West Virginians Go Up Capitol Hill to Save WV Mountains
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Washington, D.C. – West Virginians looking to put a stop to mountaintop removal coal mining took their message to the nation's capitol Tuesday. The group met with Congressman Nick Rahall, but were not optimistic about his response.
Carolyn van Zant of Mingo County was at the meeting. She wants lawmakers to hear about the damage mountaintop removal does to water quality, health and the West Virginia landscape.
"Some of the world's oldest mountains, some of the most bio-diverse mountains are being destroyed. And once they're destroyed, there's no way to reclaim them."
The West Virginians were looking to drum up support for the federal "Clean Water Protection Act" (HR-2169) under consideration in the U.S. House. If passed, the law would ban the dumping of mountaintop removal waste into streams and lakes, which would effectively stop the practice.
Supporters of mountaintop removal argue that coal mining is an important part of the state's economy. Critics counter that the number of jobs it provides is outweighed by the environmental damage.
Chuck Nelson from Glen Daniels is a former deep coal miner and a member of the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. He says mountaintop removal has meant fewer jobs for coal miners, and in his view, a ban on the practice would be a winner for the state's economy.
"If they stop the practice of mountaintop removal, we're going to go the traditional way of getting it, underground mining. That means more jobs, and it would put our people back to work."
Bill Price with the Sierra Club in West Virginia agrees, adding it's not a case of choosing between the environment and jobs.
"Now is the time to put an end to the destructive practice of mountaintop removal coal-mining, and bring true economic prosperity, and good, green, unionized jobs."
Price believes ending mountaintop removal mining would help the environment AND open the door to more job creation in the traditional mining and alternative energy fields.
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