Tal- pragmatic flora. Free. Pine Mountain Settlement Vendors, arts and holiday cheer will accompany music, primitive camping, educational exhibits, lulah Gorge and hike under the full moon, reaching School, Pine Mountain, Ky. Contact Maggie or live music and entertainment all day. Monroe arts and crafts vendors, and more. $10-$50. Mur- a suspension bridge that sways 80 feet above the Kathleen at (606)‐558­-3416. Street, Fairmont, WV. Visit: mainstreetfairmont.org rayville, Ga. Visit: hemlockfest.org/blog/ gorge with spectacular views of the river and water- Sustainable Agriculture Conference Mornings in the Mountains falls. Times vary by date. Cost: $5/parking, $5/hike. Colonial Thanksgiving Festival Nov. 15-17: Attend the 28th annual CFSA confer- Saturdays through Dec. 28, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.: Tallulah, Ga. Visit: gastateparks.org/event/205135 Nov. 3, 12-4 p.m: Celebrate America’s first ence for sustainable, local agriculture. The 3-day Join an interpretive hike exploring Wintergreen, Ky.’s Thanksgiving with food, fun and history. Tour the 1726 Black Pot Cooking event will include speakers, workshops, and tours natural environment. $3/members, $6/non-members. manor, play colonial games, see musicians, dancers, Oct. 20, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.: Explore old-fashioned of local agricultural endeavors. Cost: $65-$309+. Register by 9:30am. All hikes leave from the Trillium crafts, a living history program and more. $5/car. cooking at a historical farm. Listen to bluegrass Durham, N.C. Visit: carolinafarmstewards.org/sac/ House unless otherwise noted. Visit: twnf.org